VPN gives extremely secure connections between private networks linked through the Internet. It allows remote computers to act as though they were on the same secure, local network.
Advantages of using VPN:
- Allows you to be at home and access your company's computers in the same way, as if you were sitting at work.
- Almost impossible for someone to tap or interfere with data in the VPN tunnel.
- If you have VPN client software on a laptop, you can connect to your company from anywhere in the world.
Disadvantages of VPN:
- Setup is more complicated than less secure methods. VPN works across different manufacturers' equipment, but connecting to a non-NETGEAR product will add to difficulty, since there may not documentation specific to your situation.
- The company whose network you connect to may require you to follow the company's own policies on your home computers (!)
VPN goes between a computer and a network (client-to-server), or a LAN and a network using two routers (server-to-server). Each end of the connection is an VPN "endpoint", the connection between them is a "VPN tunnel". When one end is a client, it means that computer is running VPN client software such as NETGEAR's ProSAFE VPN client. The two types of VPN:
VPN client-to-server (client-to-box):
VPN server-to-server (box-to-box):
All NETGEAR routers support "VPN Pass through", but "pass-through" simply means the router does not stop VPN traffic — you still need two endpoints. The whole purpose of VPN is to prevent data being altered, so, for example, a passthrough router that is also running NAT will break the VPN connection.
Further information:
- For examples, see Index of VPN documentation
- Refer to the product's Reference Manuals. Go to Support webpage, enter the device model, and search.
NETGEAR Support can assist in trouble-shooting VPN tunnels between two Routers/ UTM's, should then tunnel not establish. VPN to routers from other manufacturers are handled on a 'best effort' basis.