What Is Site-To-Site VPN?

What Is Site-To-Site VPN?

The world of Virtual Private Networks seems simple at first glance but as you start to learn more about them, you automatically notice the fact that there are many facts that you were not aware of. For instance, a lot of people have no idea what a site-to-site VPN is. If you are among them, you should not be ashamed since we should mention that the majority of users think that all VPN services are the same. 

You need to be sure that you learn all that you can about the virtual private networks since this is what will help you out the most in making a suitable choice. Because of this, we will now discuss site-to-site VPN and explain what you have to know about it. 

What Is A Site-To-Site VPN?

This is not related to a website, although many think so. The site-to-site VPN is a type of VPN that allows various offices found in multiple locations (fixed) to establish a secure connection with each other through the use of public network access points. The VPN will extend the existing network of a company, allowing access of users, no matter where they are. For instance, the best VPN when you are in Canada can be used to access your company’s offices, computers and shared files in USA. 

Types

Two types of site-to-site virtual private networks exist:

1. Intranet based site-to-site VPN – if one business has more remote locations that should be joined in one single private network, the intranet VPN is created and connects separate LANs to one WAN. 
2. Extranet based site-to-site VPN – when there are strong connections that are established with another firm (like a partner, customer or supplier), the extranet system is used to connect the different LANs. In this situation the VPNs allow the companies to easily work together in an environment that is completely secured, while sharing network files without being afraid of possible file transfer security breaches. 

The main purpose of the site-to-site VPN network is different than that of the remote-access VPN network but almost the same equipment and software is utilized. However, with the use of site-to-site VPN, there is no need to use dedicated VPN client software since the infrastructure is different. 

The site-to-site VPN system is the most common one at the moment and it is currently offered by dozens of really good service providers. Make sure that you understand whether or not this is what you need since the remote-access system is also really suitable for some companies. Making a correct choice means that you would automatically gain more efficiency, which is exactly why you implement the network in the first place. 

Have patience and make sure that you choose a provider that also offers support so that it can take care of absolutely all the problems that may appear at the end of the day. Only in the event that you do know everything about how to establish such a network you should work alone and do your very own system network, without third party services.