Cloud VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a private network over a public network. It lets users send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their devices were connected directly to the private network. A VPN can be used to protect your browsing activity.

Applications on computing devices such as laptops, desktops and smartphones can benefit from the functionality, security and management of the private network through a VPN. Encryption is a common feature, though not an inherent part of a VPN connection.

In essence, a VPN service forwards all of a user's network traffic to a system from which local network resources can be reached remotely. All operating systems have built-in VPN support.

A VPN addresses three basic requirements:

- Remote access to an organisation's resources anytime, anywhere.

- Connecting branch offices to each other.

- Controlling access by customers, suppliers and other outside parties to the organisation's resources.

- Hide browsing activity from the local network and ISP

- Reach your home network while travelling

- Reach your business network while travelling

VPS hosting lets you host a website in a virtual server environment, while a VPN is a user-facing tool for browsing the web securely and privately.

Perhaps the only thing the two have in common is virtualisation. They serve entirely different needs, yet both can be relied upon. For example, if you need a large, high-traffic website, rent VPS hosting to host it, and use VPN software when you connect to the internet to manage the site, which protects the data you send over the internet.

- Free VPNs save money, but users may pay with their own security. A full-featured, powerful VPN needs a monthly budget.

- A VPN can be misused for illegal activity, which gives the technology a bad name.

- Many websites are becoming wary of VPNs and put up obstacles to limit access to restricted content.

- Traditional VPNs are point-to-point and generally do not support broadcast domains, so layer-2 and broadcast-based communication, software and networks (e.g. NetBIOS on Windows networks) may not be fully supported as on a local network. Variants such as VPLS and layer-2 tunnelling protocols were designed to overcome this.