The term VPN is often used interchangeably with Extranet, which is confusing and often misleading. While a simple Extranet implies the connection of two networks, it does not necessarily mean that there is any security present. An Internet-based VPN uses the distributed nature of the Internet to transmit data from one corporate site to another, but does stress security.

Using an Internet VPN, your users set up connections to the local connection points of their ISP, which will actually transmit the data. As the Internet is a public network, ordinarily there would be a high security risk to data. Internet-based VPNs encrypt data during transmission between sites, which provides a high level of protection against these risks.

Of course, while this proves suitable for most commercial use, information entrusted to the Internet will never be quite the same as a private line or cable connecting two computers or networks. Hence there are trade-offs and choices. A detailed discussion with Systel of your company's networking issues will reveal whether a WAN over on a leased line or a VPN on the Internet is right for you.


Remote Access
 - Remote Access VPNs provide remote access to a corporate Intranet or extranet over a shared infrastructure with the same policies as a private network. Access VPNs enable users to access corporate resources whenever, wherever, and however they require. Access VPNs encompass analog, dial, ISDN, digital subscriber line (DSL), mobile IP, and cable technologies to securely connect mobile users, telecommuters, or branch offices.

Intranet
 - Site-to-Site VPNs are an alternative WAN infrastructure that used to connect branch offices, home offices, or business partners' sites to all or portions of a company's network. VPNs do not inherently change private WAN requirements, such as support for multiple protocols, high reliability, and extensive scalability, but instead meet these requirements more cost-effectively and with greater flexibility.

Extranet
 - Extranet VPNs link customers, suppliers, partners, or communities of interest to a corporate Intranet over a shared infrastructure using dedicated connections. Businesses enjoy the same policies as a private network, including security, QoS, manageability, and reliability.