Do you need to support distributed workforces with secure, anywhere, anytime access to corporate applications? If so, you’ll want to deploy a Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
A VPN connects your office locations and/or data centers so they can communicate securely as if on a single network. VPNs are an alternative to leasing point-to-point lines, such as T1s between your locations, offering you cost savings and network scalability.
But not all VPNs are created equally…
Internet-based IP VPNs. One way VPNs can be built is by placing gateways or routers at each of your locations to create secure tunnels across the public Internet. These Internet-based IP VPNs work across multiple networks. All you need is a broadband Internet connection and a publicly routed IP address.
Using your existing Internet connection makes this a cost-effective way to set up a VPN, especially for international or remote locations. But it also means that your network is subject to Internet congestion that can slow your connection.
You can configure your routers to add priority tags for real-time traffic, like voice and data, but your ISP may or may not heed these instructions. And, in order to keep data secure as it travels the public Internet, you must properly configure encryption protocols, such as IP-Sec, PPP or SSL.
So, while Internet-based IP VPNs take advantage of the Internet’s low cost and ubiquity, they also are disadvantaged by the Internet’s lack of quality or security.
Internet-based IP VPNs usually are self-managed, which can be another advantage if you have the technical expertise in-house. But as more and more sites are added, management complexity grows.
For these reasons, companies of all sizes, but especially small and medium businesses, are moving away from do-it-yourself VPNs to more secure, carrier-class and managed options. Typically, that means subscribing to an MPLS-based VPN service.
MPLS VPNs. MPLS stands for multiprotocol label switching. Put simply, MPLS enables a service provider to create private paths for your company’s traffic within its network.
MPLS VPNs, which use private networks, offer greater levels of security than VPNs that use the public Internet, and encryption can be added to boost protection.
But VPNs based on MPLS have the added advantage of supporting quality of service, including the ability to prioritize different types of traffic, such as voice, data or video, by classes of service.
MPLS supports two types of VPNs.
Layer 3 MPLS IP VPNs, which is what most people mean when referring to MPLS VPNs
Layer 2 virtual private LAN services, or VPLS.
With VPLS, employees in various office locations appear to be connected to the same Ethernet LAN. This simplifies the topology, which is an advantage if you want to keep routing control while taking advantage of a service provider’s infrastructure. Because they require Ethernet access, VPLS are more difficult to scale, and are often used between data center and headquarters sites.
MPLS IP VPNs, on the other hand, can be accessed over any connection — T1, Ethernet, DSL, etc. — making them scalable and ideal for connecting even your branch and small offices.
They also take advantage of service provider core routing. And, if you want to turn over management of your premises routers, too, most providers will offer a managed MPLS service option.
For more information on the right VPN approach for your organization, consult Fine Telecommunications at 800-891-8679 or info@finetele.com