VPN Types

There are two main types of VPN in popular use today:

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IPsec VPN: IPsec is a set of protocols for security at the packet processing layer of network communication. An advantage of IPsec is that security arrangements can be handled without requiring changes to individual user computers. SonicOS supports the creation and management of IPsec VPNs.

IPsec provides two choices of security service: Authentication Header (AH), which essentially allows authentication of the sender of data, and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP), which supports both authentication of the sender and encryption of data as well. The specific information associated with each of these services is inserted into the packet in a header that follows the IP packet header.

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SSL VPN: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet, usually by HTTPS. SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA, which also includes the use of a digital certificate. An SSL VPN uses SSL to secure the VPN tunnel.

One advantage of SSL VPN is that SSL is built into most Web Browsers. No special VPN client software or hardware is required.

NOTE: SonicWall makes SSL VPN devices that you can use in concert with or independently of a SonicWall network security appliance running SonicOS. For information on SonicWall SSL VPN appliances, see the SonicWall Website: http://www.SonicWall.com/us/products.html.