Many are interested in knowing what a VPN connection is and why it is necessary. Let's deal with this in a simple philistine language, we won’t spill it with professional terminology so that everyone can understand what it is. A VPN connection is a secure network (tunnel) created inside the Internet that is not secure. If we consider the simplest form, then this is a tunnel consisting of a VPN client located on the user's PC and a VPN server. In the tunnel occur:
- encryption;
- protection;
- changing the information exchanged between the user's PC and sites located on the Internet.
The advantages of this protection
Why is a VPN connection necessary and what is its advantage? Sometimes a VPN is required to hide its IP address in order to become an anonymous user. There are times when it is needed to download files from a network that prohibits doing so from the IP addresses of countries in which clients are located. There is still a need to encrypt traffic transmitted from the user's PC to the destination (point). It turns out that there are quite a few situations in which a VPN connection is used.
VPN connection mechanism
Let's look at an example that we often encounter in real life. Nowadays, the popularity of free and often open Wi-Fi networks is growing. They are everywhere:
- in the cafe;
- in restaurants;
- in hotels;
- in other public places.
The number of devices that allow you to connect to the Internet is constantly increasing. There are PDAs, mobile phones, netbooks and other devices. This pleases modern people, as it allows you to connect to your mail without problems in many places, go to the social network, now you can work on vacation, combining business with pleasure.
But have you ever wondered how safe this is? Are you sure that in the open space of insecure networks, no one will steal your credentials and passwords? Not everyone knows, but by analyzing such traffic that does not have protection, it is easy to access personal information by establishing control over your PC. This is where the VPN connection comes to the rescue. You must install it before connecting through an insecure network.
How to set up a VPN
Setting up a Windows 7 VPN connection is not difficult. The principle is almost the same as in any network connection. You will need a control panel, there go to the section called "Network and Internet", in which click on "Configuring a new connection or network." After that, select the connection option. It's about the item "Connecting to the workplace", it is he who will configure the VPN. Then you need to specify information about how the VPN connection will be performed. On top of an existing connection on the Internet or by a dedicated phone number. If in doubt, then opt for the first option. In the next step, enter the IP address (you can name the PC) to which you will connect using the VPN tunnel. Check with your network administrator. Then enter the credentials for access. Next, click the "Connect" button.
It is important to create a VPN connection, after installing a secure channel, data interception is no longer terrible. You can safely check your mail, go to the necessary sites with your password.