

NordVPN also encrypts all of your data as it travels between your device and the server.Ĭontrast this with the remote access model. The server allows you to connect to the wider public internet without exposing your IP address.

With NordVPN, for example, the “private network” is your device (which is installed with the VPN client) and the VPN server. These VPNs involve a client and a server, but they don’t facilitate access to specific resources stored on that server. The most common type of VPN is the model used in consumer VPNs, like NordVPN. This usually involves installing a client (like a VPN app) on your device, which then routes all user traffic through a server. A VPN, in a general sense, is any private network (an ecosystem of devices and servers, like a LAN) which has been extended across a public network (like the internet). Remote access VPNs are just one type of VPN. What is the difference between a VPN and remote access?

For added security, the client can establish an encrypted VPN tunnel between its device and the server. To maintain synergy, an organization can have all remote employees install a VPN client on their devices, while also configuring their office routers to send and receive data through the same server. A remote access VPN facilitates this – an intranet can be made accessible only through a specific server, to which the organization’s VPN client software connects. However, with remote workers becoming increasingly normalized, many organizations need ways to give secure access to users in a variety of locations. The network access server can be made accessible only to people connected to a specific internet gateway, for example. If all of its intended users are in the same location, it is relatively easy to regulate who can connect to an intranet. Many organizations maintain an intranet, an internal network that lets trusted users access files, programs, messages, and private resources. Like any VPN, remote access VPNs connect clients (applications installed on your phone or computer, for example) to servers. How does a remote access VPN work?Ī remote access VPN allows devices in different remote locations to access a private network, like that of a company or a government agency. This system lets employees maintain a secure connection to their office network while working outside of their office, but it also offers other benefits, including enhanced cybersecurity. A remote access VPN allows remote users to connect to a server belonging to their organization or employer.
