Glossary

You want a VPN but you lack some knowledge?  Here are a few details on the notions around VPN services:

Authentication: allows to check the identity of an user in order to give him access to some ressources. It’s one of the methods used by a VPN to secure the trade of data.

Encryption : allows to make a document incomprehensible to everyone who does not have the decoding key. It’s one of the methods used by a VPN to secure the trade of data. Encryption can use two technics: symmetric (same key to encrypt and decode) or asymmetric (different keys to encrypt and decode)

IPsec : protocol which authenticates and encrypts data on IP networks.

L2F : tunneling protocol based on UPD protocol, which is obsolete today.

L2TP : go on ‘protocols’ page

OpenVPN : go on ‘protocols’ page

PPTP : go on ‘protocols’ page

Proxy : server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. Most proxies are a web proxy, allowing access to content on the World Wide Web. More details?

Tunnel : process which creates a network by inserting data from a protocol into another protocol. This encapsulation allows to set up a virtuel private network, or a VPN.

UDP : protocol which deals with data transmission between two entities.

VPN : Virtual Private Network, go on page What is a VPN?