Do You Tunnel With Your Computer?

VPN or Virtual Private Network is a computer network that is implemented in an additional

software layer, on top of an existing larger network for the purpose of creating a private and secure computer communication into an insecure network such as the Internet.

The connection between nodes of a virtual private network are formed with virtual circuits between hosts of the larger network. The Link layer protocols of the virtual network are described as tunneling through an underlying transport network.

VPNs are often used by organizations (companies, schools, etc.) to provide remote access to their secure network. Because VPN connections are more complex in nature than say a point-to-point connection, they require authentication and must maintain that handshake of sorts for the duration of the connection. VPN administrators will do things such as masking the IP address of the individual computers within the Internet in order to, for instance surf the World Wide Web anonymously or access a locations restricted services.

VPN connections are possible for folks with even slower dial up connections, but not possible with satellite Internet services, even though the connections are some 10-30 times faster than dialup. The problem with satellite Internet is transmission latency. This is merely a half second delay when a satellite modem transmits a signal into outer space to a satellite, which then returns the transmission to earth. It is unnoticeable to the end user except when that user attempts to use things such as VoIP (Vonage), or real-time games such as World of Warcraft and VPN.

The problem with satellite Internet latency and VPN connections is basically authentication related. Because VPNs allow connections only from known trusted users, said users are provided with appropriate security privileges to access resources with the network. Users need to authenticate themselves to join the VPN and must maintain that handshake through the connection. Satellite Internet transmission latency, that mere half second delay, causes in a sense, the tunnel to collapse and forces the end users to constantly authenticate to the VPN. Although dialup is painfully slow, the connection is constant and therefore can sustain itself through a VPN tunnel.

by: Frank Bilotta

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