Chapter 4: Introducing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Exam Objectives
Understanding Virtual Private Networks
Identifying VPN types
Understanding VPN implementation methods
Creating Virtual Private Networks using Cisco SDM
Examining SDM quality of service features
Reviewing VPN Management
Mobile users and telecommuters today make up an increasingly larger part of the corporate workforce. To provide corporate intranet resources to mobile employees, organizations are requiring more flexible, elaborate, and wider connectivity options. At the same time, companies attempt to remain cost conscious, eliminating any unnecessary and wasteful forms of communications. This balancing act between flexibility and cost has turned corporate attention away from expensive leased lines and Frame Relay circuits to more cost-effective and dynamic alternatives.
Rather than implementing dedicated lines that prove to be a huge financial burden, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide companies with a secure connectivity solution between corporate sites. A VPN is a private network established using a public network infrastructure, such as the Internet. Remote users may access corporate LAN resources by connecting directly to local ISPs, thereby reducing long-distance telephone charges. By dismissing cost-intensive and highly inflexible communications methods for cheaper, more robust, and manageable solutions, the need for VPNs soon becomes very clear.
Purpose of VPNs
The main purpose of Virtual Private ...
