With 77% of people and 93% of companies using VPNs (virtual private networks), it’s safe to say that this type of tool is having a serious impact. After all, they help protect your connection and allow you to surf the web privately, which is a huge commodity in today’s internet.

With the above in mind, there are a few different types of VPNs, so you need to know the difference between them in order to get the right one.

Types of VPNs

There is no official way to classify VPNs, but this type of technology is usually grouped based on where it’s applied.

We’ve broken down VPNs below into three categories: remote access, personal use, and mobile.

Remote Access VPNs – Best for Business

Remote Access VPNs are designed to grant a user access to a network securely. For this reason, it’s ideal for companies that have their own network and have to let remote users access these servers.

Site-to-site VPNs, which are sometimes put in their own category, allow the same type of connection between networks. So, these are ideal for large-scale corporations that need to grant and remove network access to entire companies.

Personal VPNs – Best for Everyday Use

Personal VPNs are for people like yourself who want to safely and securely access the internet from home.

There are also residential VPN apps that allow you to browse the internet using IP addresses from all over the world and these are also considered a personal virtual private network.

Mobile VPNs – Best for Smartphones and Similar Devices

Since you can also access the internet through your smartphone or a similar device, you can also protect that connection with a mobile VPN.

These VPNs can be either for business or personal use, but they are designed specifically to protect gadgets like mobile phones.

VPN Protocols: A Quick Breakdown

Let’s take a quick look at the different protocols that VPNs can use to encrypt and protect your connection.

• IPSec: This stands for Internet Protocol Security. It’s been around for a while, and it’s not technically a VPN protocol by itself. It simply creates a secure connection but doesn’t allow the transfer of data. Because of this, it’s usually paired with IKEv2, which allows for the flow of data.
• L2TP: Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol is not new either, but it’s more recent than IPSec/IKEv2. With that said, its performance is still not as good as that of more modern protocols.
• PPTP: The third-oldest on this list, yet maybe the most troubled, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol was a joint effort developed by Microsoft and other companies, but it has troubling security issues and a wide list of vulnerabilities.
• SSL and TLS: Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security, respectively, you may recognize them from your web browser’s connection. These are the new (SSL) and outgoing (TLS) protocols used by browsers like Chrome. However, they’re not real VPN protocols.
• OpenVPN: One of the flagships of virtual private network protocols, OpenVPN is a great alternative that has been tested over the years and has exceeded expectations every time.
• SSH: Another pseudo-VPN protocol, Secure Shell, works similarly to classics like OpenVPN, except that it only protects one device.
• Wireguard: Faster and smoother than OpenVPN, the newest protocol on this list has delivered excellent performance and is proving to also be a super secure alternative.

What’s a VPN?

So, what’s a VPN exactly?

VPN stands for virtual private network, and it’s a type of security technology that allows two devices to exchange information privately over the internet. In other words, a VPN protects your connection when you surf the web.

There are many subcategories of VPNs, but these are usually divided into remote access, personal, and mobile virtual private networks due to each one’s distinct nature.

To Wrap Up

So, there you have it! VPNs can be classified in a few different ways, but the most commonly used categories are remote access, personal, and mobile tools because each one caters to a unique application.

Personal VPNs are the best for everyday use, while remote access (and site-to-site) networks are best for professional environments. Mobile VPNs are specifically designed for mobile devices, though there are plenty of great providers that offer both mobile and desktop versions.

Likewise, the protocol your VPN uses is important, but you should be able to choose between a few different options if you have a quality provider.