Originally posted by SEAJ at 26-1-2010 00:19
Got a question - how does VPN work? ...
VPN basically sets up a secure connection to your 'home' Server, directly, and invisible to any blocking or monitoring - security-wise it's as if you were sitting in the office with a hard-wired connection to the LAN ... except that the connection is created over the internet instead.
This means you have no direct access to any of the internet, and your traffic is invisible to anyone on the internet.
EXCEPT THAT if your 'home' server itself gives you access to the Internet, you have exactly the same access but to the internet you look as if you were in the office.
A bit different from a proxy, since when you're on a proxy you can still surf the web directly from your PC via the local ISP.
Think of a proxy as hiding in plain view by wearing a disguise. Think of VPN as hiding by ducking under ground and going through a tunnel completely out of sight.
... that's a layperson's intro ... maybe a techie can improve on it!