Difference between VPN and remote desktop
VPN vs remote desktop:
As the need for communication grows, we find more creative ways to be able to assist each other. People use different devices and software to access each other easily, even while they are travelling. In such a context, VPN and remote desktops play a huge role. These two concepts are used in professional environment as well as at home. But still we find that many of us are unknown to the fact what VPN and remote desktop are and how they differ from each other. Therefore, this article mainly focuses on providing a brief description on how VPN and remote desktop differ from each other.
What is VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. VPN is a network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. It creates a secure network connection over a public network such as the Internet or a private network owned by a service provider. Large corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies use VPN technology to enable remote users to securely connect to a private network. A VPN works by using the shared public infrastructure while maintaining privacy through security procedures and tunneling protocols such as the Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). In effect, the protocols, by encrypting data at the sending end and decrypting it at the receiving end, send the data through a “tunnel” that cannot be “entered” by data that is not properly encrypted. An additional level of security involves encrypting not only the data, but also the originating and receiving network addresses. A VPN supplies network connectivity over a possibly long physical distance. In this respect, a VPN is a form of Wide Area Network (WAN). VPNs enable file sharing, video conferencing and similar network services. Virtual private networks generally don’t provide any new functionality that isn’t already offered through alternative mechanisms, but a VPN implements those services more efficiently / cheaply in most cases. VPN allows you to be at home and access your company’s computers in the same way as if you were sitting at work. Setup of VPN is more complicated than less secure methods. VPN works across different manufacturers’ equipment, but connecting to a non-NETGEAR product will add to difficulty, since there may not documentation specific to your situation.
What is remote desktop?
Remote Desktop Connection is a technology that allows you to sit at a computer (sometimes called the client computer) and connect to a remote computer (sometimes called the host computer) in a different location. Remote desktop connectivity relies upon any of a number of protocols, including Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), NX technology and Independent Computing Architecture (ICA). Remote desktop is used for and array of various functions. IT people will use this functionality to gain access to a remote server, to do configurations, installations, and perform maintenance. Support people can quickly help you remotely to solve problems or/and even show you how to work with programs that you are having problems with. Remote desktop is a simple yet elegant solution to assist with various tasks. Remote desktop software exists for most operating systems and platforms, including handheld computing devices. Microsoft and Apple each have a product called “Remote Desktop.” Other remote desktop products include Citrix XenApp, CrossLoop, Jaadu (for the iPhone and iPod Touch), GoToMyPC, pcAnywhere and Chicken of the VNC. The remote desktop servers/clients do offer security mechanisms for authentication. Once the administrator has entered the correct password, the remote desktop software enables that administrator to access the remote computer. The person using the client computer can use any software on the remote machine, and access any files. In most cases, the host computer is still able to access all of its core functions; it may be possible to lock or disable the peripheral devices on the host computer, however, so that a user cannot interfere with the client actions.
What is the difference between VPN and remote desktop?
Both VPNs and remote desktop applications provide remote access to specific information within a network. But there are significant differences between these two. The difference between remote desktop applications and VPNs is that the first one allows access and control to a specific computer, while VPNs allow access to shared network resources. Regarding the security, remote desktop are less safe and can be easily hacked while VPNs provide encryption at a high security level. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is just that, a private network. VPN runs on top of a larger network, such as any corporate network you’d find in an office building. Conversely, remote desktop is typically remote control of an individual computer, which may or may not reside on a network. Virtual private networks (VPNs) use encryption to provide a means to securely connect to a remote network over the Internet. Effectively, they provide “virtual” access to the physical network as if you were physically located in the office. Remote access systems, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and similar products, allow you to connect to a computer over the network and manipulate it with your mouse and keyboard as if you were sitting at the computer.
One clear advantage of VPN is how the “work” is handled by the local PC. Only the resources on the network rely on the VPN connection; all human interaction is handled by the local PC as a complete workstation. With Remote Desktop, you use one PC as a “clone” of a remote PC desktop. This has the advantage of having all the drives and network resources of the remote PC right on the desktop. RDP is great if you simply want to have access to a machine on an office (or home) network but the performance can be greatly limited by the connection speed you have to the computer. Using a VPN would allow you to work on your own computer and access files on the network when you need them although obviously any large transfers would suffer due to network speed limitations as well.
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Tags: communication, computer, drives, information technology, network, PC, remote, security, software, speed, transfer
