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What Does a VPN Tunnel Do?
Most VPN beginners will come across the word "VPN tunnel" but have no understanding of what it means, how it works, or what VPN tunneling protocols are. That's where this article comes in to assist everyone in understanding what's going on, whether before or after using a VPN.
Progressively more average people realize the importance of using a Virtual Private Network (aka VPN) because it allows them to have more privacy, security, and "freedom" on the internet, regardless of whether they are using public Wi-Fi hotspots or other types of limited networks like LAN, WAN, or WLAN.
Due to the rise of remote work modes throughout the world and the tightening of Internet restrictions in many countries in the recent years, the adoption of VPN technology has skyrocketed.
Why can a VPN service help users relax and feel more at ease when browsing the web? It should come down to VPN's one-of-a-kind, dependable workflow which is based on the topic of this article – VPN tunnel.
VPN Tunnel: Definition and Functions
A VPN tunnel is an encrypted connection that connects your device to the internet. This encryption protects your personal data and browsing sessions from third-party snoopers, such as those at your school or employment, your Internet service provider, or even the government. Even if they intercept them, your ISP will notice that you're transmitting and receiving data packets, but they won't be able to see them.
Nobody will be able to look at (or monitor, edit, or otherwise tamper with) your information. It will be sent through the VPN servers and onto the internet after passing through the tunnel from your device.
VPN tunneling, in general, refers to the use of a VPN service. As a result, the answer to the question "How does VPN tunneling work?" is nearly identical to the answer to the question "How does a VPN work?"
Encryption of data transmission − Third parties are no longer able to access your information.
Hides IP Address − Your IP address is hidden. Your communication is routed through a VPN server, which masks your IP address. There's no way to know where you are without your IP.
Keeps Wi-Fi safe − When utilizing public Wi-Fi, you no longer have to be concerned about your safety.
To use VPN tunneling, you must first sign up for a VPN provider.
A VPN tunnel will be formed after you connect to the specified server. Your ISP can see everything you do online if you don't use a VPN, but this is impossible once you connect to one. Because of the encryption and masked IP address, this is the case.
Most VPN providers claim to have a rigorous no-logs policy, which means they don't track or keep personally identifying information or data about online behavior. Having said that, your best chance is to choose a trustworthy VPN provider that has been tested in the wild or has an independently audited or no logs policy.
Is It Possible to Breach a VPN Tunnel Security?
Is it possible to hijack a VPN connection that is so secure? Unfortunately, yes. Although this is far less common than you may assume. If you're a regular user, you shouldn't be concerned, as hackers normally target high-profit targets like multimillion-dollar corporations.
As cracking an encryption is nearly hard (unless there is a known flaw), the most typical method is to get the encryption key. This can be done in a variety of ways, but utilizing a trustworthy VPN considerably reduces the danger.
VPNs like NordVPN, for example, utilize a 4096-bit DH (Diffie-Hellman) key cipher, which makes a key exchange in a VPN connection very safe.
How to Test a VPN Tunnel?
You can tell if your VPN tunnel is operating by checking your ping. When you are connected to a VPN, and when you are not, you'll need to check your ping twice. Then, by comparing the findings, you may determine whether or not the VPN connection was successful. So, if you're running Windows 10, here's how to check your ping:
Start the Command Prompt
"ping 8.8.8.8" is what you should type in (8.8.8.8 is the public DNS of Google)
Press the Enter key.
Await the outcome.
When you're connected to a VPN, your ping will be substantially greater than when you're offline.
Protocols Used in VPNs
Following are some of the protocols used in VPNs:
Point to Point Tunneling Protocol
PPTP or "Point to Point Tunneling Protocol" was created by Microsoft and debuted with Windows 95. It is notorious for its speed – and lack of security. PPTP, although being simple to set up, relies on the insecure MSCHAP- v1/v2 authentication protocols, which provide nothing in the way of encryption (though they are quick). In reality, since 1998, PPTP has had security concerns and has been hacked by government agencies, including the National Security Agency.
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
This VPN protocol, which combines Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) with Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), is slower than PPTP but significantly more secure, thanks to industry-standard AES-256 encryption.
Because L2TP encrypts data but does not provide authentication, it requires the usage of the IPSec VPN protocol. IPSec bundles and encrypts these packets, keeping them safe from prying eyes and secure throughout transit.
Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol
The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol, or SSTP, is effective at safeguarding data as it flows across the Secure Sockets Layer or SSL. Furthermore, because SSTP does not utilize defined ports, it navigates firewalls much more easily. Because SSTP is native to Windows, it is simple to set up if you have a Windows device and inaccessible if you don't. Furthermore, SSTP's relationship to Windows is cause for alarm, as Microsoft has historically collaborated with the National Security Agency.
OpenVPN
Despite being difficult to set up, OpenVPN is the newest protocol on the market and is regarded as the gold standard by most VPN providers and consumers (and needing third-party software to do so). It protects data with AES 256-bit encryption, can get beyond firewalls, and operates on both TCP and UDP protocols.
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