Can a Network Administrator See What You’re Doing When You Use a VPN?

ByAdrian

In the interest of preserving network security, many companies and organizations restrict the computers that can be accessed from within their networks. This can be especially troublesome since many companies maintain a presence on the internet and sometimes need to connect with customers or other business partners that are not located on their local network. One way of allowing limited computer access while maintaining security is through the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). A VPN allows for remote access to resources while preventing the person accessing the resources from having the appearance of being on the network.

VPN Considerations

Before deciding whether or not to use a VPN, you should consider the following:

  • Performance: How fast does the VPN server usually handle connections? Is it a fast VPN or a very slow one?
  • Features: What additional features does the VPN offer? Does it provide a kill switch or do you have to pay for that as well?
  • Bandwidth: How much bandwidth does the VPN provider offer?
  • Security: How protected is the VPN connection from eavesdropping? Can a hacker eavesdrop on your VPN connection and see everything you do? Does the VPN provide strong encryption or is it just a simple connection that anyone with half a brain can break?
  • Cost: How much does the VPN cost? Is there a minimum monthly payment required? Are there any contracts or hidden fees?
  • Access: Who can access the VPN, what are the locations it can be accessed from and does the location make a difference? Can someone in Australia log into a VPN in California or the other way around?

The best VPNs will always strive to offer the user the best experience possible while not sacrificing security in any way. A poor performing VPN or one that has bad reviews should be avoided at all costs as they may very well be a security nightmare waiting to happen.

Types Of VPNs

There are several different types of VPNs, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to understand the differences before making a decision about which one to use.

OpenVPN (PIA VPN): An open VPN, or one that is in the public domain, allows for unlimited access to whatever resources you wish to connect to. This can be a great choice if you need to connect to a wide variety of resources since you can easily set up multiple connections to different servers. OpenVPN is extremely flexible and offers a lot of features for advanced users who need something more sophisticated than what most VPNs offer. One disadvantage is that anyone can use OpenVPN and set up a free account with virtually no restrictions or limitations.

PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): A pptp VPN, or a classic VPN, provides strong encryption and authentication to protect your data while in transit. It is considered one of the most secure and trusted VPNs around today. Unfortunately, it is quite the protocol expert and has several complex settings that a beginner may find difficult to deal with. It is also not ideal for users who want to access content that is geo-blocked (e.g. Netflix or other streaming services).

L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol): An l2tp VPN, or a Cisco VPN, is another trusted and safe choice. It allows for the creation of a secure tunnel between two peers, or endpoints. Like pptp, l2tp is fairly complex and has several configurations that may need to be tweaked for maximum performance. It is most commonly used by ISPs to provide security for their subscribers and restrict what content they can access from their office. Since l2tp is a layer two protocol it does not encrypt data in transit but it does provide authentication and integrity.

How Do I Choose The Best VPN For My Needs?

The best VPN for your needs will depend on a variety of factors. Some of the most important factors to consider are:

  • Protocol: What is the type of connection the VPN uses? Is it an open protocol that can be used by anyone and requires no configuration or is it a proprietary protocol that is highly optimized for performance?
  • Features: What additional features does the VPN offer? Does it provide a kill switch or do you have to pay for that as well? Does it provide strong encryption or is it just a simple connection that anyone with half a brain can break? Does it provide a firewall protection or just a basic IPsec connection?
  • Cost: How much does the VPN cost? Is there a minimum monthly payment required? Are there any contracts or hidden fees?
  • Access: Who can access the VPN, what are the locations it can be accessed from and does the location make a difference? Can someone in Australia log into a VPN in California or the other way around?

It is important to realize that no matter which type of VPN you choose there are limitations to what you can and cannot do. For example, if you have a corporate VPN in California you may not be able to access content in Australia due to geo-blocking measures put in place by your ISP. So although you may be able to access any website or service you want, you may not be able to access specific content or download certain apps from certain providers (e.g. Netflix). In some cases, you may have to pay for certain content if it’s geo-blocked although most ISPs will happily offer an exception if you ask nicely.

The Importance Of A VPN In A Changing World

The internet and everything online has certainly changed the way we do business today. In the interest of staying safe online and allowing only trusted connections when necessary, VPNs are extremely important and can be used for a variety of purposes. Some of the most common uses for VPNs include:

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