What Is A Site-To-Site VPN? How Does It Work?

Ever thought how companies located at different locations connect and carry out their matters so swiftly? Well, it is because they are connected to a site-to-site VPN, which helps them to establish secure communication between two separate networks.

This is especially good for organizations with several branches. It provides a central location for all to access central resources without compromising on issues to do with security. Now that we understand what a site-to-site VPN is, let’s jump into how it works to connect different networks securely and get more details about site-to-site VPN.

What is a Site-to-Site VPN?

A site-to-site VPN is a technology that connects the data between two or more networks in two geographically locations. Companies use this VPN to connect the main office to subsidiaries or affiliates, or to share resources between two companies.

While, on the other hand, site-to-site VPNs connect networks, allowing for easy communication between different sites and sharing of resources between those sites. The connection is made through the public internet connection. However, the encryption guarantees that data is protected from other people’s access.

How Does a Site-to-Site VPN Work?

We describe site-to-site VPN as creating an encrypted ‘tunnel’ between two or more networks. Here’s how it functions:

1. Network Gateway Setup: Every network in the VPN possess a gateway that often rely on a router or firewall to manage the VPN connection.
2. Encryption Protocols: The gateways use several security methods. Particularly in the transmission of the data in the Site- to-site VPN tunnel, such as IPsec (Internet Protocol Security).
3. Tunnel Creation: A unilateral VPN is formed over the internet between the gateways so that it may only permit data exchange between the two networks.
4. Data Transmission: Suppose, you transmit a data from one network to another, it will go through this tunnel. Thus, any new person cannot be able to access it because of the protection.
5. Decryption: Once the data gets to the second network, the key is then used to decrypt the data and passed to the intended destination.

This process assures that while passing through the public internet, the data through the connection is secure.

Site-to-Site VPN vs. Remote Access VPN

While both site-to-site VPNs and remote access VPNs aim to secure communications over the Internet, they serve different purposes:

• Site-to-Site VPN: It connects full networks and that is perfect for linking offices or organizations. It offers availability since users receive connectivity for safe communication of all the devices in the all the networks.
• Remote Access VPN: Allows users to plug into the network. This one is normally applicable to employees who hire the company’s resources from outside the workplace, for instance, from home, or while on a business trip.

The major difference is as to what the connection is extended – site to site VPNs are used for connecting two networks, while remote access VPNs connect a user to a network.

Benefits of Site-to-Site VPN

Implementing a site-to-site VPN offers several advantages:

• Secure Communication: Encrypts data so that all the sites in a network can communicate securely.
• Cost-Effective: Very cost-effective since it does not require costly dedicated communications connections but uses the public internet.
• Centralized Management: It helps reduce the overall responsibility of maintaining network security at different places by having a central point of control.
• Improved Collaboration: It is possible to provide a means of clear communication and an efficient means of sharing all resources between employees situated in different locations.
• Scalability: Easy expansion to expand the number of sites as the organization evolves.

Site-to-Site VPN Limitations

While site-to-site VPNs offer important benefits, there are also some limitations:

• Complex Configuration: It should be noted that configuring site-to-site VPN is not very easy oftentimes, it is a complex process and needs IT specialists.
• Dependence on Internet Stability: The strength and quality of the connection depend on whether the internet is stable or if interference in terms of latency or outages can be observed.
• Security Risks: While encryption protects information, it becomes a security issue if the encryption standards are old or implemented in error.
• Limited Flexibility: Site to site VPN connection do not allow the individual equipment to come from any place as is possible for remote access VPN.

How to Set Up a Site-to-Site VPN

Setting up a site to site VPN involves several steps:

1. Determine VPN Needs: Check out the bandwidth of the connection sites.
2. Select a VPN Gateway: Select a hardware or a software that is to become a gateway for each site.
3. Configure the Gateways: Configure the parameters of the VPN on each gateway: IP addresses, encryption, etc.
4. Establish the Tunnel: Check if the connection is optimal and that the creation of the tunnel is efficient, and the data is encapsulated.
5. Monitor and Maintain: Continuously interpret the status of the VPN connection to identify the performance and security issues.

Site- to-Site VPN Protocols

Several protocols are used to establish and secure site-to-site VPNs:

• IPsec (Internet Protocol Security): The most widely used, offering reliable encryption and authentication for VPN protection.
• GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation): More often used with IPsec to manage data tunneling.
• MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching): A newer, faster, and more reliable protocol used mostly in corporate networks.

Each protocol has its strengths and is chosen based on the network’s specific needs.

Is a VPN Right for Your Business?

The factors that determine whether a site-to-site VPN is suitable for a business include the following:

The communication between several facilities is secure, an organization has the IT personnel for setting up and managing this system, and the level of security required for the data being transmitted.

Site-to-site VPN configuration is usually a very good option for organizations that require a connection between their different branches or require a reliable connection with the partner organization. However, the benefits and limitations need to be taken into consideration to arrive at a correct decision.

Moreover, using a VPN, you can unblock geo-restrictions on websites to watch content like Dress My Tour Season 1, How to Die Alone Season 1, and Tell Me Lies Season 2. Also, you can unblock the giant streaming platform, Hulu easily.

EnGenius Launches FitXpress Gateway for Enhanced Site-to-Site VPN Connectivity

EnGenius has introduced XG60-FIT FitXpress Gateway, a flexible system for small businesses with the need of connecting various sites with secure site-to-site VPN. What does this gateway do?

This gateway features an auto-VPN mechanism for VPN configuration and provides a VPN throughput of 900 Mbps as well as a convenient self-repairing VPN that makes certain the VPN link stays strong and reliable. Also, the gateway accompanies the SecuPoint VPN client for workforce remote employees, as well as cloud network management, and reasonably affordable price.

FAQs

Conclusion

A Site-to-site VPN is an important technique that is most beneficial with regard to organizations that require that many of their networks connect to others but in different locations. It has sufficient security measures, relatively low costs and centralized management and hence it is widely used in most organizations.

But it has its disadvantages, like the complexity of setup and the quality of the internet connection on the network. A VPN Site to Site are a good technology to understand how they work, how advantageous they are, plus the disadvantage to enable you to decide on whether you will require the kind of technology for your business.

Remember using a VPN, you can unblock HBO Max, Peacock TV, Crackle, Netflix, and more.