Comparing PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols">Advantages and Disadvantages of PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN</a>: Advantages and Disadvantages of PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN<br /><br /><div class="module lens_intro " data-mod-pos="1" data-mod-type="intro"><br /><br /><br /><hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br />PPTP vs L2TP vs SSTP vs SSL/OpenVPN</h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <img alt="" class="pull-left lens_intro_img" src="http://i1.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/lens19096931_1327964646VPN.gif" /><br /> <br /><br /><div class="module_intro" itemprop="description"><br />If you've done some reading about VPN, you probably already know that it stands for <b><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Virtual private network">Virtual Private Network</a></b><br /> and it's a popular way for businesses to provide a secure way for <br />employees to remote into their servers. But did you know that there are <br />different protocols available for VPN? These protocols are commonly <br />referred to as <b>PPTP</b>, <b>L2TP</b>, <b>SSTP</b> and <b>SSL/OpenVPN</b>. Each operates by its own set of rules and each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.</div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div class="toc_wrap" id="lens_toc_wrap_less" style="margin-top: 20px;"><br /><h3 class="font12 caps margin_bot_5"><br />Contents at a Glance</h3><br /><ol class="toc_plain"><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module156677059"><br /> PPTP </a><br /> </li><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module156677060"><br /> L2TP </a><br /> </li><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module156677061"><br /> SSTP </a><br /> </li><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module156677062"><br /> OpenVPN </a><br /> </li><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module160429736"><br /> Which VPN protocol is best? </a><br /> </li><br /><li><br /> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#module161039952"><br /> Where do I get a VPN? </a><br /> </li><br /></ol><br /><div class="pull-right clear"><br /><a class="btn btn-mini" href="http://www.squidoo.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vpn-protocols#">More</a><br /> </div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="module156677059"></a><br /><br /><section class=" module textmodule " data-lazyload="no" data-lmi="156677059" data-mod-pos="2" data-module-type="textmodule" id="module156677059"><br /> <br /> <br /> <hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br /> PPTP </h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="write_module"><br /><b><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Tunneling_Protocol" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol">Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol</a> (PPTP)</b><br /> is one of the most commonly used forms of VPN because it is easy to set<br /> up and maintain. It encrypts data using a 128-bit key. Because of this,<br /> it is considered one of the weaker forms of VPN and is mostly used for <br />personal tunneling purposes like sharing pictures. More recent versions <br />of PPTP also use EAP authentication, an authentication protocol designed<br /> for use for wireless and point-to-point connections. EAP is designed to<br /> recognize most authentication methods. Positives include the fact that <br />it uses TCP, which allows for retransmission of lost data.<br /><br /><br /><br />PPTP was developed by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=47.6395972222,-122.12845&spn=0.01,0.01&q=47.6395972222,-122.12845%20(Microsoft)&t=h" rel="geolocation" target="_blank" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a> along with a few other companies and is <br />natively supported by Windows. Firewalls like ISA Server, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_PIX" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Cisco PIX">Cisco PIX</a> and <br />Sonic Wall recognize it. The biggest disadvantages include the fact that<br /> it is one of the least encrypted forms of VPN, data encryption starts <br />after the computers have gone through the authentication process and <br />made the point-to-point connection, and requires only user-level <br />authentication. </div><br /></section><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="module156677060"></a><br /><section class=" module textmodule " data-lazyload="no" data-lmi="156677060" data-mod-pos="3" data-module-type="textmodule" id="module156677060"><br /> <br /> <br /> <hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br /> L2TP </h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="write_module"><br /><b><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layer_2_Tunneling_Protocol" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol">Layer 2 tunneling protocol</a> (L2TP)</b><br /> derives its name from the fact that it makes use of Layer 2 of the OSI <br />networking model and was the result of a joint effort between Cisco and <br />Microsoft to provide a more secure tunneling protocol. It works with the<br /> <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPsec" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="IPsec">IPSec</a> model to provide 168-bit encryption and requires two levels of <br />authentication, making it a little more powerful on the encryption side <br />than PPTP. L2TP prevents data from being altered while traveling between<br /> the sender and receiver and also requires either a shared key or a <br />digital certificate before transmitting data. One of its biggest <br />advantages is that it also encrypts the authentication process, making <br />it more difficult for someone trying to "listen in" on your transmission<br /> to intercept and crack the data.<br /><br /><br /><br />If you notice that your L2TP connections are down, one common cause <br />might be your security certificate infrastructure. They do make use of <br />pre-shared keys, so if something changes in the key at one end of the <br />connection, the key at the other end will not work. So be sure to keep <br />track of your security certificates to make sure your keys are the same <br />at both ends of the connection. </div><br /></section><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="module156677061"></a><br /><section class=" module textmodule " data-lazyload="no" data-lmi="156677061" data-mod-pos="4" data-module-type="textmodule" id="module156677061"><br /> <br /> <br /> <hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br /> SSTP </h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="write_module"><br /><b><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Socket_Tunneling_Protocol" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol">Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol</a> (SSTP)</b><br /> works in situations where most VPN connections would be blocked. This <br />includes countries like Belize, which forbids the use of VPN technology,<br /> and certain companies that do not use or block VPN connections. It uses<br /> Port 443, the same port used by <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Transport Layer Security">Secure Socket Layer</a> (SSL) <br />transmissions. This combines with a special method to form the packets <br />to allow SSTP transmissions to pass through most proxies and firewalls. <br />It is considered the most secure of VPN <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunneling_protocol" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Tunneling protocol">tunneling protocols</a> because it <br />uses SSL, authentication certificates and 2048-bit encryptions.<br /><br /><br /><br />The major downside to SSTP is that it was created exclusively by <br />Microsoft and only works on Windows Vista SP 1 and Windows 7. Because it<br /> is proprietary, there are no known plans to make it available to users <br />of Mac OS, Linux and older versions of Windows. Because SSTP is such a <br />secure protocol, it is possible to become complacent when remoting into <br />your server from a public location. It is possible for your username and<br /> password to be intercepted at places like the airport, library or <br />university, or even at your home if you make use of an unsecured or <br />lightly secured wireless router. Your best bet is to use VPN connections<br /> along with a common-sense approach to security. </div><br /></section><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="module156677062"></a><br /><section class=" module textmodule " data-lazyload="no" data-lmi="156677062" data-mod-pos="5" data-module-type="textmodule" id="module156677062"><br /> <br /> <br /> <hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br /> OpenVPN </h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><div class="write_module"><br />Whenever Microsoft releases any kind <br />of proprietary, fully copyrighted software, you can almost count on <br />lovers of Open Source software creating a free version that works about <br />as well, and sometimes better than, the Microsoft version without the <br />price tag. <b>OpenVPN</b> also makes use of SSL technology and works on <br />Mac OS, Windows, Linux and some IP phones. It operates on both Layer 2 <br />and Layer 3 and has extra features that can transport Ethernet frames, <br />IPX packets and NETBIOS functionality. It can also be set up to share <br />Port 443 with HTTPS transmissions. It can handle multiple channels over a<br /> single TCP or UDP port and can be managed through a Telnet setup. Some <br />network administrators have been known to use OpenVPN to connect two <br />network routers over an untrusted wireless network.<br /><br /><br /><br />OpenVPN's biggest weakness is the amount of latency, or the amount of <br />delay involved in the operation of a system. This weakness can be gotten<br /> around by using more powerful and newer computers for the VPN <br />connection, keeping your security software updated, and making use of <br />SSL certificates and trusted certificate authorities. It also has to <br />connect to a single TCP port on the client end. </div><br /></section><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="module160429736"></a><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <hgroup class="module_header"><br /> <h2 class="module_title"><br /> Which VPN protocol is best? </h2><br /></hgroup><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><div class="font18 lt_gray border_bot"><br />After reading this lens, which VPN protocol do you consider to use in the future? <br /></div><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><br /><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=85ffa5e7-f263-410c-8d2b-f7f71f84cdcc" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div><br /></div><br />

Comparing PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN

Advantages and Disadvantages of PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN : Advantages and Disadvantages of PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN PPTP...

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