When you connect to a VPN, all of your internet traffic is routed through an encrypted “tunnel” between your computer and the VPN server.
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Introduction
Tunneling is a process of encapsulating data in a strong wrapper before sending it over a public network. The data is first routed through a tunnel, which adds an additional layer of security and protection. This way, even if the data is intercepted, it would be very difficult for someone to read or make sense of it.
What is a VPN?
Most people know that a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can secure their internet connection and encrypt their online traffic. But how does a VPN actually work? In this article, we’ll take a look at how VPNs work, and specifically, how they accomplish the process of “tunneling” that allows them to securely send data over an insecure network.
A VPN is essentially a private network that you can access over the public internet. When you connect to a VPN, all of your traffic is routed through an encrypted “tunnel” to the VPN server. From there, it is then routed to its destination on the internet. This process has several benefits:
-Your traffic is encrypted, so your ISP (or anyone else) cannot snoop on your data.
-Your traffic appears to be coming from the IP address of the VPN server, rather than your own IP address. This can be used to bypass geographic restrictions and censorship.
-The encryption and routing processes add some overhead, which can slightly slow down your internet connection.
How VPNs Work
When you connect to a VPN, a “tunnel” is created between your device and the VPN server. This tunnel encrypts all of your traffic, making it unreadable to anyone who might intercept it. This includes your ISP, your company’s IT department, and any malicious actors on the public internet. All they will see is meaningless gibberish.
The Basics of Tunneling
At its simplest, a VPN is a network of computer servers located in various parts of the world that you can log into from your office or home computer using the Internet. When you log into a VPN, all of your Internet traffic is routed through the VPN server before it reaches its destination on the Internet. This has a few advantages:
Anonymity – Perhaps the most important benefit of using a VPN is that it makes you anonymous on the Internet. When you connect to a VPN server, your IP address (which identifies your computer on the Internet) is replaced with the server’s IP address. As far as websites and online services are concerned, you’re basically invisible.
Security – A VPN also encrypts all of your Internet traffic, making it much more difficult for hackers or anyone else to intercept your data and steal your information.
Access to blocked content – Since your traffic is routed through the VPN server before it reaches its destination, you can use a VPN to access websites and online services that are blocked in your country. For example, if you’re in China and want to access Google, all you need to do is connect to a VPN server located in another country.
Encryption
When you encrypt something, you’re basically just scrambling the data so that only authorized people can read it. To decrypt the data, you need a key. Think of it like a secret code: The message is jibberish to anyone who doesn’t have the key to decode it.
The same goes for VPN encryption. The data going back and forth is scrambled with a256-bit encryption key. That’s virtually impossible to crack, making it nearly impossible for hackers or anybody else to read your data.
Authentication
The most common form of authentication used in VPNs is based on digital certificates. When you connect to a website that uses HTTPS, your browser verifies that the website’s certificate is valid and comes from a trusted source before it begins to exchange information with the site. If the certificate is invalid or not from a trusted source, your browser will display an error message and not connect.
A VPN connection also uses digital certificates to verify the identity of the VPN server and the client. The server must have a public and private key pair, and the public key must be compromised for anyone to be able to impersonate the server. The client must also have a key pair, and the private key must be known only to the client.
When you connect to a VPN server, your browser verifies that the server’s certificate is valid and comes from a trusted source. If it is, your browser sends a copy of your public key to the server. The server then sends back a signed copy of its public key along with an acknowledgement message. Your browser verifies the signature on the acknowledgement message with the server’s public key, proving that it came from the server that you intended to connect to. Once both sides have verified each other’s identity, they each generate a shared secret key that they will use to encrypt all further communications.
Conclusion
Tunneling is a key feature of many VPNs, but how is it accomplished? Tunneling creates a private “tunnel” between your computer and the VPN server. This tunnel is encrypted, so anyone intercepting your data will not be able to read it.
Tunneling is accomplished by creating a “virtual” point-to-point connection using public network infrastructure (the Internet). The VPN software on your computer encrypts your data and sends it through the tunnel to the VPN server. The VPN server decrypts the data and forwards it to its intended destination.
This process makes it appear as if your data is coming from the VPN server, rather than from your computer. This has several advantages:
-It hides your IP address from the websites you visit.
-It adds a layer of security, since the data is encrypted while in transit.
-It can bypass firewalls and other restrictions that block certain types of traffic.
Tunneling is an important part of how a VPN works, and it’s what enables a VPN to provide privacy and security.