What is a VPN Tunnel, and How Does it Work?

A VPN tunnel (or a Virtual Private Network) is the encrypted pathway that connects your PC or mobile to the internet. It helps to hide your online activities, your IP address, and any data you generate while on the internet. This way, no third party, including your Internet Service Provider (ISP), can access your online information, as this tunnel is unbreakable.

If you are a privacy-conscious individual, using a VPN tunnel is the perfect choice for you as it helps to enhance your online privacy and security. So, let’s dive deeply into how this technology works, the different tunneling protocols you can use, and how to create one.

How Does VPN Tunneling Work?

Whenever you use ExtremeVPN to connect to the Internet, all your online data gets transferred from the Internet to your device through a process called tunneling.

Your online data that passes through the tunnel is divided into tiny pieces called packets. These packets are further protected in another data packet in an encapsulation process. This ensures that your data is tightly protected in different capsules, which will help ensure that no intruder can access it.

VPN Tunneling Protocols

A VPN supports various protocol types that can suit any of your needs. Although it automatically chooses the optimal protocol for you to use whenever you connect to a server, you can still configure your VPN tunnel manually.

Some tunneling protocols that ExtremeVPN provides include OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, WireGuard, PPTP, and SSTP.

Types of VPN Tunneling Protocols

Below, you will find a detailed list of the different types of VPN tunneling protocols:

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is an open-source tunneling protocol that works with all operating systems, including Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and macOS. Although this protocol type is highly customizable, it is recommended for advanced users as the setting up process is complex. Regardless of its setup process, OpenVPN provides users with a fast network speed and a private and secure network that can bypass most firewalls.

This tunneling protocol includes a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption protocol that keeps your online traffic private. You can also download the OpenVPN source code, assess it, and modify it to suit your needs.

OpenVPN comes in two versions: UDP and TCP. UDP assures you of a fast network speed, while TCP is the best choice for a reliable/stable connection.

IKEv2/IPsec

IKEv2 is a tunneling protocol part of the IPSec protocol suite. It is a more stable option when compared to OpenVPN. The IKEv2/IPSec protocol combines the security benefits provided by IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) and the speed of the IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange Version two), which helps to enhance your browsing experience.

Although this protocol type is incompatible with some operating systems, it is perfect for your mobile device. With this protocol type, you don’t have to worry about network disruption due to its auto-reconnect feature.

L2TP/IPsec

Just like IKEv2/IPSec, it combines the attributes of L2TP and IPSEC such that L2TP protects your online traffic, and IPSec takes care of all encryption processes.

L2TP/IPSec is an outdated protocol type with many vulnerabilities, making its security features questionable. But you can customize this protocol type and set it up quickly on your device.

PPTP

PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is one of the earliest protocols developed. It assures users of fast network speed and convenience. If you are looking for a quick-use VPN tunnel, this is the best option, as it is compatible with all operating systems and very easy to set up and use.

However, PPTP does not have encryption and authentication features, so your online data won’t be protected from prying eyes if you use this protocol.

SSTP

The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is a popular VPN protocol developed by Microsoft. Although it only works on Windows OS, you can be assured of a secure and private network when you connect to it.

SSTP is relatively easy to set up and provides a secure and fast VPN connection. With this VPN tunnel, you can bypass firewalls, even the Great Firewall of China.

WireGuard

WireGuard protocol is unarguably the best tunneling protocol to use. It provides users with lightning-fast speed and a highly secure network connection. You don’t have to choose between speed and security using this protocol type, as you can have the best of both worlds.

Additionally, this open-source protocol is built with a lightweight code of only 4000 lines, making it easy to customize, audit, and debug. This also reduces the risk of vulnerabilities and flaws in the protocol.

Wireguard protocol also comes with a speed boost, making it unlikely for you to detect a network disruption when you are switching from a Wi-Fi connection to your mobile data or another Wi-Fi connection. This makes it the top choice if you use ExtremeVPN on your mobile phone.

What are the Benefits of a VPN Tunnel?

From providing a secure connection to hiding your IP, a VPN tunnel offers a lot of advantages. These include:

• Advanced online protection: A VPN tunnel makes your network anonymous, so that you can stay away from the sight of hackers, ISPs, and criminals.
• Secure access to private data: Users can access their sensitive information(such as the company’s hidden files or internal systems) with ease of mind.
• No bandwidth throttling: Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) restrict your internet connection, or slow it down depending on what you’re doing online, i.e., downloading, or streaming content. They do it for various reasons — network congestion, cost management, etc. With a VPN tunnel, you can avoid this.
• Security on Public Wifi: No matter whether you use the network of your central park, or a mall, you will get maximum protection at all times.

Is a VPN the Same as a VPN Tunnel?

A VPN is not the same as a VPN tunnel website, though; they are related terms. To understand the difference between VPN vs. VPN tunnel, it’s essential to know that while a VPN provides users with a secure and private connection with the internet, a VPN tunnel is the encrypted pathway in which your online data or data packets reach their destination.

How Do You Create a VPN Tunnel?

The first step to creating a VPN tunnel is downloading the VPN app on your device. Visit here and choose the app version compatible with your operating system. Once you download our app, set up your account and connect to a server.

You don’t need to set up a VPN tunnel, as ExtremeVPN automatically does it once you connect to a server. However, you can still choose your preferred protocol type manually.

If you use devices that do not support VPN functionality, you can configure ExtremeVPN on your router to protect your network.

VPN Tunnel Security – Can it be Hacked?

Unfortunately, a VPN tunnel can be hacked, but it rarely happens. You don’t need to worry about this if you are a regular internet user, as these hackers usually target high-profit individuals or million-dollar companies.

If you are still curious about how a VPN tunnel’s security can be hacked, it can be done by breaking the encrypted data packets. As this is practically impossible, except there’s a known vulnerability, the only way to hack your tunnel is to steal your encryption key. Stealing your encryption key can be done in various ways, so using a trusted and reliable VPN service provider is essential to lessen the risk of getting hacked.

ExtremeVPN is designed with a 256-bit key cipher, which makes it difficult for hackers to get your encryption key and assures you of a highly secure VPN connection.

ExtremeVPN Tunnel Configuration

To start using the ExtremeVPN tunnel, sign up for an account and download our VPN tunnel app for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, or routers, depending on your device. Once you complete your setup, you can connect to a server from one of the 6500+ servers available in 78+ countries to browse the internet securely and privately.

ExtremeVPN app is built with an appealing and user-friendly interface, making it easy to connect and disconnect to your VPN tunnel and perform tests to determine the perfect server location.

If you’re experiencing a VPN tunnel failure, you can always connect to ExtremeVPN 24/7 support to help with any issue.

FAQs

Is VPN tunneling illegal?

VPN tunneling is entirely legal and can be used to protect your information and activities online. Note that performing illegal activities online is still illegal regardless of whether you use a VPN tunnel.

How can I know the tunneling protocol to use?

ExtremeVPN is built to support different tunneling protocol types. Choosing the right one depends on your specific needs, such as your desired security level, device, and network conditions. Understanding the different protocol types and what they offer can help you decide which one would be perfect for you.

What is split tunneling?

Split tunneling is an advanced feature that allows you to divide your internet traffic by sending some through a secure VPN server and allowing the rest to travel directly to the internet. It allows you to connect to the internet using both a private network and a public network. This feature is useful when you don’t want a VPN tunnel to encrypt your traffic. For instance, you can use your local network without a VPN to stream video content online, but use ExtremeVPN to check your bank account online using public Wi-Fi.

How can I test the ExtremeVPN tunnel?

You can test to check if your VPN tunnel is working perfectly in various ways. One way to do this is to check your ping. To know if the tunnel is working, you must check your ping two times: when you connect to a VPN and when you don’t. Comparing the results from the two situations can help you tell if your VPN connection was successful. The ping received when you connect to the ExtremeVPN tunnel should be higher than the one you get when you disconnect from it.