VPNs are Virtual Private Networks, private networks that provide a secure connection to and from a network or computer. Using a Virtual Private Network enables you to access files on a specific network remotely. VPN technology relies on protocols to make secure network connections. The most commonly used VPN protocols are L2TP, IPSec, SSL, and PPTP.
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About VPN Protocols
Protocols are the means employed by VPNs to actually tunnel data from one computer or network to another remote computer or network. Different VPN protocols are compatible with different devices and different VPN services. The type of protocol you wind up using with your VPN service may depend on which ones are compatible with it.
To the outsider, it might seem as if all VPN protocols are the same. However this is not the case. Different VPN protocols have different characteristics from one another. Some are faster, others offer better security. A select few excel in all the areas that VPN protocols are evaluated on.
If the device and the service you are using are compatible with multiple VPN protocols, than you may find yourself with a decision to make. If so, you’ll want to be informed and choose the VPN protocol that will best serve you while you are connected through your VPN. Let’s take a thorough examination of the the PPTP VPN protocol.
About the PPTP VPN Protocol
PPTP stands for point-to-point tunneling protocol. PPTP is the most widely supported of VPN protocols for Windows users. This makes sense, considering PPTP was created by Microsoft working in conjunction with various other technology and Internet security firms. The PPTP VPN protocol is generally one of the best and most well-rounded VPN protocols on the market. For starters, it’s very easy to set up and actually comes built-in to many operating systems.
Advantages of the PPTP VPN Protocol
One of the main advantages of the PPTP VPN protocol is how widely compatible it is. Although it was invented by Microsoft and intended for use on Windows, PPTP VPN can be used with most major operating systems, including Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, iOS, Android, and DD-WRT.
PPTP is also one of the most stable of VPN protocols and is accepted by most Wi-Fi hotspots. It also has a low encryption overhead, making it one of the fastest of all VPN protocols.
Disadvantages of the PPTP VPN Protocol
But while PPTP is a pretty good VPN protocol over all, it’s not perfect. The main area where there are disadvantages in using the PPTP VPN protocol is in security. Unlike many other VPN protocols, PPTP doesn’t provide any security encryption. Instead it relies on the PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) to provide security. As the PPTP VPN servers employs only a basic level of encryption, it is more susceptible in terms of security than many other protocols such as L2TP or IPSec.
Conclusion
Despite having a few disadvantages in terms of security, PPTP is a perfectly good VPN protocol. It’s faster than L2TP or IPSec and compatible with just as many operating systems (Both L2TP and PPTP are compatible with nearly twice as many operating systems as OpenVPN).
While the PPTP VPN protocol’s data encryption may be low, that’s part of what makes it so fast. The PPTP VPN protocol is definitely a good choice for users for whom OpenVPN is unavailable. PPTP is fast, reliable, easy to use, and comes pre-installed for many desktop and mobile devices as well as operating systems. In addition to being faster than many other protocols, PPTP also provides a good level of basic online security.
OpenVPN may still be regarded as “the best” VPN protocol. However if you’re looking for a fast, reliable, no-hassle VPN service, you could do a lot worse than the PPTP VPN protocol.
This is Rohan, I’m a Digital marketing Expert, Full time Content Writer and founder of BoxerTechnology.com I can help people across the world through my articles. I am sharing the latest stories from companies like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Amazon.