Book Image

OpenVPN: Building and Integrating Virtual Private Networks

Book Image

OpenVPN: Building and Integrating Virtual Private Networks

Overview of this book

OpenVPN is a powerful, open source SSL VPN application. It can secure site-to-site connections, WiFi and enterprise-scale remote connections. While being a full-featured VPN solution, OpenVPN is easy to use and does not suffer from the complexity that characterizes other IPSec VPN implementations. It uses the secure and stable TLS/SSL mechanisms for authentication and encryption. This book is an easy introduction to this popular VPN application. After introducing the basics of security and VPN, the book moves on to cover using OpenVPN, from installing it on various platforms, through configuring basic tunnels, to more advanced features, such as using the application with firewalls, routers, proxy servers, and OpenVPN scripting. While providing only necessary theoretical background, the book takes a practical approach, presenting plenty of examples.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
OpenVPN
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface
Index

OpenVPN Compared to IPsec VPN


Even though IPsec is the de facto standard, there are many arguments for using OpenVPN. If you want to convince your management about why your branches should be connected through OpenVPN instead of IPsec VPN, the following table can help your argument (points preceded by "+" are advantages and points preceded by "-" are disadvantages):

IPsec VPN

OpenVPN

+ The standard VPN technology

- Still rather unknown, not compatible with IPsec

+ Hardware platforms (devices, appliances)

- Only on computers, but on all operating systems. Exception are devices, where embedded UNIXs are running like OpenWrt and similar

+ Well-known technology

- New technology; still growing and rising

+ Many GUIs for administration

- No professional GUI; however, there are some interesting and promising projects

- Complex modification of IP stack

+ Simple technology

- Critical modification of kernel necessary

+ Standardized network interfaces and packets

- Administrator privileges...