VPN connections are used in many different fields of application. In most cases, a variety of communications technologies is used for transferring both data and audio, and VPN unites these systems into an integrated network. The following example illustrates a typical application that is often used in practice.
The principal components and features of these applications:
- The coupling of networks, for example between headquarters and a branch office
- Connecting external locations without fixed IP addresses via VPN router
- Connecting home offices without fixed IPs via ISDN or analog modems
- Connecting to Voice-over-IP telephone exchanges
- Connecting mobile users, for example when using public WLAN access