VLAN and VPN: Let’s Differentiate

Both VPN and VLAN are extended communications across multiple business options with secured and fast connections. Organizations that are looking for smaller networks over their existing bigger networks and want to securely access remote company networks can use VLAN and VPN.

They have different functions and help in managing the connections and providing a safe environment for data transfer.

Understanding VLAN

With companies increasing their means of communication between employees, the networks have also grown over the years. Unsecured networks mean unauthorized people gaining access to confidential information. It is for this reason that companies are more concerned about the security mechanism and malicious attacks.

VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) are a logical group of networking devices, workstations, and servers that are connected to the same physical LAN, regardless of how they are geographically distributed. A VLAN enables several networks to communicate with each other in a simulated environment as if they are on a single LAN and sharing a single broadcast as well as a multicast domain.

Organizations implement VLANs because of their security, scalability, and not to mention, ease of network management. The implementation and functionality of VLANs is made possible via higher-end switches. The main purpose of a VLAN is to enhance the network performance or apply suitable security features.

Difference between a VLAN and VPN?

• A VLAN helps to group workstations that are not within the same locations into the same broadcast domain and VPN is related to remote access to the network of a company.
•  VLAN is a subcategory of VPN and VPN is a means of creating a secured network for safe data transmission.
• A VLAN is basically a means to logically segregate networks without physically segregating them with various switches. A VPN is used to connect two points in a secured and encrypted tunnel.
• A VPN saves the data from prying eyes while in transit and no one on the net can capture the packets and read the data. VLAN does not involve any encryption technique but it is only used to slice up your logical network into different sections for the purpose of management and security.
• VLAN is generally used when a person must connect with someone whom you cannot connect from outside the VLAN. It requires special permission before access. VPN is used to communicate securely in an unsecured environment.

In short

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) facilitate secure and efficient communication for organizations. They enable the establishment of smaller, private networks within larger infrastructures while ensuring the secure transmission of data, particularly for remote access.