A Virtual Private Network is a combination of tunneling, encryption, authentication, and access control technologies and services used to carry traffic over the Internet and the UAB campus network. VPN traffic can use any combination of access technologies including T1, frame relay, ISDN, ADSL, cable, ATM or simple dial access.

USE: VPN's are used to connect remote users to UAB campus resources that are restricted for reasons of security and/or licensing constraints. In other words, VPN's make it possible for you to use any Internet Service Provider and any of the remote access technologies that they provide to reach networked resources on campus that are not open to the general public.

HOW DOES IT WORK: In a remote access VPN, a user dials into a service provider's point of presence, establishes a tunnel back to the UAB campus over that provider's network or the Internet, and authenticates himself or herself to gain access to the UAB network. You can see that authentication occurs twice: first, using the login name and password given to you by your Internet Service Provider--that allows you into their services. Then, you authenticate using your UAB alias and password in order to be authorized as a UAB network user.

TECHNICAL DETAILS:UAB's VPN implementation uses the Point-to-Point Tunneling (PPTP) protocol. Most Internet Service Providers support the PPTP protocol, and it is supported in Microsoft Windows products. (Macintosh versions are available, too). UAB uses node-to-node tunneling, where the tunnel terminates at the edge of the network.