For Days 26-27, the following prompt was:
Learn about basic networking concepts like VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) or peering. What is peering used for? What is a VPC used for?
While I had heard of these terms before, I didn’t fully understand what they meant. Until now. After doing some research and watching this video, I was able to break down these terms like so:
What is a VPN?
- A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a private network connection between devices through the internet. It acts as a tunnel between a device and a remote server run by a VPN provider. Internet traffic travels through this tunnel encrypted, shielding it from anyone else on the network including the internet service provider, hackers or other prying eyes.
What is peering? What is peering used for?
- Peering refers to a direct connection between two separate networks that allow them to exchange traffic with each other.
- There are two types of peering: public and private. Public peering involves connecting to other networks at a central location called the IXP(internet exchange point), where networks come together to exchange data. Private peering involves creating a direct physical connection between two networks.
- An advantage to peering is cost-efficiency; it eliminates the need to pay for a third party to carry traffic between users. Another advantage is that it provides efficient routing because traffic can travel more directly between networks, improving speed and performance. Lastly, in the case of multiple peering partners, peering can ensure traffic can still flow if one network connection goes down.
What is a VPC used for?
- A VPC(Virtual Private Cloud) is an isolated environment within a public cloud. It isolates your cloud resources from other users’ resources in the public cloud, keeping data and applications secure. You have control over how your VPC is configured including IP address range and network routes. Additionally, you can scale your VPC up and down as needed. A VPC can perform tasks typically found in traditional private clouds like data storage and website hosting.
I’ve had been wanting to learn more about networking so I’m glad this was one of the prompts for the challenge. I plan on learning much more about networking in the future.