(also VPN gateway appliance, VPN gateway)
A virtual private network (VPN) appliance is a device that provides secure remote access to a private network using VPN technology. A VPN appliance is usually placed at the edge of the private network to allow authorized users to safely connect to internal servers from remote locations.
See also: personal VPN, VPN gateway, end-to-end encryption, network encryption, host virtual machine
Once the user authenticates themselves to the VPN appliance (for example, by entering their password), the VPN appliance establishes an encrypted tunnel between the user’s device and a private network. Data encryption ensures that any information transmitted between the two endpoints is secure and cannot be intercepted by third parties.
VPN appliances route all traffic between the two connected endpoints, allowing remote users to access private network resources as though they were physically on site. VPN appliances may also include access control features to define who can access the private network and what services are available to them.