Peer-to-peer-based VPN alternatives
Tunnel Vision
© Lead Image © Warakorn Harnprasop, 123RF.com
People wanting to encrypt the network traffic sent over public lines usually use either IPsec, SSL via port 443, or OpenVPN. We look at four alternative tunnel builders that promise VPN using the peer-to-peer method.
The P2P-based VPN solutions described here range from software following the classic model to a simple peer-to-peer model. The first approach uses two networks; in the second approach, the computer joins the network using an ID, and routing is done automatically.
Some of the projects also offer clients for other operating systems, including those for mobile devices. I looked at four candidates in all, and the tests were performed in a virtualized environment with suitable remote peers on the Internet.
Tinc [1] is the most senior of the programs being tested. Freelan [2] is still quite a young project, which offers clients for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Students from the University of Florida have been instrumental in helping develop IPOP [3], which is similar to Tinc. ZeroTier [4] is the only candidate implemented as a pure peer-to-peer VPN.
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