What is the difference between a proxy and a VPN?
What is the difference between a proxy and a VPN?
2 answers
If we consider them in the context of the task of hiding their address , the difference will be in the OSI level.
Proxy servers work on the application layer, and VPNs work on the network or even channel layer.
But, generally speaking, these are completely different technologies.
A proxy server is any server that executes a user request on its own behalf. Usually, a proxy server can only work over one protocol.
The exception is HTTPS proxies, which, thanks to The CONNECT call can tunnel any TCP connection, and SOCKS5 proxies can transmit any TCP and UDP packets.
Important is the fact that you can't just slip a proxy to any program - the program must know that it connects to the server through a proxy and how to work with this proxy (the exception is reverse proxies that pretend to be a server, and transparent proxies that intercept network traffic; but they definitely can not be confused with a VPN).
VPN is the same - this is a virtual network. Just like a local network, only virtual. Usually (with the exception of particularly crooked solutions), connecting to a VPN looks to programs like another network adapter on a computer, so if you configure it correctly, any program can work through a VPN without even knowing about the existence of this VPN.
As with any network, a VPN can have multiple routers that connect it to other networks (or it may not).
A proxy (intermediary) is usually some kind of application protocol.
That is, there is some kind of intermediary system that you need to explicitly contact, persuade it to forward your requests further to the destination.
A -> Proxy -> B
VPN-works at a lower level. On the network, on the channel.
Interacting systems communicate directly with each other, without an intermediary, using the usual protocols.
They don't even know that the connection is over a VPN.
A -> B