SoftEther VPN Overview
SoftEther VPN is a revolutionary VPN software package that offers many features not found in older software-based or hardware-based VPN solutions.
What is SoftEther VPN?
SoftEther VPN is next-generation VPN software that delivers stability, flexibility, and extensibility.
It is compatible with all modern high-bandwidth networks required by large corporations, internet service providers, and the private and home networks of small and medium-sized businesses.
Development history
SoftEther VPN was previously developed and distributed as “SoftEther 1.0”.
The original version was developed by Daiyuu Nobori, a student at the University of Tsukuba, as a personal project.
“SoftEther” allowed users to build simple Layer 2 VPNs by installing a virtual network adapter and a virtual Ethernet switching hub on Windows.
The current version of SoftEther VPN is developed and released as freeware by the SoftEther Project at the University of Tsukuba, Japan.
How VPNs work
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a technology that began to spread around 1998. VPN technology lets users create a security-enabled virtual network over an existing IP network (such as the Internet) and communicate freely within that virtual network.
Tunneling and encapsulation
A VPN uses a technique called “tunneling”, which makes it possible to create a virtual network between two remote endpoints over an existing public IP network.
Packets are not transmitted directly over the physical network; instead, they are encapsulated as the payload of another protocol (for example, as TCP/IP packets). During encapsulation, encryption and a digital signature can be added at the same time. The encapsulated data is transmitted through a session called a “tunnel” between the start and end points of the VPN connection.
SoftEther VPN components
SoftEther VPN consists of the following core components:
SoftEther VPN Server
The VPN Server is the most important software component of the SoftEther VPN system. As its name suggests, the SoftEther VPN Server acts as a VPN server that accepts connections from remotely located VPN Clients and VPN Bridges over the network.
Key functions:
- Accepting connections from VPN clients and bridges
- Managing Virtual Hubs
- Handling user authentication
- Encrypting and routing traffic
- Logging and monitoring connections
SoftEther VPN Client
The VPN Client is VPN client software that functions as a virtual network adapter and can connect to a Virtual Hub on a SoftEther VPN Server.
Key functions:
- Creating a virtual network adapter
- Establishing a tunnel to the VPN Server
- Encrypting outbound traffic
- Decrypting inbound traffic
SoftEther VPN Bridge
The VPN Bridge is software that enables cascade connections to a Virtual Hub on a remote SoftEther VPN Server and also creates a Layer 2 bridge connection between a physical network adapter and the computer running SoftEther VPN Bridge.
Key functions:
- Bridge connections to physical networks
- Cascade connections between servers
- Extending existing LANs over a VPN