Definition
A remote access VPN connects individual users — typically employees on laptops or phones — to a private network they would otherwise be physically inside. The VPN gateway sits at the edge of the corporate network, accepts authenticated connections from anywhere on the internet, and presents the connected user as a node on the internal network. They can reach internal file shares, intranet sites, databases, and other resources as if they were at their desk.
How It Differs From Other VPN Types
Remote access VPNs are user-centric: many individual users connect to a central gateway. Site-to-site VPNs are network-centric: two whole networks (e.g., a branch office and headquarters) are joined by a permanent encrypted link. Consumer VPNs are similar to remote access in protocol terms but reverse the privacy logic: the user wants the VPN to hide their traffic from observers, rather than the corporation wanting to extend its network to the user.
Modern Trends
Traditional remote access VPNs grant broad network access on the basis of a single login, which is increasingly considered too permissive. The Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) model authorizes each individual application access request rather than granting blanket network access. Many organizations are migrating from full-tunnel remote access VPNs to ZTNA platforms that achieve the same end-user goal with finer-grained control.