VPN vs Remote Desktop- Pros & Cons of each
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What's the difference between a VPN and RDP when considering remote work? Although these two things might be used for similar situations, they are different things and each have their own pros and cons.
A VPN essentially creates an encrypted tunnel that allows you as a remote worker to be a part of your office network. This provides extra protection from outsiders and allows an outside device to access whatever may be on the network.
Remote Desktop (aka remote desktop protocol or RDP) is essentially connecting to a computer remotely and taking over that computer.
Each of these has various pros and cons. A VPN requires lots of bandwidth, as it is transferring all of the files and whatever other data from the office network to the device outside the office. It is safer overall though. A VPN essentially just provides safe access, and depending on what's on your network, this may be fairly general or not enough. If the outside computer doesn't have the necessary software licenses for some work that needs to be, for instance, they'll be out of luck. They could get the file securely, but not actually run it.
RDP saves a ton of bandwidth. Essentially just the information of clicks on your keyboard and mouse and the live image of the other computer screen is all that is transmitted, and that tends to not be too bad. Also, nothing is actually being stored on the computer using RDP when it accesses the other computer. This can be a pro or a con, depending on your situation. If the office computer goes offline, you won't have access to whatever info you need; but you also don't have to worry about sensitive data being stored on other computers. Also, if the office computer tends to be faster, the remote PC can benefit from this. But, it can be tough because each session needs to be initiated and the office computer would need to be both active and unattended. Also, only one person can remotely log in at a time, and nobody can be using the office computer at that time either, effectively meaning it takes two computers to do the job of one.
Hopefully that helps you figure out what might make the most sense for you and your situation. Have a great rest of your day.
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