why does windows xp offer vpn set up?
specifically I see the point of encrypting the whole network. But why use tunneling? why not just encrypt the data portion of the packet?
I know im' missing something. But VPNs use tunneling, and with tunneling, the whole packet is encapsulated in another packet, and a new header generated. This is good if a network is IPX and needs to send over the Internet which is IP, then tunneling is a way. But what's the point if it doesn't do that - it isn't using IPX, it uses IP too? Tunneling only increases privacy if there are systems in between whose IPs are used. So if A is communicating with B, by doing A->A1->....-->B1->B then the IPs used between A1 and B1 are those of A1 and B1. Thus guarding the IPs of A and B. But this isn't the case, or typically isn't the case.
thanks