Extranets: Designing, Planning and Implementation

Extranets: A Practical Guide for implementing Secure Enterprisewide Communication. This paper discusses the key technologies used to build an extranet. It provides an overview of virtual private networks (VPNs) and some of the key technologies used in authentication and encryption. The Tunneling protocols such as IPSec and PPTP are analyzed to determine the most effective method of communication. The steps needed to create an extranet are outlined; some of the challenges and risks, such as low quality of service and deployment difficulties associated with extranet creation, are identified. An extranet was created using VPN technology; the extranet provided access to a web enabled application on a web server.