PPTP

PPTP or Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, is a standard that provides a way for corporations to extend their networks via private tunnels over public networks such as the internet. Corporations effectively use WANs (wide area networks) as larger LANs (local area networks). A corporation is no longer required to lease lines for wide area communication as public networks can be securely used. This type of interconnection is referred to as a VPN (virtual private network). The PPTP protocol standard was initially proposed by Microsoft and a few other companies. The Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol was proposed by Cisco Systems. This combination has made PPTP the most likely proposal to act as the basis for the revised IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) standard. As an extension of the internet’s PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol), PPTP enables any PC user with a PPP client to support an independent Internet Service Provider. This allows a secure connection from a server to other locations in the user’s network.