What this means is that anyone listening nearby, or trying to see the packets going from your own system, will see nothing but static. All of your traffic, whatever it is, will be encrypted inside that tunnel, going from your current location to the VPN server, and then be resent on your behalf to the wider Internet. This is the first and most well known quality of a VPN. This connection provides you with a tunnel through which all further communication will pass. If you're in a hotel in Seattle and you work for a large corporation down in Dallas, then opening a VPN to your corporate office means your computer will create a permanent connection between your own system and a dedicated device at the corporate office called the VPN server. How proxies workīasically, a proxy is a point to point connection between you and a remote location on the Internet. But what is a proxy exactly, how does it work, and what are some of the advantages it can give not only a remote worker, but anyone who wants an extra layer of privacy? Here's a look at the various types of proxies and a review of one particular service which provides you with proxies on steroids. A virtual private network is one specific type of proxy which provides you with the ability to work remotely and securely. In fact, proxies are used by workers all over the world in the form of a VPN. If you work remotely, or have to handle corporate files on the road, then chances are you've used a specific type of proxy and may not even be aware of it.