During the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more Americans have been working from home. This requires a fast, reliable internet connection—and that’s even more important if your company requires you to use a VPN. However, many people are unable to access traditional high-speed internet like DSL, cable and fiber, especially if they live in a rural or remote area. Can your HughesNet satellite internet installation support a VPN in San Bernardino County? Read on to learn how satellite internet works and the challenges of working with a VPN on satellite internet.

How does satellite internet work?

Satellite internet relies on internet signals beamed from satellites in space. That allows people in remote communities to access internet when cable, fiber and DSL options are unavailable. Like traditional wired internet, you’ll use a modem and router to receive and broadcast the system throughout your home.

When you send a request for internet data, it goes through your router and modem. The modem sends a signal to your satellite dish, which beams a signal to the provider. The provider sends the request to the satellite, which beams the data back to the dish. Then the data goes through your modem and router to reach your computer.

If that sounds like a lot of distance, that’s because it is. In fact, latency issues—that is, lags—are common with satellite internet connections. It usually takes a half second to send and receive this information, but when you’re working with large amounts of data, that can be a problem.

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a “virtual private network,” which is often used to protect personal data. It’s a way to protect your location, browsing data, IP address and devices. However, VPNs require a lot of speed and low latency—when you use them with satellite internet, it can reduce the speed by half or even 75 percent. That’s because you’re not just bouncing the signal to the satellite, but you’re also sending it through another network to mask your activity.

How can I overcome latency?

If your only option is satellite internet, you’ll be pleased to learn you can still use satellite internet for a VPN. For example, if your operation doesn’t require a secure network and highly encrypted data, you can have your VPN send information packets with encrypted header information. The rest of the data will be unencrypted data. However, if your data is sensitive, you’ll need to try another solution. You can have the sensitive data transferred to another encrypted packet, instead. This allows your data to stay safe and secure while minimizing latency as much as possible.

In the end, satellite and VPN aren’t an ideal combination—but it can work if you need it to. Let the team at JDS Systems help you set up a HughesNet satellite installation in San Bernardino County. Our high-speed satellite internet is reliable and easy to use. Reach out to us today to get started and learn more about how HughesNet can work for you.