Choosing between dedicated leased lines and VPNs can be a headache for businesses. The right decision impacts cost, flexibility, and performance. In this article, I’ll break down the differences, showing you which option suits your business needs best and helps you get the most out of your connectivity.
What is a leased line?
A leased line provides uncontended and private connectivity between two locations, ensuring consistent and high-speed data transmission. It provides symmetrical speeds, which are particularly beneficial for business activities like video conferencing. Additionally, leased lines are highly reliable due to the robust service level agreements (SLAs) that accompany them.
What is a VPN?
A VPN uses public internet connections to create secure and encrypted tunnels for data transmission. They provide a degree of anonymity by hiding the user’s real IP address and location.
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Difference between a leased line and a VPN
Businesses use leased lines for reliable communication and data transfer between offices or data centres. VPNs, on the other hand, are usually used by employees to securely access the company network which in turn, protects sensitive information during internet use.
All in all, both of these have different objectives and are not exactly comparable – leased lines provide connectivity while VPNs provide data encryption and security. But for the sake of the topic, I have discussed some marked differences below.
Leased line vs VPN in terms of performance
Leased lines offer superior performance and reliability due to their dedicated nature. With a leased line, businesses get a private connection with guaranteed bandwidth (ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps) and low latency. This makes it ideal for activities like video conferencing, high-speed data transfer and cloud computing.
VPNs, on the other hand, rely on the public internet for connectivity, which allows the entry of variability in the performance. The speed and latency of a VPN connection are dependent on the quality and congestion of the underlying internet connection. Due to this, they can not offer the same level of guaranteed performance as a leased line connection.
Leased line vs VPN in terms of security
The security of the leased lines lies in their dedicated nature. Since the connection is exclusively used by one business, it minimises the risk of external interference and unauthorised access. This physical separation from public networks provides a strong layer of security.
VPNs, conversely, secure data by encryption and authentication. While this encryption protects data from eavesdropping (as the hacker would only see gibberish on your network), the VPN still relies on shared infrastructure, which introduces potential vulnerabilities.
The strength of a VPN’s security depends on the encryption protocols provided by the service provider. And they need to be regularly monitored and updated to address emerging threats.
Leased line vs VPN in terms of cost
Another difference between a leased line and a VPN lies in the cost. Leased lines come with higher costs that include the monthly service fee as well as the installation costs. You have to pay £185 – £270 per month for a 100Mbps leased line in the UK while a 1Gbps line can cost around £300 – £650. These prices will vary depending on the provider, the city you want the connection in and the service level agreements (SLAs).
As for the installation cost, that’s where the higher chunk of the cost rests. It’s generally between £2000 to £30,000 depending on the distance of your site from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the degree of trenching needed.
VPNs will always be way cheaper than leased lines largely because they employ existing internet connections to create encrypted channels for data transmission. The primary costs associated with them are software or service subscriptions and any other additional hardware to support VPN. It is generally available in the range of £7 – £15 per month.
Leased line vs VPN in terms of flexibility
VPNs are more flexible as they can be easily configured to meet changing business needs. Whether your team is working remotely, on the go or from multiple locations, VPNs adapt quickly without requiring physical changes.
Leased lines, on the other hand, are less flexible. Any expansions typically require infrastructure modifications, which can be time-consuming and costly. They are best suited for businesses with stable, fixed locations that need consistent connectivity.
Which one should you choose between a leased line and a VPN?
In conclusion, if your business requires high-speed and reliable internet for data-hungry tasks, you should opt for leased lines. But if you have a business with a distributed workforce that requires remote access without spending a lot, VPNs are the better option.
As you can see, it depends on your business outcomes.
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A leased line provides an uncontented connection but without any encryption or tokenisation. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) uses the existing internet connection to provide an encrypted channel for an extra layer of security.
Although VPN and leased lines are not exactly comparable because they have different objectives but in terms of flexibility and cost-effectiveness, VPNs are better than leased lines. They provide remote access from any location using existing internet connections.
VPNs use public internet connections to create secure, encrypted tunnels for data transmission. They can utilize broadband, fibre, 4G/5G, or any available internet service to connect remote users to the business network securely.
