Question 1

What's the difference between Remote Access and a VPN?

Accepted Answer

Remote access is the goal: reaching a computer, server, or application from somewhere else. A VPN is one common way to do it by extending your network to the remote environment (like joining the office network). Other remote-access methods don’t require full network access—for example, a bastion service or an identity-aware proxy that tunnels only SSH/RDP to a specific machine.

Question 2

When should I use Remote Access?

Accepted Answer

Use remote access when you need to work with files, apps, or servers that aren’t physically near you—such as administering cloud VMs, supporting users, or accessing an office desktop while traveling. Prefer secure, managed approaches (bastion services, session managers, or identity-aware proxies) when you want to avoid exposing RDP/SSH to the public internet and need strong logging and access controls.

Question 3

How much does Remote Access cost?

Accepted Answer

Costs depend on the method. Managed bastion or proxy services may charge per hour, per instance, or per data processed. VPN costs can include gateway hourly charges, throughput, and data transfer. Traditional jump hosts add VM compute, storage, and maintenance costs. Also consider indirect costs like licensing (for remote desktop tools), identity provider fees, and the operational cost of monitoring and auditing access.

Remote Access

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