AWS makes connecting your on-premises system to the cloud architecture relatively simple. One of the most effective methods to do so is to take advantage of already existing connectivity, that is the Internet. It is easy to establish a VPN connection with the AWS environment, resulting in a dependable method that can be used in the vast majority of scenarios when VPN-type connectivity to AWS is desired. Only resources within a VPC can be accessed via a VPN connection to AWS. Since each VPC is its separate network, each VPC requires its very own VPN connection.
Virtual Private Gateway vs Transit Gateway
The main difference between virtual private gateway and transit gateway is that a Virtual Private Gateway is a terminal for your VPC that allows you to connect your VPC to your on-premises environment through an IPSec VPN tunnel. On the other hand, AWS Transit Gateway works by using a single gateway device to connect many VPCs and on-premise networks through direct connect links or virtual private networks.
Multiple VPCs on the same account and in the same region can have a Direct Connect thanks to VGW. As far as both VPCs are in a single area and on the same account, VGW has become an option that lowered the cost of needing new Direct Connect lines for each
VPC. This configuration works with both Direct Connect and Site-to-Site VPN.
Transit Gateway’s original release does not enable Direct Connect and instead demands a Site-to-Site VPN. Whenever TGW is used in conjunction with AWS Resource Access Manager, you can utilize a single Transit Gateway among many AWS accounts, but it’s still restricted to a single region. With the inclusion of numerous route tables, CIDR overlap is also possible.
Comparison Table Between Virtual Private Gateway and Transit Gateway
| Parameter of comparison | Virtual Private Gateway | Transit Gateway |
| Architecture | It enables you to establish an IPSec VPN connection between your VPC and your on-premises environment | It connects VPCs, AWS accounts, and on-premise networks to the main hub with ease |
| Control | Lesser control over the traffic entering your VPC’s routing path | Better control and visibility over how traffic is routed among your VPCs and on-premises network |
| Speed | There is no extra latency | Experiences a slight delay in moving packets around |
| Scalability | Complexity increases with scaling | Infrastructure is streamlined and scalable |
| Availability | Globally available | Available in limited areas |
What is Virtual Private Gateway?
The VGW provides the option to exchange a Direct Connect among many VPCs in the very same area and on the same account. Before this, every VPC required a Direct Connect Private Virtual Interface (VIF) to achieve a 1:1 correlation, which didn’t grow well enough in terms of price and administration costs. As long as both VPCs had been in the same area and on the same account, VGW became an option that lowered the cost of needing new Direct Connect lines for each VPC. This configuration works with both Direct Connect and Site-to-Site VPN.
Through the VPG, you can construct both dynamic and static routes. Users can configure a private Autonomous System Number on the Amazon side of the BGP connection for VPNs and AWS Direct Connect private VIFs for any additional virtual gateways. Once your edge router or firewall exposes BGP routing to the User Gateway (a vital step in establishing your VPN connection to function with your VPG), the CGW replicates those acquired routes to the VPG, completing the dynamic routing circuit into your cloud.
The VPG routing concept within AWS has several inherent limits, like the number of VPN connections and BGP route designation you can give to your VPGs. Because AWS is not doing any checking on the BGP parameters you submit, you can only provide ASN numbers inside the private ranges (64512 is the default). In addition, the VGW is limited to ten VPN connections.
What is Transit Gateway?
AWS transit gateway is a network transportation hub that uses virtual private networks or Direct Connect links to link up various VPCs and on-premise networks. It’s an AWS-managed solution that streamlines your network by eliminating complicated peering connections. AWS accounts, VPCs, and on-premise networks are all simply connected to the main hub. In addition to facilitating connectivity, AWS Transit Gateway provides you with insight and control over how traffic is handled between your VPCs and on-premise networks. The coolest aspect is that it keeps track of its routes. Only using one Transit Gateway and a good route table, various services over multiple VPCs can connect.
VPCs are hosted in multiple AWS regions for major organizations depending on their commercial use cases. To develop a hybrid network architecture, complex network routing is necessary. You can effortlessly handle the whole of your Amazon VPCs and edge links in a specific platform with centralized monitoring and management. Developers and SREs can immediately spot problems and respond to network events. AWS Transit Gateway generates stats and logs, which are subsequently used by platforms like Amazon CloudWatch and Amazon VPC Flow Logs to collect data on IP traffic passing through the gateway. You can use Amazon CloudWatch to collect packet flow count, bandwidth use, and packet loss count between Amazon VPCs and a VPN connection.
Main Differences Between Virtual Private Gateway and Transit Gateway
- The virtual private gateway enables you to establish an IPSec VPN connection between your VPC and your on-premises environment. Transit gateway connects VPCs, AWS accounts, and on-premise networks to the main hub with ease.
- Virtual private gateway has lesser control over the traffic entering your VPC’s routing path. Transit gateway, on the other hand, has better control and visibility over how traffic is routed among your VPCs and on-premises network.
- There is no extra latency in a virtual private gateway while transit gateway experiences a slight delay in moving packets around.
- Complexity increases with scaling in a virtual gateway, but transit gateway infrastructure is streamlined and scalable.
- Virtual private gateway is globally available while transit gateway is available in specific regions only.
Conclusion
When deciding between a virtual private gateway and a transit gateway, both have their own set of downsides and benefits to consider. A Transit Gateway is a centralized router that connects AWS accounts, VPCs, and on-premises networks to a central hub, allowing you to monitor and control traffic from one place. It’s a great way to connect multiple VPCs into a more accessible hub and spoke configuration. The Virtual Private Gateway is an excellent tool for connecting VPCs to an on-premises environment. Browsing these possibilities and determining which one best suits your needs might be difficult, but it’s better to think about the needs of your tasks, as each service provides different capabilities that others don’t.
References
- https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/etd/1496/
- https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/virtual-private-networks/143967