In this blog, we will compare two Microsoft Azure networking solutions: Azure VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute gateway. We’ll go through the essential features, benefits, pricing, performance, security, and use cases for both ExpressRoute and VPN Gateway to help you decide which solution is best for your organization’s needs. By the end of this, you will gain the knowledge and insights necessary to make an informed selection and maximize your Azure connectivity, resulting in improved business performance.
Microsoft Azure provides VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute for connecting an interface edge router of on-premise to Azure DataCenters. we are discussing Azure VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute gateway in Microsoft Azure as per the criteria of pricing, feature, functioning, and a load of handling data.
The Following Topics we are going to cover in this blog:
- What is an Azure Gateway?
- Types of Gateways in Azure
- What is VPN Gateway in Azure?
- Key Feature of VPN Gateway
- Azure VPN Gateway Pricing and Availability
- Limitations of Azure VPN Gateway
- What is an ExpressRoute Gateway?
- Key Features of ExpressRoute Gateway
- ExpressRoute Gateway Pricing and Availability
- Limitations of ExpressRoute Gateway
- Azure VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute gateway
- Faq’s
What is an Azure Gateway?
Azure Gateway is a set of networking solutions that offer customers a variety of connectivity choices for securely connecting their on-premises infrastructure to Azure services based on their individual needs and requirements.
But what if you want to connect your On-premise and Azure infrastructure?
If you need to connect your on-premises infrastructure to Azure resources, Azure Gateway offers secure connectivity choices with varying bandwidth and latency requirements. Depending on your needs and use cases, you can select either VPN Gateway or ExpressRoute Gateway.
Types of Gateways in Azure
There are Two Types of gateways to connecting On-premise to Azure infrastructure:
- VPN Gateway
- ExpressRoute Gateway
What is VPN Gateway in Azure?
VPN Gateway is a virtual private network (VPN) solution provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows businesses to establish a secure connection between their on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources across the public internet. VPN Gateway is a low-cost alternative for small-to-medium-sized businesses that do not require high bandwidth or low latency.
- It supports a variety of connection types, such as Site-to-Site and Point-to-Site VPNs.
- VPN Gateway is a low-cost alternative for small-to-medium-sized businesses that do not require high bandwidth or low latency.
- To maintain data security and secrecy, VPN Gateway encrypts all traffic traveling via the VPN connection.
- Because it supports a wide range of VPN devices, organizations can scale VPN Gateway up or down based on their needs.
- VPN Gateway ensures optimal uptime with high availability and automatic failover.
- VPN Gateway can be used combined with other Azure networking services, such as Azure Virtual Network and ExpressRoute, to build a hybrid network that spans on-premises and cloud settings.
Key Feature of VPN Gateway
- Secure Connectivity: Azure VPN Gateway connects on-premises and Azure resources securely across the public internet. To maintain data security and confidentiality, all traffic going via the VPN connection is encrypted.
- Multiple Connection Types: Azure VPN Gateway supports both Site-to-Site VPN and Point-to-Site VPN connections. This enables enterprises to create flexible and scalable secure links between on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources.
- Cost-Effective: VPN Gateway is a low-cost alternative for small-to-medium-sized businesses that do not require high bandwidth or low latency. It creates a virtual network between on-premises and Azure resources via the public internet, reducing the need for specific physical connections.
- High Availability: To ensure optimal uptime, Azure VPN Gateway has high availability and automatic failover. It enables redundancy and failover across different locations by leveraging Azure’s global infrastructure.
- Wide Device Compatibility: VPN Gateway supports a wide variety of VPN devices, allowing businesses to leverage their existing VPN infrastructure with Azure.
- Integration with Other Azure Services: VPN Gateway can be used in combination with other Azure networking services like Azure Virtual Network and ExpressRoute to create a hybrid network that spans on-premises and cloud settings.
Azure VPN Gateway Pricing and Availability
Pricing:
- Azure VPN Gateway is priced in two tiers: Basic and Standard.
- The Basic tier is intended for testing and non-production workloads and is less expensive than the Standard tier.
- The standard tier is appropriate for production workloads and includes features such as high availability and active-active setups.
- VPN Gateway pricing is determined by the number of tunnels, the amount of data handled, and the egress data transfer.
Availability:
- Azure VPN Gateway is available in all Azure regions and can be deployed in multiple regions for disaster recovery and redundancy.
- It is interoperable with a wide range of VPN devices and manufacturers, allowing businesses to leverage their existing VPN infrastructure with Azure.
- VPN Gateway can be used in conjunction with other Azure networking services like Azure Virtual Network and ExpressRoute to build hybrid networks that span on-premises and cloud environments.
In summary, Azure VPN Gateway is offered in two pricing tiers and is accessible with a variety of VPN devices and manufacturers. It is accessible in all Azure regions and may be combined with other Azure networking services to form hybrid networks.
Limitations of Azure VPN Gateway
Here are some limitations of Azure VPN Gateway:
- Limited Bandwidth: When compared to ExpressRoute Gateway, Azure VPN Gateway has a lower bandwidth capacity. It may not be appropriate for high-bandwidth circumstances, such as big data transfers or high-volume tasks.
- Higher Latency: VPN Gateway may have higher latency than ExpressRoute Gateway since it leverages the public internet to construct a virtual network between on-premises and Azure resources.
- Limited Scalability: VPN Gateway may not be as scalable as ExpressRoute Gateway due to connection and capacity limits.
- VPN Device Compatibility: Although VPN Gateway supports a wide range of VPN devices, it does not support all VPN devices. Before establishing a VPN connection, organizations should confirm that their VPN device is compatible.
- Network Complexity: When compared to ExpressRoute Gateway, setting up a VPN connection with Azure VPN Gateway might be more difficult, especially for enterprises with more complicated network setups.
Although Azure VPN Gateway is a cost-effective solution for secure connectivity between on-premises and Azure resources, it does have some limitations in terms of bandwidth, latency, scalability, compatibility, and network complexity that organizations should consider before implementing it as their networking solution.
What is an ExpressRoute Gateway?
An ExpressRoute Gateway is a Microsoft Azure virtual network gateway that provides a dedicated, private link between an organization’s on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources. Unlike VPN Gateway, which creates a virtual network using the public internet, ExpressRoute Gateway provides a dedicated, private connection that is separate from the internet.
- ExpressRoute Gateway is a networking service provided by Microsoft Azure that allows enterprises to establish a dedicated, private link between their on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources.
- When compared to VPN Gateway, it delivers a better level of connectivity, with reduced latency and greater bandwidth capacity.
- ExpressRoute Gateway establishes a private link between on-premises and Azure resources by using dedicated physical connections such as Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or Ethernet connections.
- It delivers a dependable and secure connection, including traffic encryption and direct access to Azure services without the need to use the public internet.
- ExpressRoute Direct and ExpressRoute Standard are the two connection types available to businesses. ExpressRoute Direct offers a dedicated, high-speed connection with greater bandwidth and lower latency, whereas ExpressRoute Standard offers a shared connection with less bandwidth and greater latency.
- ExpressRoute Gateway enables numerous peering locations, allowing enterprises to connect to Azure resources in several regions and countries.
- It can be used in conjunction with other Azure networking services, such as Azure Virtual Network and VPN Gateway, to build a hybrid network that spans on-premises and cloud environments.
- To maintain optimal uptime, ExpressRoute Gateway delivers high availability and automatic failover.
Key Features of ExpressRoute Gateway
- Dedicated and Private Connection: When compared to VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute Gateway provides a dedicated and private connection between on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources, which can help to improve security and dependability.
- High Bandwidth and Low Latency: ExpressRoute Gateway provides high bandwidth and low latency connectivity, making it ideal for high-speed data transfer applications such as large data processing, video streaming, or backup and recovery.
- Direct Connectivity: ExpressRoute Gateway connects directly to Azure services, eliminating the need for traffic to travel the public internet, lowering the risk of security breaches and enhancing performance.
- Multiple Peering Locations: ExpressRoute Gateway offers numerous peering locations, allowing enterprises to connect to Azure resources in several regions and countries, increasing flexibility and network performance.
- Integration with Other Azure Services: ExpressRoute Gateway, when combined with other Azure networking services such as Azure Virtual Network and VPN Gateway, can be used to build a hybrid network that spans on-premises and cloud environments.
- High Availability and Automatic Failover: ExpressRoute Gateway offers high availability and automatic failover, guaranteeing that enterprises may maintain connectivity even if a malfunction or outage occurs.
- Advanced Security Features: ExpressRoute Gateway includes advanced security features like traffic encryption and private connectivity, which can aid in data protection and regulatory compliance.
- Scalability: ExpressRoute Gateway is highly scalable, allowing enterprises to simply expand their network as needed by supporting multiple connections and high bandwidth.
In summary, ExpressRoute Gateway provides dedicated and private connectivity, high bandwidth and low latency, direct connectivity to Azure services, multiple peering locations, integration with other Azure services, high availability and automatic failover, advanced security features, and scalability. These characteristics make it a good fit for enterprises that need high-speed, dependable, and secure communication between on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources.
ExpressRoute Gateway Pricing and Availability
Pricing:
- Azure ExpressRoute Gateway has two pricing tiers: Standard and Ultra.
- The standard tier is sufficient for most cases and offers up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth.
- The ultra tier provides up to 100 Gbps of bandwidth and is intended for high-performance and mission-critical operations.
- ExpressRoute Gateway pricing is determined by tier, amount of data handled, and egress data transfer.
Availability:
- ExpressRoute Gateway is available in all Azure regions and can be deployed in multiple regions for redundancy and disaster recovery purposes.
- It provides a dedicated, private connection between on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources over a Microsoft partner network or an internet exchange provider.
- ExpressRoute Gateway is ideal for organizations that require high bandwidth and low latency connectivity between on-premises and Azure resources.
Azure ExpressRoute Gateway is priced in two tiers and offers a dedicated, private link between on-premises and Azure resources. It’s accessible in all Azure regions and is suited for businesses that need high bandwidth and low latency connectivity.
Limitations of ExpressRoute Gateway
Here are some limitations of ExpressRoute Gateway:
- Higher Cost: ExpressRoute Gateway is often more expensive than VPN Gateway due to the dedicated and private nature of the connection. This might be a key consideration for smaller firms with limited resources.
- Limited Provider Availability: ExpressRoute Gateway requires a dedicated or virtual private connection from a network service provider. Provider availability varies by area, and not all providers may be available in a given region.
- Network Complexity: Because of the dedicated and private nature of the connection, setting up and establishing an ExpressRoute Gateway connection might be more difficult than installing a VPN Gateway connection.
- Limited Scalability: ExpressRoute Gateway has some connection and throughput limits that may not be sufficient for larger companies with high-volume applications.
- Limited Redundancy: Although ExpressRoute Gateway provides some redundancy options, such as a secondary circuit, it may not be as robust compared to VPN Gateway in terms of automatic failover and high availability.
In conclusion, while ExpressRoute Gateway provides a dedicated, private, and high-performance connection between on-premises infrastructure and Azure resources, it does have some limitations in terms of cost, provider availability, network complexity, scalability, and redundancy that organizations should consider before implementing it as their networking solution.
VPN Gateway Vs. ExpressRoute Gateway
Here’s a table that compares Azure VPN Gateway to ExpressRoute Gateway:
Features | VPN Gateway | ExpressRoute Gateway |
Connectivity | Public Internet | Dedicated, Private Connection |
Security | Encrypted via IPsec | Encrypted via Private Connection |
Latency | Higher latency due to public internet | Lower latency due to dedicated connection |
Bandwidth | Limited bandwidth | High bandwidth |
Provider dependency | No dependency on network service provider | Requires network service provider |
Cost | Lower cost compared to ExpressRoute | Higher cost compared to VPN Gateway |
Provider Availability | Available in most regions | Limited provider availability in some regions |
Complexity | Easier to set up and configure | More complex to set up and configure |
Scalability | Limited scalability | More scalable than VPN Gateway |
Redundancy | Automatic failover and high availability | Limited redundancy options |
In short, while VPN Gateway offers a low-cost solution for secure connectivity between on-premises and Azure resources, it has some limitations in terms of bandwidth, latency, scalability, and security when compared to ExpressRoute Gateway, which offers a dedicated, private, and high-performance connection. Before selecting the suitable gateway for their networking needs, organizations should analyze their specific requirements and limits.
Faq’s
Q.)What are Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway?
Ans.)Azure ExpressRoute is a Microsoft Azure service that enables users to establish private and dedicated connections between their on-premises infrastructure and Azure datacenters. This provides a more dependable, faster, and secure method of accessing Azure resources.
Azure VPN Gateway, on the other hand, is a virtual private network (VPN) solution that allows users to securely link their on-premises infrastructure to Azure services. It enables the secure and flexible extension of on-premises networks to the cloud.
Q.)How do Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway differ in terms of connectivity?
Ans.) Azure ExpressRoute establishes a dedicated, private connection between your on-premises infrastructure and Azure, whereas Azure VPN Gateway establishes a virtual private network (VPN) between your on-premises infrastructure and Azure using a public internet connection. When compared to VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute provides more bandwidth, reduced latency, and greater security, but it is often more expensive and takes more configuration. VPN Gateway is an excellent choice for small to medium-sized enterprises that need a secure access to Azure but lack the resources to set up a dedicated private connection.
Q.)Can you use both Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway simultaneously?
Ans.)Yes, you can utilize both Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway at the same time. ExpressRoute establishes a dedicated, private link between on-premises infrastructure and Azure, whereas VPN Gateway enables distant users or branch offices to securely access Azure resources across the public internet. Organizations can provide a hybrid networking solution that combines the benefits of both private and public connectivity options by utilizing both services.
Q.) Which one should I choose between Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway for data transfer: public peering or private peering?
Ans.) The decision between Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway for data transfer is based on your individual requirements.
ExpressRoute is a private connection between your on-premises infrastructure and Azure data centers that delivers increased data security and dependability. If you need to transport sensitive or essential data between your on-premises system and Azure, private peering is the best option.
Azure VPN Gateway, on the other hand, establishes a secure link between your virtual network in Azure and your on-premises environment via the public internet. This option is appropriate if you need a flexible and cost-effective data transfer solution that does not require high levels of security.
Finally, the choice between ExpressRoute and VPN Gateway, as well as private and public peering, is determined by your individual data transfer requirements. You should carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each choice before selecting the one that best meets your requirements.
Q.) What are the use cases where Azure ExpressRoute is a better choice over Azure VPN Gateway, and vice versa?
Ans.) Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway are two distinct ways to connect to Azure resources.
Azure ExpressRoute is a secure link that connects your on-premises infrastructure to the Azure datacenters. It offers a dedicated, high-speed, low-latency connection that is suited for big data transfers, hybrid applications, and mission-critical workloads requiring high dependability and security. For enterprises that require dedicated access, such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies, ExpressRoute is a superior option.
Azure VPN Gateway, on the other hand, enables a secure and dependable remote-access VPN connection to Azure resources. It is suitable for remote workers, branch offices, and small to medium-sized enterprises that require a low-cost, easy-to-deploy connectivity alternative. VPN Gateway is a superior option for enterprises who require remote access to Azure resources but do not require the dedicated connectivity provided by ExpressRoute.
In conclusion, ExpressRoute is the superior option if you need a dedicated and private connection to Azure. VPN Gateway is the superior option if you require a safe and cost-effective remote-access VPN connection.
Q.)What are the prerequisites for setting up Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway?
Ans.) The following prerequisites are required to set up Azure ExpressRoute and Azure VPN Gateway:
1. A subscription to Azure
2. Azure virtual network
3. A VPN gateway in Azure (for configuring the VPN)
4. A VPN device or router that is supported (for VPN configuration)
5. A connection to an ExpressRoute location (for ExpressRoute configuration)
6. An ExpressRoute circuit from a connectivity provider (for ExpressRoute configuration)
7. An ExpressRoute gateway in Azure (for ExpressRoute configuration)
You should also be familiar with networking ideas and configurations, as well as the specific configuration needs for your VPN device or router and connectivity provider.
Related/References
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- 50 Top Azure Interview Questions You Must Know In 2022
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Sharan says
Thanks for the detailed information
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Sharan,
Glad you linked our blog.
Please stay tuned for more informative blog link this.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21Academy
priscilla says
simple explanation, helped in a critical meeting… thanks …
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Priscilla,
Glad you linked our blog.
Please stay tuned for more informative blog links this.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21Academy
jimmyj says
Can you configure static routes in Azure back to customers premises for both VPN GW and ExpressRoute GW? OR is ExpressRoute capable of BGP only?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Jimmyj,
Yes, you can configure static routes in Azure back to customers’ premises for both VPN GW and ExpressRoute GW. However, ExpressRoute requires BGP for advertising on-premises routes to the Microsoft Edge router.
It is possible to have static routes and BGP configured simultaneously in some cases, but BGP is mandatory for ExpressRoute.
When using BGP with an Azure virtual network gateway, the type selected during gateway creation determines the routing requirements.
ExpressRoute necessitates BGP for advertising routes, while VPN connections can optionally use BGP.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21Academy