Virtual LAN (Virtual Local Area Network) software is a powerful tool for creating multiple networks on one physical network. They offer business owners, like you, an easy way to manage your office locations.
It allows for an uninterrupted connection with multiple locations, increased productivity, increased security with firewalls, and more. Businesses need a virtual LAN software for their internal and external networks.
If you’re a business owner who is looking for the best virtual LAN software for your company, you might have already realised how hard it is to find the best ones. We’ve done some extensive research and found the best and most commonly used virtual LAN software for you!
Top 9 Best Virtual LAN Software
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Radmin VPN | Free | Cohesive network |
| 2. GameRanger | Free | Online games and demos |
| 3. P2PVPN | Free | Secure communication channels |
| 4. Wippien | Free | File sharing and access to virtual LANs. |
| 5. Freelan | Free | Security and performance |
| 6. SoftEther | Free | Multi-protocol VPN software |
| 7. ZeroTier | $49/month | LAN gaming software |
| 8. NetOverNet | $5/month | Network & Admin category |
| 9. LogMeIn Hamachi | $49/year | Remote computers over the internet |
#1. Radmin VPN (radmin-vpn.com)
Pricing : Free to download
Radmin VPN is a free and user-friendly virtual LAN software that creates one cohesive network. You don’t need any big investment to build such a network – just install it and start using it. It is the ultimate alternative to Hamachi. With 100 Mbps speed, it offers you the same feeling as on your local area network. The only difference is that you are physically remote from your teammates.
This beginner-friendly VPN comes with versatile features, including encryption and security protection, which guarantees complete protection of your data transmission. Radmin is ideal for distributed teams that want to keep in touch and share data online. It allows you to securely connect to geographically distributed offices and individuals around the world.
| PROS | CONS |
| 100% free, with no ads | No integrated chat function |
| No registry required | No option to change your display name |
| Provide a secure tunnel | limited amount of members, per network. Up to 150 members |
| Simple, modern and good looking interface | – |
| High Speed, up to 100Mbps connection | – |
| Ease of use, set-up and manage | – |
| Trustworthy& reliable | – |
| Multi-languages | – |
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#2. GameRanger (Gameranger.com)
Pricing: free to download
GameRanger is one of the easiest and most secure programmes that allows you to connect to hundreds of games and play with your friends online. With GameRanger, you can play over 600 games and demos online with friends and opponents worldwide.
It’s 100% free and there’s no need for you to get a programme for each game you have. It gives you secure gaming with all your friends. GameRanger works on most versions of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. Download it now, connect to the internet, and start gaming!
| PROS | CONS |
| Works on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux | – |
| Over 600 games & demos available | – |
| 100% free and open-source | – |
| No need to get a programme for each | – |
| Easy and secure to use | – |
| Competitive ranking and ratings | – |
| Instant messaging | – |
#3. P2PVPN (p2pvpn.org)
Pricing : free to download
P2PVPN is an open source software application that allows you to establish secure communication channels over the Internet. It offers a secure, simple, and fast solution to connect small workgroups that are located in different physical locations.
P2PVPN is an easy-to-install and operationally simple virtual network solution that allows you to establish a secure communication path among your group members in remote locations. Install P2PVPN and get a secure, private, and safe communication channel among your online friends or business partners.
| PROS | CONS |
| Support Platforms | Java 1.5.0 is required, although Version 8 Update 261 is installed |
| Decentralised peer-to-peer network | – |
| Secure | – |
| 100% free | – |
| Easy to setup | – |
| Simple to use | – |
| Open-source | – |
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#4. Wippien (wippien.com)
Pricing : Free to download
Wippien is a cross-platform peer-to-peer file transferring and network service discovery software. Built upon advanced 3rd party components which need to be licenced separately, it offers several advantages over the open source clients, including NAT traversal techniques and making direct connections between peers.
You can access your friends’ shares, printers, services, and desktops, even pinging them through the IP you see next to their names. You can download and use Wippien for free, both for personal and commercial usage. If you like Wippien, you can adjust or rebrand it to suit your needs on your own.
| PROS | CONS |
| Open-source | Built upon 3rd party components, need to be licenced separately |
| Download for free | Need to be licenced separately |
| Personal and commercial use | it doesn’t set up the firewall properly, rendering it unusable |
| White-labeling | – |
| UI simple and friendly | – |
| Support platforms : Windows, Linux | – |
#5. Freelan (freelan.org)
Pricing: free to download
Freelan is a free, open-source, multi-platform and peer-to-peer VPN software that abstracts a LAN over the Internet using UDP. It works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. No clients or subscriptions are needed. You get encrypted tunnels between your machines with almost no effort.
Reach your friends through the friend-to-friend (F2F) relay option to create transitive trust relationships (you don’t need to know who your friends are to connect with them). Freelan also offers an OpenVPN mode for interoperability. Freelan is written in robust, low-level C and C++ code. It’s far faster than commercial solutions and is 100% free of charge.
| PROS | CONS |
| Works on Windows, Linux and MacOSX | Not updated in two years |
| Open-source | Download links no longer work |
| Free | Number of servers and IP addresses are not displayed |
| Stable and transparent | – |
| Robust and secure | – |
| Possible to create any kind of network | – |
| You have 100% of control to your data | – |
#6. SoftEther VPN (softether.org)
Pricing : Free to download
SoftEther is one of the world’s most powerful, easy-to-use, and widely used multi-protocol VPN software. This VPN offers a pretty satisfying and straightforward interface that makes you pass up tonnes of features. Although SoftEther offers minimal features, it does not compromise privacy and security.
SoftEther VPN Software is free and open-source, which means you can use it for any personal or commercial use at no charge. It is strongly compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android and allows you to do any kind of configuration in the easiest way. It is user-friendly, extremely easy, and fast to set up in minutes using any server or computer you have available. “
| PROS | CONS |
| Open-source & free | Mobile version isn’t open source |
| Easy to establish both remote access and site-to-site VP | Not compatible with banking websites |
| Works on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, FreeBSD, Solaris | Sometimes the connection drops and there’s some servers that it will not connect to |
| Easy and fast to implement | – |
| Powerful and Easy-to-use | – |
| Multi-languages | – |
#7. ZeroTier One
Pricing: free and paid (professional version) at $49 per month.
ZeroTier is a popular VPN service in the File Sharing category and one of the best virtual LAN gaming software on the internet that allows you to create a “virtual Ethernet” network that works everywhere. Its benefits are plenty, and it is gaining popularity gradually. In addition, you can easily do chatting and gaming using this virtual LAN service. It is an effective and simple alternative to traditional VPNs for gaming and even as a LAN that travels with you.
It is easy to utilise and has all the features of a VPN, SDN, and SD-WAN in one system. This open-source software supports iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is available in both free and premium versions. If you wish to use extra features, then you will need to purchase a subscription. With Zero Tier, you can work from anywhere and at anytime with less stress and increased productivity.
| PROS | CONS |
| Open –source and free for basic use | Subscritption for extra features |
| Supports iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS | – |
| Secure | – |
| Integrate cloud devices into one interface | – |
| Network control | – |
| Save on performance and storage | – |
| Easy to use, excellent for setting game servers | – |
#8. NetOverNet
Pricing: up to 5 connections are free, with one-time payments starting at $5/month.
NetOverNet is your personal VPN server for remote access to your desktop, applications, and files. It is actually free and a VPN service in the Network & Admin category. You connect your devices to the NetOverNet virtual private network to make them accessible from any global location. Gain access to files, applications, and the desktop of your home or office computer while away.
You connect to it from computers running Windows or Linux, phones and tablets with Android or iOS installed, and other devices at any location as if they were in your living room, to make your devices easily accessible from the NetOverNet Virtual LAN. It is possible to connect to it by manually configuring VPN or installing a client application on devices. Each of your devices has its own login and password for connection and is accessible over the cloud by an IP address.
Connect to it from computers running Windows or Linux, or from phones and tablets with Android or iOS installed.
| PROS | CONS |
| Free up to 5 connections | Free version allows only up to 5 computers |
| Works on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS | – |
| Accessible over the cloud by an IP address | – |
| Remote access to your desktop | – |
| One-time payment for paid version | – |
#9. LogMeIn Hamachi (VPN.net).
Pricing : Free for up to 5 computers, then starting price at $49/year
LogMeIn Hamachi is a networking solution that enables remote access to computers through the Internet or other network hosts and allows users to easily set up groups of remote computers over the internet. It uses software that runs on your computer and creates a virtual network between all the computers in the network, similar to how an actual LAN (Local Area Network) functions.
This allows you to access the computers in this network from outside, over the Internet. The program is relatively simple to utilise for anyone who has basic knowledge of how wireless networks and computer systems work, since it does not require special knowledge about networking concepts. But, LogMeIn Hamachi is relatively difficult to learn to use for someone who is unfamiliar with what it is used for and what it does.
| PROS | CONS |
| Simple to use and easy setup | Relatively difficult to learn |
| Free for up to 5 computers | free version is only suitable for remote access to computers that are permanently logged on |
| On-demand networking | – |
| Centralized software deployment | – |
| Manage and restore networks | – |
| Remote access to computers | – |
FAQ
What is a VLAN?
A VLAN is a technique for creating a virtual network that looks like a physical local area network.
This is accomplished with the use of switches and routers that separate computers into different networks.
In other words, you can create a VLAN between two locations as well as replicate an environment from one location to another. This makes it easy to transfer the settings from one location to another, as well as make changes as needed.
Why do VLANS exist and what are the benefits?
Virtual LANs are created to overcome the limitations of physical LANs. A physical LAN is just one network that computers are split into with the use of switches and routers. This, however, can cause connection problems when two locations are separated by an extended distance.
Virtual LAN software is able to overcome this limitation because it separates networks with the use of virtual networking hardware—not physical hardware. With VLAN software, you can create a separate “virtual” network for each location, allowing for connection without interruption in the event of a long distance separation.
This also creates increased productivity because employees can work on their own projects without interrupting the workflow of others in the same location. Virtual LANs also provide more security than physical networks, with firewalls to protect against malware and viruses.
What is Virtual LAN used for?
VLANs allow network administrators to automatically limit access to a specified group of users by dividing workstations into different isolated LAN segments. When users move their workstations, administrators don’t need to reconfigure the network or change VLAN groups.
How do I setup a virtual LAN?
Setting up a VLAN
- Choose a valid VLAN number.
- Choose a private IP address range for devices on that VLAN to use.
- Configure the switch device with either static or dynamic settings. In static configurations, the administrator assigns a VLAN number to each switch port. …
- Configure routing between VLANs as needed.
Which is the best VLAN software?
The best VLAN software for your business is one that can provide the functionality you need to keep your company’s data safe and secure. Businesses are becoming more reliant on data than ever before, so it’s crucial to find the right VLAN software for your company to protect the confidentiality of your data