Synology extends free VPN licenses offer for another year

Synology extends free VPN licenses offer for another year

Remote work has become the new normal for many of us in a world disrupted by an on-going pandemic, but many small and mid-sized businesses continue to scramble for suitable digital tools to maintain business continuity.

Synology is the latest company to lend these companies a helping hand by waiving the cost to purchasing additional VPN Plus licenses to existing and new owners of Synology's RT1900ac, RT2600ac, and MR2200ac wireless routers.  All of them come with one license out of the box as part of the networking unit's cost, but following this announcement, users of these routers will be able to purchase additional VPN Plus Client VPN Access and Site-to-Site VPN licenses for free from now till September 30, 2021.

All licenses redeemed during this period will remain free for perpetuity. They will not expire or require additional costs even after the September 30, 2021 redemption deadline.

The VPN Plus moniker actually covers two specific products: Client VPN Access and Site-to-Site VPN licenses.

The former is a straightforward user access license, while the latter enables companies to establish encrypted tunnels between your networks in different locations, such as a branch office or a retail storefront.

VPN Plus boasts a range of features. For instance, the clientless WebVPN protocol lets you access web applications simply with a web browser without any additional app installation or set-up. Another example is the built-in powerful admin toolkit, including real-time monitoring of traffic, bandwidth control, and comprehensive configuration and connection logs.

Overall, these features will enable remote productivity workflows for SMEs and SMBs such as accessing data stored in an office NAS, or utilising software installed in a PC at work through remote desktop.

Over the past two months, Synology says that it has seen a five-fold increase in the number of purchases for VPN Plus licenses, so this extended promotion should bring some relief to organisations still struggling to implement remote work policies.

But do be warned that the maximum number of Client VPN Access licenses a single device supports depends on the model.

The RT2600ac supports up to 20 licenses, while the RT1900ac and MR2200ac can only support up to 10 each. If your business is any larger than this, you’ll have to look elsewhere for more scalable solutions.

And if networking solutions don’t strike your fancy right now, be sure to check out Synology’s latest 5-bay NAS here.

• Read Next (1): Synology MR2200ac tri-band networking system reviewed
• Read Next (2): Synology RT2600ac is an AC2600-class router with two WAN ports