, explains how to access externally stored data and how to deal with the most common issue when accessing storage over a network, latency. How to access externally stored data All externally stored data can usually be accessed over the public internet; however this might not always be the way you want to access it. As a minimum any connection to your data that resides externally should be encrypted. In an ideal world this would be over an IPSEC VPN that will encrypt all your data while providing you with an extension of your local LAN. However some public cloud providers will only support SSL-based encryption via the web browser for accessing your files. If you have selected a colocation provider or a cloud storage provider that is also able to provision connectivity back into your premises via a leased line or metro Ethernet-style service, then you have additional options that will be faster and more secure than a VPN over the internet. Over these connections the provider can set up a private network (or vLAN) that will give you a direct connection back into your storage.  Look for a supplier that can run at speeds from 10Mbps through to 10Gbps with fibre channel support. This allows you to really take advantage of your storage compared to a connection over the public internet that will be limited to the maximum speed of your connection. Depending on how the provider works it may also be possible to combine an internet feed