Set up a VPN connection on Mac. To connect to a virtual private network (VPN), you need to enter configuration settings in Network preferences. These settings include the VPN server address, account name, and any authentication settings, such as a password. As for OS X support of VPN, Apple offers the option to set up a VPN server (the one that will receive and handle incoming connections from computers and devices) only in the Server version of Snow Leopard. However, it’s still possible to create a VPN server on the consumer version of OS X 10.6 with a bit of command line hacking. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Network. Open Network preferences for me. Click the Add button in the list at the left, click the Interface pop-up menu, then choose VPN. Click the VPN Type pop-up menu, then choose what kind of VPN connection you want to set up, depending on the network you are connecting to.

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How to set up a VPN on Mac? Once you have installed it, setting up NordVPN is a no-brainer. Just find the NordVPN icon in Launchpad, click on it, and the app will open. Log in with your username and password if you already have an account. If not, choose Sign Up.

We have a lot of customers who use their Mac mini as a VPN server. This works great when you need an IP address in the US, or a secure internet connection on the road, or a number of other reasons. When Apple released Lion, they changed the setup a bit so we wrote a tutorial. This continued in Mountain Lion and Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, and remains the case in Sierra. By default, Sierra Server VPN will distribute IP addresses in the same range the Mac itself uses. This doesn’t work well in a facility like MacStadium where each Mac mini has a static WAN IP address.

We asked Rusty Ross to help us put together a tutorial that will help MacStadium customers setup their Mac minis to serve as VPNs. He’s broken it down in a few parts so be sure to take the steps that are best for your situation:

PART I: VLAN and DNS

PART II: Internet Routing (OPTIONAL)

PART III: VPN

PART IV: Client Setup

If you are simply looking to enable VPN service on your macOS Server for secure connection(s) between your server and client(s), you can skip PART II. That’s right: you can jump straight from PART I to PART III. The procedures discussed in PART II are intended for those who are looking to route internet traffic from their VPN clients over the VPN and out to the internet via their server’s public internet connection at Macminicolo.

Also, it should be mentioned that server administration (particularly at the command line level) can be tricky. If you do proceed beyond this point, which shall be exclusively at your own risk, then please proceed carefully, and as always, don’t ever proceed without a backup of your server and other irreplaceable data.

Still here? Okay, let’s get started.

PART I: VLAN and DNS

First, let’s set up a VLAN.

In System Preferences, go to Network, and choose “Manage Virtual Interfaces…”

Then choose “New VLAN…”

Let’s just name our VLAN something like “LAN”, and all other defaults here should be fine:

After pressing “Create”, you’ll see this:

After pressing “Done”, you’ll be able to enter network info for your new VLAN. Make sure to choose “Manually” for “Configure IPv4”, and set the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Router as shown below.

(Advanced: We’ll be using a 10.0.0.1 private IP for the server and 10.0.0.0/24 private network in this walkthrough, but note that the technique documented here will work with any private IP addressing scheme. To accomplish that, you’d substitute that alternate network info here, as well as a few other places further along in this walkthrough.)

After pressing “Apply”, you should see an something like this, indicating that your newly-created VLAN is active:

Nice work. Now, let’s get basic DNS up and running. Launch Server.app, and click on the “DNS” section of the sidebar, under “Advanced”:

All DNS defaults in Server.app should be fine, so let’s switch DNS service on:

Great. Now, once again, if you are NOT interested in routing public internet traffic from your VPN client(s) over the VPN and out to the internet via your server’s public internet connection at Macminicolo, you should SKIP from here to PART III.

PART II: Internet Routing (OPTIONAL)

So far, so good. Now things get a little trickier, as we need to dive into the command line a bit to get NAT and routing set up. First, we’ll need to edit two privileged text files, so we are going use a command line text editor called nano. Breathe easy, we've got each other's backs here, and we will take this step by step.

As we proceed, it is important to remember that in the command line, typos aren't the least bit welcome, and also, uppercase/lowercase needs to match exactly, so it is extremely important to enter text into Terminal.app exactly as it is described here.

One additional (but important!) point: The quotation marks used here in terminal commands are 'straight' quotes. Some web browsers and text editors may automatically convert these marks to smart (curly) quotes, particularly when copying and pasting. It's important to use straight quotes when entering the commands from this tutorial in Terminal.app.

Okay? Let's forge ahead.

Launch Terminal.app:

Inside the terminal window that appears, enter the following command (as a single line), and press return:

sudo nano /etc/pf.anchors/com.apple

You’ll be prompted for your password, and if you’ve not used sudo on this Mac in the past, you may see a warning about using sudo, which is fine. Enter your password (you wont see the cursor move while you type your password) and press return:

Upon doing this, you should expect to see the following text file open inside of nano, our friendly command line text editor:

Okay, we are now going to add three custom lines to this document. Red arrows in the picture below indicate where these lines should go. To move the cursor into the correct place to add these lines, simply use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

The three lines you’ll be adding are:

nat-anchor '100.customNATRules/*'
rdr-anchor '100.customNATRules/*'
load anchor '100.customNATRules' from
'/etc/pf.anchors/customNATRules'

Great. Now we need to tell nano to save the changes you made to this text file. This will be a three step process, and we'll take it one step at a time.

First you'll press the “control” key and the “X” key simultaneously (that's right, “control-X”) to tell nano you are done editing. Upon doing so, you will see this:

Now press the “Y” key to let nano know that, yes indeed, you do want to save changes:

And finally, nano is already suggesting the proper location to save the file you edited, so simply press return to accept its suggestion:

Well done! You are back where you started, having edited a text file in nano.

Since you are now a nano expert, let's use it once more, this time to create an entirely new text file. Start nano up again as follows:

sudo nano /etc/pf.anchors/customNATRules

Upon entering the command above and pressing return, you will be reunited with your friend nano, now editing a new text file which, thus far, contains no text:

We are simply going to add two lines of text here:

nat on en0 from 10.0.0.0/24 to any -> (en0)
pass from {lo0, 10.0.0.0/24} to any keep state

(Advanced: If you are using private IP addressing other than 10.0.0.0/24, you should customize these two lines to match your chosen network.)

And now that these two lines have been added, well, you know the drill, the old three-step save: “control-X”, then “Y”, and then press return.

Again, that's “control-X”:

Then “Y”:

And then press return:

Excellent. Though nano has served us well, we won't need to use it again during this tutorial.

Now, just a couple more commands in Terminal.app, and we’ll be done with the command line altogether.

Enter this command (as a single line) into your Terminal.app window and press return:

sudo pfctl -f /etc/pf.conf

You'll get some feedback on this one from the Terminal, all of which you can safely ignore.

Next, enter this command (as a single line) into your Terminal.app window and press return:

echo 'net.inet.ip.forwarding=1' | sudo tee -a
/etc/sysctl.conf

The Terminal should respond with “net.inet.ip.forwarding=1”, which is what we want.

And finally, enter these five commands (each one as a single line, pressing return after each one) into your Terminal.app window:

sudo cp
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.pfctl.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/net.macminicolo.pfctl.plist
sudo sed -i ' 's/com.apple.pfctl/net.macminicolo.pfctl/'
/Library/LaunchDaemons/net.macminicolo.pfctl.plist
sudo sed -i ' 's/>-f</>-e</'
/Library/LaunchDaemons/net.macminicolo.pfctl.plist
sudo sed -i ' '/pf.conf/d'
/Library/LaunchDaemons/net.macminicolo.pfctl.plist
sudo launchctl load -w
/Library/LaunchDaemons/net.macminicolo.pfctl.plist

Well done. You can now close your Terminal.app window entirely.

Okay, you have now set up NAT and routing for your private network. The last piece of the puzzle on the server will be to configure and enable VPN service.

Before you proceed, though: RESTART your server now. (We’ll wait…)

Now that you have restarted your server, let’s continue.

PART III: VPN

Whether or not you have just completed Part II or skipped to this point straight from Part I, rest assured that everyone is welcome here in Part III.

First, open Server.app and click on the “VPN” section of the sidebar:

Several default settings here are already in place as we’d want them, so we’ll just edit a few.Enter your Shared Secret as desired:

Now press “Edit…” next to DNS Settings. You will likely see the Macminicolo DNS IP addresses here, which is NOT what we want in this particular place:

Instead, change this to 10.0.0.1 as follows:

(Advanced: If you are using an alternate private network, customize the above appropriately.)

Press “OK” and we’re back here:

Now press “Edit…” next to Client Addresses, and enter settings as pictured below:

(Advanced: If you are using an alternate private network, or have different needs in terms of address pool size, customize appropriately.)Press “OK” and once again, we are back here:

...and should be all set to go. Switch the VPN service on:

Brilliant. Wait about 30 seconds for the VPN service to become fully active, and your Mac mini server should now be ready to serve VPN clients and (optionally, if you completed Part II) route their public internet traffic over its connection.

PART IV: Client Setup

Now that your server’s VPN is configured, enabled, and (optionally) ready to route public internet traffic for its clients, you may want a little guidance on how best to configure a client.

Let’s set up a Sierra client as an example.

In System Preferences, go to Network, and press the “+” in the lower-lefthand corner:

Choose “VPN”, make sure you are using “L2TP over IPSec”, and give your service a name:

Press “Create”, and then make sure your new VPN is selected in the sidebar on the left, so you can edit its details on the right:

As shown above, enter the IP address or DNS name for your server in the “Server Address” field. In the “Account Name” field, enter the username for the account on the server that you want to use to log in from the client.

Press “Authentication Settings…” and you’ll see this:

Enter the Password for the account you just specified, and the Shared Secret exactly as you set it up on the server.

Press “OK”, and you are back to:

Now press “Advanced…” and you should see this panel:

If you chose to complete optional “Part II: Internet Routing” section earlier:

Then you should check the option to “Send all traffic over VPN connection” so that your client will, um, send all its traffic (including public internet-bound traffic) over the VPN when the VPN connection is active.

Otherwise, if you skipped the optional “Part II: Internet Routing” section, make sure to un-check “Send all traffic over VPN connection” (unlike the picture above).

Press “OK”, and you are back to:

Press “Apply” to save changes.

And now your client should be ready to connect to your server’s VPN.

Just press “Connect” when you want make this happen.

Well done.

As I mentioned, this tutorial came from Rusty Ross (@ConsultantRR), a great hands-on consultant that works with a bunch of happy MacStadium customers on a wide range of topics, including setup, migration, troubleshooting, maintenance, networking, strategic planning, and creative thinking. He’s available for a quick-fix, a specific project, or a longer-term relationship.

Until next year...

With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you can achieve security and privacy online. However, the process to install a VPN for Mac can seem tricky or daunting if you are not familiar with it.

In this article we'll show you:

Actually, the process is quite easy, regardless if you are a beginner or an advanced Mac user. Let us show you how to install a VPN for your Mac!

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What is a VPN?

A VPN can allow you to build a secure connection between your computer to a different network through the internet. You can use VPNs for many reasons. These include shielding activity on public Wi-Fi, accessing region-restricted content, and possibly connecting to a business network to work from home.

VPNs work by forwarding your traffic directly to the network you have created a secure connection with. Essentially, you are connecting your PC, tablet, or another device to a server on the internet. This connection allows you to use the internet or a private network using that server's connection.

People choose to use a VPN for many reasons. Perhaps the biggest goal is to help protect themselves from cybercriminals. Paired with an antivirus program, this can help keep you and your Mac safe while browsing online.

This security is even more critical if you tend to access the internet on unsecured connections, such as at your local library, favorite coffee shop, or the airport. These connections make it incredibly easy for hackers to gain access to your information, including passwords to your banks and social media accounts.

A VPN may also speed up your WiFi connection. It’s also worth noting your Mac doesn’t have a VPN or ‘create VPN’ feature built-in, nor is there Mac VPN server associated with your machine, so you’ll need your own. Most cost money – and be wary of free VPN services; you’re often just giving them your information, which they may be selling to advertisers.

Keep in mind that while VPNs offer an increased level of security, they can't help someone with unsafe browsing habits. Just remember to protect yourself by not downloading suspicious files, clicking on potentially spoofed websites, or other risky browsing behaviors.

How to Choose a VPN for Mac?

First, you need to ensure that the software you choose is has a macOS version. Some VPNs offer dedicated Mac software, though it is not always as supported as Windows is when it comes to custom VPN clients.

You also want to ensure that the VPN service can do what you need it to do. While most providers offer similar features in encryption, performance, and server locations, they can differ in other areas.

• Privacy: While all VPNs hide your IP address and location, they may not offer complete privacy. For instance, they may have different data logging policies, limit the number of connections and browser extensions, and have limited security features.
• Streaming support: Most VPNs claim that they unlock content streaming sites, not all actually do. If this is why you are looking into a VPN, you may want to spend more time looking at reviews or try to find one with a free trial.
• Amount of available servers: Some VPNs have limited servers in even more limited locations. First, this could slow down your browsing and streaming speed as more people connect to fewer servers. Second, having fewer server locations means you are severely limited to where you can appear to be browsing. If you want to browse region-restricted content, having more server locations is a must for you!
• Protection across all devices: Some VPN services do not provide support to protect each device you have. The better ones will provide licenses across multiple devices. This means you can hopefully protect everything from your desktop to a laptop to a smartphone!

If you choose to use a VPN service that has its own app, you want to research it before downloading it.

Some VPN apps flaunt themself as being free. However, they have to make money somehow! Usually, they sell user data to third parties, still putting your privacy at risk.

Some third-party VPN apps may also install adware on your system, completely undetected! So, be sure you know what you are getting into before you download a third-party VPN app.

How to Install a VPN for Mac

Now it is time to learn how to install a VPN for Mac. Since specific software setups can vary, these steps are just in general. Be sure to follow any setup steps recommended by the software.

You will also want to ensure that your macOS is up to date or that your VPN app is compatible with the macOS your system is operating.

1. Register with a VPN. This process usually involves payment.
2. Get the Mac-specific VPN software.
3. Install the Mac app. Usually, this is as simple as double-clicking on the .dmg file and following the on-screen prompts.
4. Run the VPN app. Be sure to have your account details ready for the first run. Usually, you need to have administrative privileges for this.

Once the app has launched, be sure to review the preferences and settings carefully. Sometimes, important settings are automatically disabled. In multiple VPNs, you must manually enable options like firewall-based kill switches and DNS leak protection.

Also, you want to make sure that your chosen VPN uses the OpenVPN protocol. This protocol ensures that your app does not default to a less secure VPN.

When you finish reviewing the settings, select the VPN server you need and select 'Connect.'

Shimo is an app for Mac that lets you both connect to and configure a VPN, or manage your VPN. Setting up a VPN in Shimo is roughly the same process as it is via your Mac’s settings, but it makes managing your VPN connection(s) much simpler.

If you want to use a VPN for Mac, the options seem endless. Choosing a VPN client for Mac is only one step in the process – there’s still the matter of setting it up, and possibly syncing settings across Macs! Let's show you how to configure a VPN on macOS.

Importing a Settings File

For some network connections for businesses, your administrator may supply a VPN settings file. You can import this file for easy setup. There are two ways to go about this:

1. Double-click the settings file to open the Network preferences. This allows the settings to import automatically.
2. Click the Apple icon in the upper left-hand corner of your screen and click on System Preferences. Click the Network icon. Click on the Action pop-up menu and click on Import Configurations. Then, select the VPN settings file and click on Import.

Living in your menu bar, this VPN client allows quick-glance access to your connection, and tells you which VPNs you use may be connected; especially handy if you have multiple VPN providers. Shimо also shows connection data in real-time so you know how long you’ve been using your VPN, and the incoming/outgoing traffic.

Manually Configure a VPN for Mac

Perhaps you want to use the built-in VPN client that comes with macOS. This client supports the PPTP, IKEv2, and L2TIP/IPsec VPN protocols.

Apple doesn’t make it hard to set up a VPN on Mac, but it also doesn’t make it easy. Keep in mind these steps require you to choose your VPN first. The main advantage of these connections is that you can set them up without having to download a separate VPN app to use them.

To manually configure the built-in VPN client:

1. Click on the Apple icon on the upper left corner of your display and click on System Preferences.
2. Click the Network icon.
3. Click the + (plus) button on the lower left-hand corner of the box.
   
4. Click on Interface and then VPN from the dropdown menu in the dialog box.
5. In VPN Type, select the VPN protocol you want to use.
   
6. Choose a name for the VPN connection and enter that into Service Name. It does not have to be anything specific.
7. Click Create.
8. Using the settings provided by your VPN service, fill in the server details, including the Server Address and Account Name. Check the option to Show VPN status in the menu bar. Then, click Authentication Settings.
9. Enter the Password (or other user authentication supplied by your VPN Service) and Shared Secret, then select OK.
10. Usually, you won't have to change any other settings. However, you should still click on the Advanced button. Check the option to Send all traffic over VPN connection. Then, click on OK to save your changes.
11. Click Apply in the lower right-hand corner, then click on the Connect button.
12. Your VPN should now connect. When done, select the Disconnect button.

There you go! You’ve just linked a VPN to your Mac, and it’s connected. Pretty simple, but is that all there is to do? Yes and no.

When using the built-in macOS VPN client, be aware that it does not have WebRTC leak protection. Be sure not to use a vulnerable browser. If you are, you need to disable WebRTC manually. If you are using Safari, this is not a worry as it is not susceptible to WebRTC leaks.

Also, check with your VPN service to make sure that there are no unique settings that you need to enable/disable to log in from the built-in macOS client.

Testing a VPN for Mac

Regardless of the VPN, you end up using; the testing process is the same.

In the notification bar, macOS displays an icon when you connect to the VPN. This icon lets you know that you are connected. If you want additional access to details and options, you can click on the icon.

Toggle across networks easily

You can connect to as many private networks as you like with Shimo, a dedicated VPN client for Mac. Stay on the safe side!

Perhaps best of all, Shimo allows you to set up triggers easily. If you use a VPN for public WiFi networks, you can choose to trigger them to activate when you connect to a chosen network. This feature is especially handy for setting a VPN to activate geographically; travelers may want to hide their location, or your work network may require a specific VPN to access files.

A VPN is only as good as your WiFi connection, and there are also smart ways to manage that. WiFi Explorer provides deep analysis of your WiFi connection, and offers up advice on why your connection may be troubled, even monitoring 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands of the same connection.

NetSpot is another great app which can use a map of your home to isolate poor coverage areas as well as provide per-connection troubleshooting. It’s a great app to have for homes with guest WiFi networks, and especially nice for those with VPN connections used at home.

How to Sync VPN Settings Across Macs

Vpn Client For Mac

Have multiple Macs? You’ll probably want to sync your VPN settings across devices. Apple’s settings can be synced across machines, but it doesn’t work seamlessly all the time, and there are plenty of times you don’t want all of your settings synced!

To sync VPN data, Shimo is your best bet. Doing it Apple’s way means you have to reconfigure on each Mac you have, and that’s time-consuming.

Shimo allows you to use it across any Mac you own as it’s license-based. Best of all, it syncs your settings outside Apple’s scope, so activating Shimo on a new Mac activates all your settings. It’s as simple as it gets!

Connecting Your Mac to Your VPN

Create A Vpn Connection

Once you initially set up your VPN, connect to it in the future is a breeze!

1. Click on the Apple menu and then on System Preferences.
2. Select the Network icon.
3. Select your VPN service on the list at the left-hand side of the box.
4. If a Configuration pop-up menu appears, choose the appropriate configuration.
5. Click the Connect button.

That's it! You now know how to install a VPN for Mac! Once you connect to your selected VPN, you can start browsing the internet with privacy and security. Learning how to install a VPN for Mac is just that easy!

How Do I Create A Vpn For Mac

Conclusion

VPNs can speed up your WiFi connection speeds, hide your location from service providers, and help keep your browsing anonymous from websites. It’s a handy tool to have for the privacy-minded, and worth the spend.

Shimo is a better, more user-friendly option for managing your VPN connections. It makes all the fine-tuning much simpler, which can make your VPN feel much more like a powerful tool than something to hide behind.

We also like NetSpot and WiFi Explorer for managing your WiFi connection. The two apps are similar, feature-wise, so choose whichever is right for you.

Want to install all of your apps in one easy go? Check out a free trial of our app to get everything you need.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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