Mac OS is an aesthetically designed and futuristic operating system, which has made Mac one of the most sought out operating systems in the world. Mac OS is specifically used by designers and creative artists due to the attention to detail, varied graphic options, dedicated software for music mixing, image and video design effects, and lots more on offer by the OS.
Statistics prove that almost all Mac OS users connect their device to the internet for various browsing purposes. This leaves Mac users vulnerable to security threats, especially if you browse through insecure networks (public Wi-Fi), which is why it becomes essential to install a Mac VPN on your Mac OS. Here is a detailed guide on how to setup VPN on your Mac OS:
Manual Mac VPN Configuration
This is an advanced choice of VPN for mac, and is mostly preferred by advanced Mac users. This type of connection also offers a lot of convenience and flexibility in terms of customization.
Mac also makes it easier to set up a manual VPN connection, unlike other operating systems. To manually connect your Mac to a VPN, follow these steps:
Step 1
Select System Preferences via Dock. If you can’t find it, all you have to do is go to the main Apple Menu and click on System Preferences.
Step 2
Under the Internet & Wireless sub-menu, you will find the Network option. Click on it.
Step 3
In the left pane, you will find a list of networks already installed on your Mac. You will find a + sign at the bottom of the list to add new networks. Click on it to add a new VPN connection.
Step 4
Clicking on the + sign will open a box which should allow you to choose the interface. Choose VPN from the drop-down menu.
Enter the information provided by your VPN company into the relevant fields. If you don’t already have a VPN subscription, choose one from our list of top 5 VPN providers. First you will have to choose the protocol. This can be PPTP or L2TP/IPSec, or contact your VPN customer care to see what works best for you. Enter the name of the connection as you wish, so that you can retrieve it at a later stage without hassles. Click on Create.
Step 5
You will now see a VPN configuration page with Default listed at the top of the drop-down menu. Click on it and choose Add Configuration. This will prompt you to create a new configuration.
Choose a name of your convenience. While retrieving the configuration at a later stage, use this name. Click Create.
Step 6
Enter the Server address and account name as provided by your VPN service provider in the configuration page.
Click on Authentication Settings to set password. In the pop-up page, enter the password provided to you and enter a shared secret so that you can utilize your Mac within a LAN. Click OK.
Step 7
You will end up back at the VPN configuration page, where you can see the Advanced button at the bottom right.
Clicking on the Advanced button will take you to the advanced configuration page where you should check all the options, including “Send All Traffic Over VPN Connection”. This is important for the VPN connection to work properly. Click on Ok.
Step 8
For the VPN changes to take effect, click on Apply at the bottom right of the VPN configuration page. You should now be able to connect to a VPN network using the parameters that you have entered. Click on Connect just below the Authentication Settings button.
Remember that you can always come back and change the settings, or create new similar additional connections to ensure that you can count on an alternative connection if your current connection malfunctions or drops completely. It will also make sense to create both a PPTP and an L2TP connection to ensure that you stay connected to a VPN wherever you are.
VPN Software Or Apps For Mac
Due to the increasing popularity and significance of the Mac OS, there are several VPN service providers who offer dedicated VPN software for Mac OS X. It is usually easy to find Mac VPN software, as all you have to do is ask the VPN company about their software offerings (usually featured prominently on their websites).
In such an instance, you can download and install the software, which will have all the features and functionalities of the VPN built into the platform. All you have to do to access VPN on your computer is receive the username and password from your VPN company and enter this information into the relevant fields within the terminal. You will now be automatically connected to a VPN server of your choice.
A dedicated Mac VPN application will avoid the necessity and perhaps the extra effort required for manually setting up a VPN connection. It will be possible to change several VPN configurations such as changing IPs, switching servers, choosing encryption and more within the application itself. Therefore, if you do have the option of installing a dedicated VPN application or dialer terminal, go for it by all means.