Vpn Access For Mac
Posted By admin On 10.03.20Mac users can get somewhat complacent about security, but they shouldn’t – Apple’s desktop computers are being increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, and it never pays to let your guard down. Getting the best Mac VPN you can is a good option to help give you extra online security.
And even if you're utterly convinced that your Apple laptop or desktop is absolutely impervious to harm, there are plenty of other reasons why you may be hunting for a VPN. Whether it's because your trying to use your Mac to access websites that are blocked by your office, school or ISP (or even your government!) or just want to watch foreign TV shows, getting a VPN makes sense. Only 3 simultaneous connections Save 49% ExpressVPN Special Deal - is our top choice for the best all-round on the Mac.
The firm's dedicated app is intuitive and very user-friendly, featuring a one-click option for connecting, as well as some advanced options. It uses 256-bit encryption over OpenVPN UDP by default and the app comes with a kill switch and split tunneling functionality. There’s also a very good iOS app and Safari browser extension, so you get a complete Apple VPN experience.
Great speeds, a favourable privacy policy and 24/7 customer support round off an excellent Mac VPN product. ExpressVPN includes fast VPN servers across 94 countries and unlimited bandwidth.
That makes for a solid choice for anyone using the VPN for P2P traffic or unblocking content on streaming services like Netflix. The provider is a tad pricier than most other VPNs, but may be a great fit for those who want the best experience for Mac. ExpressVPN doesn’t come with a free trial, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee for reassurance.
The company offers three price plans, with the 12-month plan offering the best value (you get an extra three months into the bargain). The packages available are:.
2. Overly simple apps When it comes to security, does it like no other.
Its own ‘Double VPN’ technology encrypts data twice – in other words, it passes your data through two separate VPN servers to make things even more secure – while there are additional security extras such as encrypted chat, web proxy extensions and so on. NordVPN’s clients for both macOS and iOS are rather basic compared to others, but keeping things simple can be advantageous for novices. This provider is also P2P-friendly and has a strict ‘zero logs’ policy.
Performance was slightly above average in our testing. There's a free 3-day trial, and NordVPN is a relatively affordable option.
There are four plans available with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the 2-year plan represents great value. The packages available are:. 3. Save 40% Get 40% off VyprVPN's annual plans.
VyprVPN is a fast, highly secure VPN without third-parties, all for as little as $36.00 for the first year. This Switzerland-based provider operates a tier-1 network and is solely in charge of its own servers – so it’s no wonder that does well on the performance front. In fact, in our testing we found that it more than doubled our download speeds compared to our regular rates (without the VPN running). When it comes to Mac, there is a rather neat and, to our knowledge, unique feature. Namely, the ability to manage and customise your VPN connections on a per-app basis, allowing for better overall control of your online privacy.
And in terms of security, you get VyprDNS, OpenVPN (160-bit and 256-bit), L2TP/IPsec protocols, as well as VyprVPN’s own Chameleon protocol for avoiding VPN blocking. However, note that some logging does go on here in the form of recording connection times and IP addresses. VyprVPN has two pricing plans with either monthly or annual billing. Monthly plans are rather expensive, so the yearly option is the best way to save money.
Curiously, there are no refunds available from this provider, so be sure to utilise the three-day free trial in order to test it out before you buy. The packages available are:. 4.
No free trial 69% Off IPVanish (Official Promotion) - To celebrate National Cyber Security Awareness Month, IPVanish is giving a throughout October, making its top-tier protection effectively $3.74/mo. ’s Mac app features a nifty design and a few welcome options like a kill switch and automatic IP switching. The VPN is blazingly fast, and it’ll automatically hook you up to the fastest server available, a nice touch on the convenience front. Not only are download speeds fast with this VPN, it allows P2P. OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP protocols are supported, and there’s also decent iOS support and a wide coverage of servers, with no logging of the user’s activities. However, it’s worth noting that when we contacted tech support, we experienced a sluggish response, and if you have a problem, this may prove a slight source of irritation.
IPVanish doesn’t have a free trial, sadly, although there is a 7-day money-back guarantee with all three available plans. The 1-year subscription is clearly the best choice.
The packages available are:. 5.
Some refund restrictions Ivacy gets off to a great start in terms of raw performance, as in our testing, it offered download speeds which almost matched our normal non-VPN rates. And when you consider the plentiful server locations spread across the globe, things are definitely looking good for this Singapore-based provider. The Mac app is pretty intuitive, presenting you with a list of purpose-themed options – such as unblocking websites, or torrenting. Simply choose what you wish to do and the client sorts out the actual nitty-gritty of the settings itself, which makes everything very user-friendly. Multiple security protocols (PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, OpenVPN and IKEv2) and 256-bit encryption are in place here, and you also get some advanced features like split tunnelling, IPv6 leak protection and a kill switch. As for your privacy, Ivacy enthusiastically states that it keeps ‘no logs whatsoever’! Ivacy doesn’t offers a free trial and there are some restrictions with the refund policy.
It’s only valid if you didn't use cryptocurrencies as your payment method. The two-year plan is extremely affordable, and the packages available are:. How to choose the best Mac VPN It’s not always easy to find a Mac-friendly. Obviously enough, it’s important to choose a provider that offers a pre-configured client for its service. Having a good Mac client is a huge boon in terms of simply making things as easy as possible.
Solid iOS support is also a welcome feature if you’re heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and have an iPhone as well as a Mac. Next, you need powerful security with strong encryption, which goes without saying, and an easily understandable privacy policy that makes it perfectly clear what data is kept by the provider.
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Good performance levels obviously don’t hurt, either. Ready to make the switch from Mac? Check out the.
In this day and age, Internet security is more important than ever. Additionally, many people that travel abroad are frustrated to find that they can’t access their favourite websites and video services (such as the BBC iPlayer or 4oD), due to restrictions based on the user’s location imposed by the content owners or government regulations. In these situations, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) may be the most convenient and simple solution to provide enhanced security and allow access to the web as if they were at home. What is a VPN? Just what is a VPN and what does it do? Put simply, a VPN allows all your Internet traffic to be encrypted and sent directly to the VPN servers (usually in the country that you choose) and then forwarded to the websites and video services that you want to use – thus making it appear as if your computer is actually in another country.
For example, suppose you’re on holiday in Spain and want to watch BBC iPlayer but it’s blocked when you try and watch – with a VPN you can appear as if you’re in the UK and therefore watch as normal. A VPN is also very secure, as it encrypts your web traffic (such as email, web browsing and banking transactions) so that not even your Internet Service Provider can easily intercept and decipher it. This provides an additional layer of security and can help to protect your identity, location and browsing habits from prying eyes, and even hackers.
Using a VPN is usually very straightforward – most of them involve a very simple setup procedure on your Mac (which has VPN options built right in) or via an app that takes the hassle out of configuring it manually. Note however, that most VPNs are not free; they typically cost a small amount each month.
It’s advisable to shop around to find the best deal before you sign up. Manually Setup a VPN In this example, we used Express VPN (see ) to access UK-only content from Asia. Before you begin, make sure you get all the account details the VPN company provides you with – information such as a username, password, protocol settings, and the server address to connect to. Step 1 – Open System Preferences Click on the System Preferences icon in your Dock or just use Spotlight to find it. Then select the Network icon as shown below.
Select the network icon from System Preferences Step 2 – Add a New VPN Connection In the network window that should be currently open, click on the little ‘ +‘ icon to add a new VPN connection. A popup window then appears (shown in the image below) which prompts you to enter more details – such as the Interface, VPN Type, and Service Name. For Interface, choose VPN from the drop down list.
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For VPN Type, use the appropriate one specified by your VPN provider (there’s a choice of L2TP over IPSec, PPTP, and Cisco IPSec). Note that some of these protocols might be blocked by your ISP; in that case, you’ll need to check whether your VPN supports any of the other options – of course it’s a good idea to do a little research first to check if your ISP imposes any restrictions. The Service Name field can be anything you like – this is just the local name that you’ll see on your Mac and has nothing to do with any VPN connection settings as such. Create a new VPN connection and set the interface, type and name When you’ve entered the relevant details as above, select the Create button to actually create the connection. The VPN now appears in the list shown on the left with a red status icon (to indicate it’s not yet been configured) as shown below. The new VPN should be visible in the left-hand pane (but not yet configured) Step 3 – Configuration You’ll notice the VPN in the list of interfaces – it should appear at the bottom of the list, though it’s possible to drag it up/down to change the order.
In this case however, just leave it where it is. If it’s not already selected, click the VPN connection in the list to enter the configuration details: The Configuration drop down can be left with the default settings. In the Server Address field, enter the server address provided by the VPN company.
For example, suppose you asked for a UK server address, you should enter that one. If you’re trying to access content that is only available in the USA for example, you should choose a suitable US-based server. Your VPN provider should provide guidance on which servers to use, and normally has a huge selection for you to choose from. In the Account Name field, enter the user name provided. Also check the Show VPN status in menu bar option so you can easily access the VPN and check it’s status from the menu bar. Add your VPN account details (such as server name and account) Step 4 – Authentication Next, click on Authentication Settings and enter the password you were provided with. This is the most common method, however there are other options (such as RSA SecurID) – just make sure that you check the option according to your particular VPN.
Checkpoint Remote Access Vpn Client For Mac
Once the information has been entered correctly, click OK to dismiss the popup and return to the previous screen. Choose the relevant authentication options Step 5 – Advanced Settings In most cases, you won’t need to alter many other settings unless explicitly told to do so by your VPN provider. However, it’s usually the case that you should send all your Internet traffic over the VPN. To do this, click on the Advanced button, and then make sure Send all traffic over VPN connection is checked, then click OK to save the changes.
Tick the checkbox to ensure all your web traffic is sent over the VPN Once you’ve returned to the main setup screen, click the Apply button to apply the changes – the VPN is now ready to use. Step 6 – Activate the VPN To start using the VPN, click on the VPN icon in your menu bar and select Connect (for example Connect ExpressVPN). It usually takes a few seconds, but once the connection has established successfully, all your Internet traffic will now be sent over the VPN and you should be able to access whatever content you like that is normally accessible in the chosen server location.
Connect to the VPN from your Mac’s menu bar Once it’s connected, the VPN icon in the menu bar indicates success and also displays the time you’ve been connected in the drop down. The VPN menu shows connection status and the time you’ve been connected Step 7 – Access the Internet! You should now be able to browse the Internet as normal. In our case, we successfully managed to access videos and websites normally restricted to the UK, while we were visiting Asia. As you can see below, the BBC iPlayer works as expected even though it would normally be blocked if we weren’t using the VPN. If any of the previous steps failed, you can normally refer to the Support section of the VPN company’s website – most of which contain guidance on the recommended settings and also how to troubleshoot if you can’t connect properly.
Access any content you want even from abroad! You might find that videos don’t play smoothly – this is mainly affected by the bandwidth your VPN company offers (and of course your local ISP), so it’s important to choose a VPN that has a decent network infrastructure and good user ratings.
In our case, we also discovered that once a video was playing in the BBC iPlayer, we could then disconnect the VPN and the video still played – probably because the iPlayer only checks the user’s location before you click on playing the video, and not during playback.