MACs are one of the most used devices in the world. Their powerful performance and beautiful design have made it a preferred choice for many, mostly amongst the younger demography.

So, in this article, we shall give you a step-by-step guide to set up a VPN on MAC. Read on.

VPN Setup for MAC OS X: L2TP Protocol. This article explains how to setup L2TP VPN protocol connection on a MAC OSX. Before we begin, you need to Activate your VPN account from your Smart DNS Proxy MyAccount panel. This connection provides an SSL VPN, that utilies TLS and DTLS for secure session establishment, and is compatible with the CISCO AnyConnect SSL VPN protocol. These tutorials are based on the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, a graphical client of AnyConnect for the Mac OS X system. Setup is very straight forward and always secure. The VPN service included in OS X Server is a lightweight, easy-to-setup server component that allows end-users remote access to corporate data.

Get a VPN subscription

The first prerequisite for setting up a VPN is getting a VPN subscription. There are several VPN service providers present on the internet to provide you with VPN service. You can choose a fast and reliable VPN service provider like Hide My Ass Pro. Alternatively, you can also choose various free alternatives to establish a VPN connection. However, free service providers may not be as reliable and efficient as the paid ones. Further, there are speed limits, data caps, and time-per-day limits which may ruin your internet experience.

Once you choose a VPN service, get the following credentials from them:

• Server IP address
• Username and password
• Type of protocol (i.e. PPTP, P2TP, or OpenVPN)

After obtaining the above info, move onto the next step.

Set up a VPN on MAC

Follow the procedures given below to set up a VPN on your MAC OS X.

• Go to “System Preference”
• Select “Network”
• Then, click on the “+” symbol present at the bottom left of the screen.
• Choose “VPN” and specify the VPN protocol that you’ll be using.
• Select “Configuration”
• Choose “Add Configuration” put the name as per your wishes.

• Now, in the given column, enter the IP address and the username that you obtained from your VPN Service provider.
• Now, select “Authentication Settings”and enter the password (as obtained from your Service provider)

• Select “Show VPN status in the menu bar”
• Click on “Apply”.
• Now, notice that you have a new icon (a luggage tag) on your menu bar.
• Click the icon and select “Connect VPN”.

A timer starts running as soon as you are connected to the VPN. This means that you’ve successfully connected your MAC to a VPN!

Additional Settings

The default settings on macs allow only necessary traffic through the VPN connection. This allows the system to maintain the speed of the internet for other operations. This is done so as that the entire experience of your internet is not spoilt because of the slow VPN speed and only a few services use VPN to connect to the internet.

However, if you wish to tunnel all your traffic through the VPN connection then follow the following steps:

• Go to “System Preferences”
• Choose “Advanced”
• You will notice an option to “Send all traffic over VPN connection”.
• Now, choose “set service order” from the drop-down options.
• Now, drag “VPN” to the top of the list.

By dragging VPN to the top, you have allowed all your traffic to be routed through VPN. Now, every request you make will be tunneled through the VPN server itself. Now, sit back and enjoy unrestricted internet on your Mac!

Conclusion

Macs occupy a significant portion of the computers’ market. Hackers target such popular device to gain access to your private information. Hence, it becomes essential that the users take care of their anonymity and privacy while surfing the internet.

This is where the role of VPNs comes into the picture. Setting up a VPN on an MAC is quite simple. Simply follow the instructions given above to successfully set up a VPN on Mac OS X and enjoy the internet, the way it should be enjoyed.

This article explains how to setup PPTP VPN protocol connection on a MAC OSX.

Before we begin, you need to Activate your VPN account from your Smart DNS Proxy MyAccount panel. In order to do this login to your https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/MyAccount.
Under Home section you will find VPN Configuration Status. There simply enter the VPN username you would like to use and then click Activate. Your VPN account password will be the same as your Smart DNS Proxy account.

Setting up your MAC OSX for VPN:

STEP #1
Open ' System Preferences' and click on the 'Network' icon.

STEP #2
Click on the ' +' button to add a new network.

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STEP #3

Fill out the form as follows:

• For the Interface option, select 'VPN'.
• For the VPN Type option, select 'PPTP'.
• In the Service Name box, enter 'Smart DNS Proxy'.

Click the ' Create' button

* For above Service Name, you can enter any friendly name as you like. For example if you are setting up connection for UK server, you can enter 'Smart DNS Proxy UK' so you will remember you are connecting to UK.

STEP #4

Using a web browser, navigate to the ' ' on our support website. Locate your 'VPN' server.

• In the Internet address box, enter the address of your choice 'VPN' server.

Using a web browser, navigate to the ' MyAccount > HOME' section in your Smart DNS Proxy MyAccount. Then using the details on that page, fill out the form as follows:

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• In the Account Name box, enter the value displayed next to 'VPN Username'.
• Make sure Encryption is set to 'Automatic (128 or 40 bit)'.

Click on the ' Authentication Settings' button.

Make sure ' Password' is selected and enter your Smart DNS Proxy account password, then click 'OK'.

STEP #5
Click on the ' Advanced' button. On the screen that appears, ensure the 'Send all traffic over VPN connection' option is ENABLED.

STEP #6
Check the 'Show VPN status in menu bar' option, then click the 'Apply' button.

You can now click the 'Connect' button and the VPN connection should be established.
You can connect and disconnect at anytime using the options in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If the VPN connection fails, see the troubleshooting tips below.

Troubleshooting

There are several reasons that the VPN connection will fail. Here are some things to check.

• PPTP protocol might be blocked in your Internet Service Provider connection. Setup L2TP VPN connection. L2TP uses different protocol and encryption layer.

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If the VPN connection still fails, please log a ticket with our support team for assistance.