How to Setup a VPN on Mac

Are you looking to hide your IP address by setting up a VPN connection on your Mac computer? Good on you! Staying hidden, both from the websites you visit and your Internet Service Provider is definitely a good thing. The added benefits of a VPN, in some cases, include encryption, thousands of servers across the globe, and the ability to bypass VPN blocks imposed by various websites and streaming services. Yes, you’ll lose a little bit of speed with a VPN, but this is a small price to pay, trust us. With that in mind, this is how to setup a VPN on Mac.

To setup a VPN on Mac

All you require are VPN settings/configurations provided by your network administrator, the provider you bought a VPN from, a free VPN service, or even a good Samaritan who is willing to share his IP address with you.

Import a settings file for VPN

If you have configuration settings as a file, this makes the process incredibly easy. Here are two ways:

Option 1.

1. Double-click the file.
2. A network preferences window will open up.
3. The settings will auto-fill.
4. Click on Import.

Options 2.

1. Click on the Apple menu (icon of an apple) in the top left corner of your screen.
2. Click on System Preferences from the drop-down list.
3. In that window, click on the Network option.
4. You will see a list of existing connections in the menu on the left.
5. Click on the Action pop-up menu (cogwheel/gear icon).
6. Click on Import Configurations.
7. Locate the file in your storage.
8. Click Import.
9. You can edit the name of the VPN connection under Service Name.

Steps to setup VPN on Mac manually

1. Click on the Apple menu (icon of an apple) in the top left corner of your desktop.
2. From the drop-down list, choose System Preferences.
3. Click on Network in the list of utilities.
4. Click on the plus (+) button underneath existing network connections.
5. From the Interface drop-down list, choose VPN.
6. As VPN Type, choose a VPN protocol.
   
   We recommend L2TP over IPSec. You can also choose IKEv2 if the network administrator approved of it.
7. As Service Name, enter the name of the VPN connection.
8. Click on Create.
9. Enter the information given by the VPN provider.
   • Server Address.
   • Account Name.
   • Authentication Settings.
   • User Authentication.
   • Machine Authentication.
10. Click on OK.
11. Optional. Put a checkmark in front of Show VPN status in the menu bar.
    
    This will make it easy to turn it on and off and check a VPN connection from the desktop.
12. Click on the Advanced button to the right.
13. Check the box in front of Send all traffic over VPN.
    
    This will encrypt your Internet traffic while connected to the VPN.
14. Click on OK.
15. Click on Apply if prompted.
16. You can test the connection by clicking on the Connect button.

Using a dedicated application

The majority of VPN providers offer dedicated programs for Mac. During the installation, the VPN setup will automatically be added, giving you a choice on how you want to use a VPN. We demonstrated how to setup and connect to a VPN server using ExpressVPN and NordVPN in our how to make a VPN always ON article. You can use any VPN provider’s app following these steps, as the process is very similar.