Most VPN software (such as OS X) includes an option to have all your Internet traffic - not just when you’re accessing the VPN destination - to pass over a VPN connection, thus encrypting all your web browsing and increasing the security of anything you do online. When you’re at a coffee shop and you’re browsing the web, your traffic could potentially be monitored. With a VPN connection, you can establish a secure connection to an otherwise private (and inaccessible) network Encrypting Your Web BrowsingĪs a VPN connection is secure, any data going across it is encrypted. When it’s connected, you’ll be able to access any of the file servers using their normal IP address. With a VPN connection, it’s as though you’re on the same network. When you’re on the road or at home, you won’t be able to. Uses for a VPN Remotely Connecting to a Network at WorkĪs we briefly touched upon, when you’re at work you’ll be able to access any file servers that are there. A VPN connection is just like having a really long ethernet cable that you plug into your Mac that’s connected to your work’s network.

Imagine being at home and you realize there’s something you need from a server or internal website at the office. Using a VPN connection, it is just like you’re at the office. Since more and more workers are traveling and/or working from home, companies require a way of allowing employees access to resources they need while still maintaining a high level of security.Įnter VPN, a way of securely connecting to a private network over the Internet. Operating a VPN is far more secure than just opening ports on a firewall, which can be a security risk. If you have files on a server at work, that server is unlikely to be public facing (accessible over the Internet) and will no doubt be behind a firewall. To wrap up, we'll walk through how to set up your own VPN server.

Your Mac has built-in support for managing VPN connections and in this guide we’ll go through how to setup, manage and connect using a VPN. A VPN connection allows you to securely connect to an otherwise private network over the Internet.

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