VPN Activator

VPN Activator is a super handy tool that’s totally free and really easy to use. With its simple interface, you can kickstart an L2TP VPN server right on your Mac. The best part? All the necessary files are already on your Mac, so there are no extra Apple files floating around with VPN Activator.

Connecting to Your Home Network

If you set up your internet router correctly to allow L2TP connections to your Mac, you’ll be able to connect to your home network easily using VPN Activator. Here’s how:

Steps to Use VPN Activator

How To Use:

• First, configure the IP address range for your VPN clients.


• Select the DNS servers you want.


• Create a User name and Password.


• Set up a tough-to-guess VPN Shared Secret.


• Hit the ON switch to save everything and start the server. Just keep in mind that my status check isn’t super smart yet, so don’t rely on it too much!


• Once the server is running, those config fields will be inactive until you stop the server again.

Port Forwarding Setup

You’ll also need to set up port forwarding on your Airport Extreme. Forward ports UDP500, 1701 & 4500 directly to your Mac. To do this:

• Open Airport Utility and go into Advanced settings.


• Select Port Mapping, click on the “+” sign, and fill in the details. Make sure you put in your Mac's IP address in the Private IP Address field.

Tying It All Together

You can now configure any device like an iPad or iPhone to use your Mac as a VPN. Once everything is set up and activated, congratulations! You should be connected securely back to your home network without any fuss!