There are a number of possible causes for such a behavior. This FAQ will help you to find out what is causing the problem in your specific situation. In this FAQ we will be using destination device as a generic term for the device you are trying to connect to. The destination device can be anything from a normal computer, to a server, to a network printer.

1. Are you trying to connect to the destination device using a host name?

If you are using a host name, please try once using its IP address instead. If that works, the problem has to do with DNS resolution. Please make sure DNS is enabled for the VPN connection and correctly configured. Note that using Bonjour or NETBIOS hostnames is generally not possible over VPN.

2. Is the IP address you are connecting to really part of the remote network?

For example, if your remote network is 192.168.13.0/24, you should be able to connect to IPs starting with 192.168.13.x, but connections to IPs starting with 192.168.14.x will not work as they are outside the address range of traffic tunneled through the VPN.

3. Is the local address in VPN Tracker part of the remote network?

Using a local address in VPN Tracker (Basic > Local Address) that is part of the remote network is not possible with most VPN gateways. Please use a local address that is outside all remote networks. For example, if your remote network is 192.168.13.0/24, do not use an address starting with 192.168.13. If you are using an automatic configuration method (e.g. Mode Config, EasyVPN, DHCP over VPN) you may be able to assign a local address to VPN Tracker that is part of the remote network. Refer to the configuration guide for your VPN gateway for more information.

4. Could multiple VPN users use the same local address?

If multiple VPN users exist, pleas make sure no two users are using the same local address (Basic > Local Address), otherwise one of them will not be able to use the tunnel anymore whenever both of them are connected. If that field is empty in your configuration, VPN Tracker will just use the IP address of your primary network interface as local address, and of course, this can also cause an address conflict with another user, that’s why we do not recommend to leave that field empty if there are multiple VPN users.

5. Can you ping the LAN address of the VPN gateway?

You can find a ping tool directly in VPN Tracker under Tools > Ping Host. The LAN address of the VPN gateway is special in the regard that this address doesn’t need to be routed at all. So if you can ping that address but no other remote address, it is most likely a routing issue at the remote end.

6. If you can't ping anything, try re-running the VPN Availability Test

The VPN Availability Test can be found in the menu: Tools > VPN Availability Test. Then try connecting the VPN again. The results of this test depend on the capabilities of your local Internet router/modem or the Internet connection itself and they influence how the VPN tunnel is established. VPN Tracker automatically runs the test for every new Internet connection it is able to detect but even if a connection has been tested before, there are various reasons why the behavior of that connection may have changed in the meantime.

7. Is your VPN gateway the default gateway (router) of its network?

If the VPN gateway is not the default gateway, you will in many cases need a suitable routing setup in order for responses to reach you. Whenever a device doesn’t know how to reach an IP address directly, it forwards its reply to its default gateway and if that isn’t the VPN gateway, it won’t know what to do with that reply data. In that case its important to configure the default gateway to forward replies to VPN users to the VPN gateway.

8. Is your VPN gateway the default gateway (router) of its network?

For more details, we would like to direct you to the following FAQ entry.

Due to a bug in macOS 13.4 you may encounter a System Extension issue when starting a VPN connection. Please update to VPN Tracker 23.1.4 which mitigates this issue.

Download latest VPN Tracker version

Note that in certain cases, you may still experience a System Extension issue when connecting to multiple VPNs. Restarting VPN Tracker will temporarily resolve the issue.

We are working on an additional update to work around this bug in macOS 13.4.

Configuring the Pre-Shared Key for a new VPN connection

I have lost my Pre-Shared Key - how can I get it back?

1. Check if you have stored the affected connection in your Personal Safe. If so, you may be able to download the connection again.
2. Check the Keychain (Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access). The Pre-Shared Key is usually saved here. Enter "Shared Secret" into the search bar to view a list of all your saved PSKs.
3. Are you using Time Machine Backup? You could try restoring an older connection with the Pre-Shared-Key.
4. Check your firewall or ask the relevant VPN Administrator. Refer to your device handbook to find out where to obtain this information on your specific firewall.

You are already using one or more Stationery Packs on your Mac and want to install an additional Stationery Pack?

If you've already purchased a copy of Stationery Pack, simply choose "Stationery Greeting Cards" > "Restore Purchases" from the top menu bar and enter your equinux ID and password.
Available template packs will now have a green tick.

If you haven't purchased Stationery Pack, but have already downloaded the software, simply select "Buy Stationery Pack" from the application menu.

• Private IP Addresses, and
• Public IP Addresses

• 192.168.0.x, and
• 192.168.1.x

1. Change your local network to a different range (Preferred)

   
   Possible Ranges are:
   
   • 10.250.250.x
   • 172.30.30.x
   • 192.168.250.x
   
   Advantage: Once you have made this change on your home network, you will never have conflicts in this network.
   Disadvantage: You will need to change the settings on your private network router once, this requires access and can take some time.
   What to do:
   
   • Login to your home router
   • Find the setup section with “DHCP” settings.
   • Change your router to a different IP adress (for example an address from one of the ranges listed above, for example 172.30.30.1)
   • Change the DHCP Server Settings to the same range of your router (If your router IP is 172.30.30.1, your range could be 172.30.30.10 to 172.30.30.253){S_1183}
   
   After you have made these changes, there will be no more conflicts between your home and company network.{S_1184}

2. Force Traffic over VPN

   
   There may be situations where it's not possible to use the first option (for example if you're in a coffee shop or hotel) In this case you have the option to force the traffic over your VPN Network, this means your VPN Network (company network) will always win.
   Advantage: This setting is global, meaning no matter what network you are in you will always be able to connect.
   Disadvantage: Once you are connected to your company’s VPN, you can not access local service, like home router, local storages or printers.
   What to do:
   
   • Configure your VPN Tracker connection
   • Select the "Advanced" Tab at the top
   • In the "Traffic control" section, activate the Checkbox "Force traffic over the VPN if remote networks conflict with local networks"{S_1189}
   
   

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‣ Please choose the Stationery Pack you want to remove from the list (e.g. "Free Trial Templates") 
‣ Select "Uninstall ..." from the File menu ("Stationery Pack" > "Uninstall Free Trial Templates").
{S_47}

If you have already purchased one or more Stationery Packs via the equinux Store, please follow these steps to install your templates on your Mac:

‣ Download the Stationery Pack Application here.
‣ Please double click the .dmg file.
‣ Double-click the Stationery Pack you have purchased. If you bought more than one Stationery Pack, please double click one of your Stationery Packs.
‣ Follow the on screen steps to finish the installation.
‣ Afterwards choose in the app "Stationery Greeting Cards" > "Preferences" from the top menu bar and log in using your equinux ID and password.
‣ All of your licenses are now activated and you can use your templates.

Selecting a Birthday Card in Mac OS X Mail:

‣ Open Mail and compose a New Message
‣ Click Show Stationery
‣ Scroll down the stationery category list and choose "Congratulations"
‣ Select a template and write your email

Stationery Pack was previously activated using the equinux ID shown in the activation dialogue. Additional Stationery Packs need to be activated using the same equinux ID.

To activate an additional Stationery Pack, please log in to the equinux ID shown using your password. If you forgot your password, please try click here

When prompted, enter the activation code you received in your order confirmation email.

Stationery Pack works with the stationery feature built-in to Apple Mail. Other email programs don't have this feature, so you use other programs to send stationery messages.

However, most other email applications will of course be able to open and view your stationery messages sent with Apple Mail.

You can take a look at all the different templates we offer in each Stationery Pack before buying.
To do so, please download and install the Stationery Pack Application via this link.
After the installation has finished, select a Stationery Pack and double click a template to see a preview.

We also have step by step instructions for installing and downloading the templates you have purchased.

In Business Edition, the image dropzones are intentionally left blank.

This prevents cluttering your messages with undesired placeholders. Instead, we've included "blank" placeholders, which can be either be replaced by your images, or left "as is".

If you move your mouse cursor around the template, you'll soon find all the various dropzones your template offers.

If your software has already been activated using a different equinux ID, you must use this same ID to activate further stationery packs.

E.g. If you already own Stationery Pack and have recently bought Summer Spirit Cards using a different equinux ID, you won't be able to use both stationery packs at once.

If you want to use both at once, simply transfer your new stationery pack license from your new equinux ID to your old equinux ID (or vise-versa) using your equinux License Manager.

If you've forgotten your password, you can retrieve your login details here.

Alternatively, if you no longer own the previous stationery pack installed, please uninstall it. You can then install your new stationery pack with your new equinux ID.

In the Stationery Pack Application you will see the animation for a template of Holiday Motion Cards by selecting an animated template.

To see the animation in Apple Mail, you can send yourself an email with an animated template.

Your recipients will see the animation directly after opening your message.

Stationery Pack includes a tool which allows you to resize your pictures so they fit perfectly into a email template drop zone.

To use Stationery Pack Resizer:

‣ Open Stationery Pack Browser
‣ Choose "File" > "Image"
‣ Drag the image you want to convert and resize
‣ Then select the perfect size for your placeholder in the Stationery Pack template. Drag your chosen image size to an email drop zone

The built-in Resizer makes it easier to fit your images for the drop zones. Drag an image into the tool and you'll immediately have a picture that you can use in any Stationery Pack drop zone. Perfect for anything from holiday snaps to professional company logos.

1. If you have connections or Shortcuts on your Mac that are stored in your Personal Safe, deactivate Personal Safe in preferences and create a local copy of your connections
2. Go to your Personal Safe webpage and delete your user keys: https://my.vpntracker.com/user/sync/keys
3. Sign out from your VPN Tracker account on your Mac, open Keychain Access, and delete the entry "Connection Safe Master Key."
4. Then sign back in and add a connection to your safe.
5. Don't forget to write down the new recovery key and keep it in a safe place. This will enable you to log in if you ever lose your login details.

VPN Tracker automatically stores a backup of all your VPN connections on your Mac. If you have inadvertently deleted a connection, or wish to revert to an earlier copy of a connection, you can manually restore the backup copy.

1. Turn off Personal Safe syncing

You need to deactivate Personal Safe for the connections you're trying to restore from your backup, to prevent unwanted changes being synced:

• Open VPN Tracker 365
• From the menu bar, choose: VPN Tracker 365 > Preferences > Personal Safe
• Uncheck the connections you want to restore from your backup
• Quit VPN Tracker 365

2. Restore from your Backup

• Open Finder and choose "Go" > "Go to Folder…" from the menu bar
• Enter this path and press Return:
  /Library/Application Support/VPN Tracker 365
• Rename your "etc" folder to "etc-backup" – for safekeeping
• Go into the "backup" folder

Here you'll see a number of backup folders, all organized and named by date.

• Move the "etc-date" folder you want to restore up one level into the main "VPN Tracker 365" folder
• Rename the folder your just moved to just "etc" (deleting the date)
• Open VPN Tracker 365

All of your connections will now be restored to their backed-up state.

3. Re-activate Personal Safe

• Choose: VPN Tracker 365 > Preferences > Personal Safe from the menu bar
• Check your connections, to add them to Personal Safe

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