VPN Tracker 365 supports multiple VPN-Protocols on the Mac. The different protocols vary in complexity, encryption grade, speed and the safeguarding from manipulation.
- OpenVPN
- IPSec (IKEv1)
- L2TP VPN
- PPTP VPN*
- SonicWALL SSL VPN
- Cisco EasyVPN
- Windows SSTP VPN**
- Fortinet SSL VPN**
*PPTP support on macOS Big Sur and onwards is exclusively available in Pro and VIP plans.
**Exclusively available in Pro and VIP plans.
VPN Protocols
OpenVPN
OpenVPN is an open source VPN standard which uses the OpenSSL library to encrypt data, meaning that it is kept extremely secure and safe from manipulation. Open VPN allows peers to authenticate each other with a pre-shared secret key, certificates or username/password. In addition, it is also very easy to set up. Configuration settings can be easily downloaded and then imported by VPN Tracker 365. We highly recommend OpenVPN over standards such as PPTP, as it is extremely secure and great for business users.
IPSec VPN
IPSec VPN (IKEv1) is assumed to be the most secure VPN protocol and in our opinion also the best. The establishment of the VPN connection takes place in two separated phases. In both phases the data is strongly encrypted and secured against manipulation. Both sides of the connection (user and VPN router) are required to authenticate each other, safeguarding the connection from Man-in-the-Middle attacks. The connection speed of an IPSec connection is one of the highest of all available VPN protocols.
L2TP VPN
Layer 2 Tunnel Protocol, also called L2TP, does not offer any encryption mechanisms by itself. For this reason, L2TP is generally used in conjunction with IPSec. While used together with IPSec, the security aspects are comparable to a regular IPSec connections. The connection speed can be slower than a regular IPSec connection, due to the more complex protocol.
PPTP VPN
PPTP is a very simple VPN method with an easy setup process. Due to its simple encryption, it's possible to reach good speeds over VPN. However, because of the simple encryption and missing authentication it is very vulnerable to Hacking and Man-in-the-Middle attacks. If a different protocol is available, for example IPSec or OpenVPN, this should be preferred in all cases. PPTP can not be considered secure based on today's security standards.
