• Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Synology

    Migrate From macOS To A Synology Based VPN

    Synology is able to do everything a macOS Server could do, and more. So if you need to move your VPN service, it’s worth looking at a number of different solutions. The most important question to ask is whether you actually need a VPN any more. If you have git, mail/groupware, or file services that require remote access then you might want to consider moving these into a hosted environment somewhere. But if you need access to the LAN and you’re a small business without other servers, a Synology can be a great place to host your VPN services.  Before you setup anything new, first snapshot your old settings. Let’s…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Replace the VPN Server from macOS Server

    Export macOS Server DataWe’re not going to import this, as it only takes a few seconds to configure new settings. Additionally, if you have outstanding services built on macOS Server, you might be able to pull this off without touching client systems. First, let’s grab  which protocols are enabled, running the following from Terminal: sudo serveradmin settings vpn:Servers:com.apple.ppp.pptp:enabled sudo serveradmin settings vpn:Servers:com.apple.ppp.l2tp:enabled Next, we’ll get the the IP ranges used so we can mimic those (or change them) in the new service: sudo serveradmin settings vpn:Servers:com.apple.ppp.pptp:IPv4:DestAddressRanges Now let’s grab the DNS servers handed out so those can be recreated: sudo serveradmin settings vpn:Servers:com.apple.ppp.pptp:DNS:OfferedServerAddresses:_array_indexsudo serveradmin settings vpn:Servers:com.apple.ppp.l2tp:DNS:OfferedServerAddresses:_array_index Finally, if you’re using…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Configure The VPN Service In macOS Server 5.4 on High Sierra

    macOS Server has long had a VPN service to allow client computers to connect to a network even when they’re out of the home or office. And as with many a service on macOS Server, this is one of the easiest VPN servers you’ll ever setup. The server was once capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. And while PPTP is still accessible via the command line, L2TP is now configured by default when you setup the server using the Server app. Setting Up The VPN Service In macOS Server To setup the VPN service, open the Server app and click on VPN in…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Configure The VPN Service In macOS Server 5.2

    macOS Server has long had a VPN service to allow client computers to connect to a network even when they’re out of the office. The server was once capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. And while PPTP is still accessible via the command line, L2TP is now configured by default when you setup the server using the Server app. Setting Up The VPN Service In OS X Server To setup the VPN service, open the Server app and click on VPN in the Server app sidebar. The VPN Settings  screen has a number of options available, as seen here. The VPN Host Name field is used…

  • Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Manage the VPN Service in Mac OS X Server 5

    OS X Server has long had a VPN service that can be run. The server is capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. The L2TP protocol is always in use, but the server can run both concurrently. You should use L2TP when at all possible. Sure, “All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.” But security is a theme that it never hurts to keep in the forefront of your mind. If you were thinking of exposing the other services in OS X Server to the Internet without having users connect to a VPN service then you should think again,…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment,  Network Infrastructure

    Set Up The VPN Server and Client on Yosemite Server

    OS X Server has long had a VPN service that can be run. The server is capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. The L2TP protocol is always in use, but the server can run both concurrently. You should use L2TP when at all possible. Sure, “All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.” But security is a theme that it never hurts to keep in the forefront of your mind. If you were thinking of exposing the other services in Yosemite Server to the Internet without having users connect to a VPN service then you should think again,…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security

    Provide VPN Services Using Mavericks Server

    OS X Server has long had a VPN service that can be run. The server is capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. The L2TP protocol is always in use, but the server can run both concurrently. You should use L2TP when at all possible. Sure, “All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.” But security is a theme that it never hurts to keep in the forefront of your mind. If you were thinking of exposing the other services in Mavericks Server to the Internet without having users connect to a VPN service then you should think again,…

  • Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Mac Security,  Mass Deployment,  Network Infrastructure

    Installing the Mountain Lion Server VPN Server

    OS X Server has long had a VPN service that can be run. The server is capable of running the two most commonly used VPN protocols: PPTP and L2TP. The L2TP protocol is always in use, but the server can run both concurrently. You should use L2TP when at all possible. Sure, “All the great themes have been used up and turned into theme parks.” But security is a theme that it never hurts to keep in the forefront of your mind. If you were thinking of exposing the other services in Mountain Lion Server to the Internet without having users connect to a VPN service then you should think…

  • Ubuntu,  Unix

    Linux: Poptop

    Poptop is an open source PPTP VPN server.  It’s a bit easier to use than openVPN but doesn’t have a lot of the features available there.  There is no L2TP but you can run PPTP.