equinux VPN Tracker 8.1.1 - Manual (Page 12)

Getting Connected
VPN Crash Course
Is this your first time working with a VPN? Read this chapter
to get you up to speed.
VP...What?
VPN Tracker allows your Mac to securely connect to another network over the
Internet. Even if your office is located in San Francisco and you're on a busi-
ness trip in New York, you can work with your applications and files, as if you
were in your office.
How does it work?
As the name implies, VPN Tracker uses VPN (Virtual Private Network) technol-
ogy to create a connection between your Mac and your remote network. And
unlike normal Internet connections, a VPN Tracker connection is encrypted.
Think of a VPN as a highly-secure tunnel through the Internet, your very own
"secure line" to your office.
In order to use a VPN, you'll need your Mac running VPN Tracker on your end
of the connection. On the other end of the connection (the remote side), you
need a VPN gateway that accepts your incoming VPN connection.
Once you have set up your connection in VPN Tracker and on the device at
your remote location, you are ready to connect and start working remotely
using your normal tools and applications.
What do I need?
To create a VPN connection from your Mac, you need three things:
‣ VPN Tracker
‣ An Internet connection
‣ A VPN gateway
If you’re reading this, you probably already have VPN Tracker and an Internet
connection for your Mac. So what about a VPN gateway?
VPN Gateway
A VPN gateway is a hardware device (or in some cases
specialized software running on a regular computer)
that accepts incoming VPN connections, creating a
secure tunnel between its local network and your
Mac. In most cases, a VPN firewall or a router with
built-in VPN capabilities will act as the VPN gateway.
If there are existing VPN users in your organization you probably already have
a properly configured VPN gateway. If not, don’t worry – check out the chap-
ter on
→ Choosing the Right VPN Device for some tips on what to look for
when buying a VPN gateway.
What kind of VPN connections does VPN Tracker support?
VPN Tracker supports industry standard IPsec VPN connections. IPsec VPN is
fast, secure, and supported by a great variety of devices.
In addition, VPN Tracker Pro also integrates OS X L2TP VPN connections, as
well as legacy PPTP connections. For more information, please refer to chapter
→ L2TP / PPTP Connections.
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