AlmostVPN

Donationware

Current Version: 1.5.3 (October 1, 2007)

AlmostVPN is an SSH tunnel management application "with a twist," as the authors like to say. AlmostVPN provides simple to use alternative to "real" VPN. It allows you to gain access to computers and services on your private network via single, secure SSH connection. Differentiating features include:

• It is packaged as Preference Panel, so you do not have to a standalone application to configure SSH tunnels.
• It employs launchd to control tunnels, so you do not have to have yet another application running while tunneling.
• It uses creative network configuration techniques to provide almost VPN like access to remote services, so you can keep using real IP addresses and port numbers while accessing service on the other side of your tunnels.
• It provides simple way to mount remote volumes via SSH tunnel.
• It can import tunnel definitions from SSH Tunnel Manager and SSHKeychain applications.

Version 1.5.3 adds/changes the following from version 1.5.2:

1. AlmostVPN was ignoring "Ask for password" option if SSHD server was configured to do "password" based authentication (as opposite to "keyboard-interactive")
2. Under some conditions Quick Configuration used to "dump" some passwords into System log file

AlmostVPN requires Mac OS X 10.4.x or better.

DigiTunnel

Commercial; $58

Current Version: 1.0 / 1.4.4 (March 23, 2006)

Gracion Software (formerly One Click Systems) produces the DigiTunnel PPTP VPN (Virtual Private Network) client for Mac OS X, compatible with Windows 2000, WatchGuard, Nortel, OS X Server 1.2 and other VPN servers.

Upgrading to version 1.4.4 from 1.4.3 is not necessary. Version 1.4.4 merely fixes installer problems on Mac OS X 10.3, and there is also a cosmetic fix to the uninstaller, primarily for Intel Macs. Version 1.4.3 added/changed the following:

• Universal binary build - runs on PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs.
• Fixed case where DigiTunnel won't operate if Application Support/DigiTunnel folder was replaced by dragging or backup software.
• Special characters (&ccdeil;, §, etc.) in passwords could result in failed login.
• Localized in French

The current DigiTunnel version (1.4.4, released March 2006) is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, but some users have had temporary issues after upgrading Mac OS X.

DynDNS Updater

Freeware

Current Version: 2.3 (June 16, 2008)

Written specifically for Mac OS X, and working in conjunction with the Dynamic DNS system at www.dyndns.org, DNSUpdate allows your computer to have a consistent domain name every time you connect to your ISP.

Version 2.0 - which was the first new release in over two years - introduced the following major enhancements:

• Version 2.0 of the DynDNS Updater for Mac OS X is the result of months of development. It features a whole-new interface for a more fluid workflow, new notification options and a more flexible backend for the tightest possible integration with all DynDNS.com services.
• From the installation process to the daily monitoring of your accounts, this new version integrates better with Mac OS X, is faster and more reliable. Extensive backend changes also pave the way for exciting future developments that we cannot wait to share with you.
• Corporate administrators will love the new secure auto-updating feature. Home users will appreciate the redesigned Dashboard widget for quick checks. Finally, users in mixed environments will be happy to hear the application runs natively on both PowerPC and Intel machines.
• Developers working on the next insanely great Mac application can also install this release on the latest Leopard beta without fear.

Version 2.3 brings the following additional changes:

• Fixed bug where a host or account could be set inactive if an error occurred while updating hosts.
• Fixed a bug where a host could potentially not update if the IP changed while the daemon isn't running.
• Fixed the Check IP update URL.
• A few minor text changes to make error messages more descriptive.
• Made the interface IP checking code a bit more robust.

InterGate

Commercial; see text.

Current Version: 7.0.9 (October 15, 2002) / 9.0.2 (June 20, 2005)

Vicomsoft produces InterGate (formerly Internet Gateway, and superseding Vicomsoft's SurfDoubler product), which allows multiple computers connected via a simple network connection to share a single Internet connection.

Pricing starts at $99 for a 5-user license, and tops out at $2,599 for a 2,000 user license.

IPSecuritas

Freeware

Current Version: 2.2 (October 4, 2006) / 3.1 (October 16, 2007)

Mac OS X includes everything you need to secure your communications using IPSec. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to use as it should be. IPSecuritas is a handy piece of freeware that lets you easily setup IPSec VPN connections to another host or network over the Internet, securing your data with encryption and authentication. IPSecuritas adds a graphical front-end to the built-in IPSec core, allowing you to setup secure communications within minutes. IPSecuritas interoperates with a large and daily growing number of VPN devices, including devices from popular manufacturers such as Cisco, Zyxel, Netgear and more.

Version 3.1 - the latest version for Mac OS X 10.3 or later - contains the following new functions:

• Multilingual support (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian and Japanese)
• Smart Environment Detection to follow your network environments automatically
• Leopard compatibility
• Removed the VPN-1 compatibility option. VPN-1 firewalls are now autodetected
• XAUTH support for Juniper firewalls
• Various bugfixes

IPSecuritas 2.2 remains available for Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.

Mac DynDNS Client

Current Version: 2.0b1

Working in conjunction with the Dynamic DNS system at www.dyndns.org, the Mac DynDNS Client allows your computer to have a consistent domain name every time you connect to your ISP. From the Mac DynDNS Client home page: "Everytime your Mac reboots it may get another IP address from your ISP. Place this program in your startup folder and when your Mac reboots it will register the new IP with dyndns. It also remembers the last address it updated as so it won't make updates unless your IP actually changes. This is important as dyndns will cancel your account if you make spurious and unnecessary updates." Version 1.2 adds the ability to connect to the DynDNS service via a high port to bypass pesky proxy servers. You can also set the times between which you want it to check.

Version 2.0b1 adds support for dhs.org, dtdns.com, Hammernode, and No-IP in addition to the previously-supported dyndns.org support. The application is also now available for Mac OS X. On 2/13/2001, a plugin updater was introduced, adding support for Zone Edit and Easy DNS.

PiePants

See text.

Current Version: 1.0.0b3 (April 7, 2002)

PiePants is a PPTP client for Mac OS X. It supports encrypted communications for secure connections to your PPTP VPN. PiePants only supports a single PPTP connection at a time. Version 1.0.0b3 addresses the following:

• Fixed a problem with a case-sensitive comparison of authentication data.

The author notes: "I haven't yet decided exactly how I'm going to license PiePants, but most likely it will be as pay-if-you-like shareware for a small fee (say, $25). On the other hand, it appears from the Darwin CVS tree that there may be a PPTP client in the OS before too long, which would probably make PiePants obsolete. So who knows -- maybe I'll make it free, or open source it. I'd appreciate feedback from folks on whether or not they'd pay for it. For now, there are no limitations in the beta -- please use it and give me feedback, but please understand that this is sort of a side project for me and I may have some trouble providing quick support if you run into a problem."

PortReflector

Shareware; $10

Current Version: 1.2.1 (August 22, 2002)

PortReflector allows Mac OS X Classic applications to access the Internet using Mac OS X's native PPP connection. PortReflector is designed to accept TCP connections on a configured port and reflect them to another host or port number. This type of functionality allows Classic applications to communicate with the internet via Mac OS X's PPP connection. PortReflector is $10, shareware. Version 1.2.1 adds/changes the following:

• Fixed incompatibility with Mac OS X 10.2.

PPP Genie

Shareware; $12.95

Current Version: 1.1.1 (January 9, 2003)

PPP Genie is Mac OS X utility for controlling and monitoring your PPP connection. It allows you to easily open and close your connection, and keep track of the time and money you are spending online, either in a floating window or in your menu bar. It supports PPPoE and multiple configurations. Version 1.1.1 adds/changes the following:

• Fixes bug introduced in v1.1.0 which could cause PPP Genie to misread and corrupt the user's registration code, causing PPP Genie to behave as though the user had not registered (unfortunately, registered users must re-enter their registration code)

PPP Genie 1.1.1 has been tested and should be fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.3, "Panther."

Shimo

Shareware; €12.95

Current Version: 2.0.3 (June 17, 2008)

Shimo is an inexpensive VPN client for the Mac. Features include:

• Supports Multiple Services (Cisco, OpenVPN, IPSec, PPTP, L2TP, SSH...)
• Advanced Notification System (growl, AppleScript, Speech...)
• Secure Storage of Passwords in Apple's Keychain
• Automatic (Re-)Connection on Wakeup, Network-Changes, etc.
• Global Shortcuts for fast Connection/Disconnection

No information is available regarding what's new in version 2.0.3. Presumably, it's a bugfix release.

Tango Access

Commercial; see site.

Current Version: 1.3 (February 20, 2004)

Siemens Subscriber Networks, Inc. (formerly Network TeleSystems and Efficient Networks) produces the Tango Access (formerly TunnelBuilder) secure remote access client that creates encrypted tunnels over the Internet using the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).

Tango Access version 1.3 will now support the new Mac OS X release, version 10.1.4 and higher, through its Installer component. The Tango Access Installer will prompt for a username and password, which it will configure in the Mac OS Remote Access configuration. You can then use the Mac OS native PPPoE component to make your connection. The Tango Access application is not installed on OS X. Future releases of Tango Access will inclue the Tango Access application, communicating over the Mac OS native PPPoE component. Tango Access for Mac supports all current versions of Mac OS starting 8.5 to the current 9.2.x releases.

Tango Access for Mac OS is available for purchase only in quantities of 1000 copies or more.

See the Tango Access for Mac FAQ for more information.

TunnelMate

Commercial

Current Version: 1.2

Powerlan USA, Inc. produces the TunnelMate SSH tunnel and client software for Mac OS X (Carbon). TunnelMate seamlessly integrates Secure Shell communications with products such as Powerlan's X Server product, WebTerm X and Powerlan's Terminal Emulator, WebTerm. The primary design goal of TunnelMate is to provide "full-service" Secure Shell communications without requiring users to run a separate shell application, as is necessary in other security solutions. TunnelMate may also be run as a stand-alone product, providing a Secure Shell console.

Vapor

Current Version: 1.1 (July 15, 2002)

From the Vapor home page: "Vapor is an innovative new application from Joel Rennich, co-founder of AFP548.com. Vapor harnesses the power of SSH to provide secure, encrypted VPN connections for AppleShare, WWW, Server Admin and other Internet services." Version 1.1, released 15 July 2002, offers improved error checking, the ability to create reverse SSH tunnels, and an improved user interface.

On October 6, 2002, the author released the source code into the public domain.

VPN Tracker

Commercial; see site.

Current Version: Client: 5.2.2 (June 2, 2008) / Server: 1.0.4 (November 1, 2005)

Equinux USA Inc. produces VPN Tracker, a tool for IPsec networking that helps you connect to VPN hardware and software with Mac OS X. The software is available for purchase in both "Professional" and "Personal" editions.

Version 5.2.2 adds/changes the following:

• Fixed an issue where VPN connections were restarted because of events from network interfaces that were not directly related to the connection (e.g. AirPort when the connection was established over Ethernet)
• Improved handling of automated connection start/stop when changing AirPort networks
• Implemented a workaround for a kernel panic on Mac OS X 10.5 systems that occured under some circumstances when network interfaces were removed.
• The "Cisco Unity" vendor ID is no longer sent to devices that are not known to support this attribute
• Cisco device profiles are now preconfigured to automatically perform XAUTH when requested by the device. Existing connections will not be modified.
• Fixed a crash when using an empty user name during Extended Authentication (XAUTH)
• Fixed a display bug where connection progress was not accurately reflected in the progress bar
• Adjusted mode config timing when using automatic mode config
• Reduced the packet size of the first packet when performing SonicWALL Simple Client Provisioning (SCP). This will help connectivity in situations where routers do not deal well with fragmented packets

The demo mode is equivalent to the licensed Professional Edition, so some of the features (such as high-level encryption) will not be available in the Personal edition. A complete comparison of both editions is available. The demo is valid for 30 days, and connections will time out after 3 minutes.

VPN Tracker Server is also available, allowing remote access for external users; home or branch offices are able to connect securely to the office using VPN Tracker Client.