Installing personalVPN-SSL on Mac OS X
From Witopiawiki
The following are detailed (perhaps, overly so) instructions on how to activate your personalVPN™ service(s) with WiTopia.
We’ve automated a lot of the process versus the competition, but a VPN is still a complex network security service so we’d recommend skimming through them once before jumping in. Then, proceed carefully and you should join the ranks of the fashionably encrypted within a few minutes.
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ACTIVATION
To activate your personalVPN™ service from WiTopia, click the following link: https://register.witopia.net/personalVPN
After you activate the service, you will download your customized personalVPN™ Installer.
Uninstalling Previous VPN Installations (Very Important)
Please see the following FAQ to properly uninstall your previously installed version.
Installing personalVPN™ with Viscosity
1. Double-click the "personalVPN.dmg" file that should be on your computer in your desktop, or downloads folders.
2. A new personalVPN™ icon will appear on your Desktop and the below screen will pop up.
Drag Viscosity icon into your Applications Folder, or just drag and drop on Applications Folder icon in screen.
3. RESTART your Mac. (this is optional, but recommended)
4. Go into your Applications Folder and Double-click on Viscosity icon to Launch Viscosity.
IMPORTANT: If you previously had Tunnelblick installed, you may get asked to import configurations.
We recommend that you DO NOT DO THIS. Viscosity is pre-loaded with all WiTopia VPN configurations.
5. An icon should appear in your upper toolbar (a Globe). This is how you will control personalVPN™.
IMPORTANT: If you are in China, you will need to use our DNS servers after you complete the installation instructions below, or you will not be able to access certain sites. Please email support@witopia.net if you need assistance with this step after the installation is complete. The instructions for DNS setup and other ways to optimize the performance of your vpn can be found in this link: http://wiki.personalvpn.net/wiki/VPN_Service_Speed_Issues
CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING
WiTopia has multiple SSL (openVPN) gateways around the globe and will continually be adding more. Unlike others, we allow customers unlimited and instantaneous switching between these gateways as well as access to our special servers that allow for TCP 443 access and 256-bit (or what competitors mistakenly call 2048 bit) encryption.
Again, we pre-load this capability so there are no more files to install or complicated configuration changes.
All WiTopia VPN Gateways are instantaneously available by simply choosing them in Viscosity's pulldown menu and we'll do the heavy-lifting.
1. CLICK on the VPN icon in your upper toolbar and you will see something like below:
2. SELECT a gateway or server and the tunnel icon will change to show it is CONNECTED. For speediest connection it is usually, but not always, best to choose a gateway closest to your location. Feel free to try a variety of gateways and switch as often as you like.
Again, unlike competitors, we do NOT charge extra for use of all our gateways. You have unlimited ability to instantaneously switch and use whichever VPN gateway you want...so have fun!
3. To choose a different gateway, be sure to DISCONNECT YOUR CURRENT CONNECTION FIRST.
4. If you accidentally QUIT, or Icon disappears, Relaunch "Vicosity" from your Applications Folder on your Mac.
MAIN
This is our main server pool at each gateway. For maximum speed and reliability you should 99% of the time choose MAIN at whichever gateway you choose to connect through. There are always multiple servers available and the configuration is tuned for maximum performance, especially for VoIP and streaming media. Also, as a general rule, the closer the gateway, the better the performance.
TCP 443
This selection is useful if you suspect a congestion or "dirty line" issue somewhere between you and the WiTopia VPN gateway or find that the standard configuration is blocked at a location. It does, however have higher overhead so should be used only when needed.
256-bit
This selection is useful if you are being pursued by "probing" extraterrestrials and/or the Illuminati and the tin foil wrapped around your computer is not keeping them from hacking your Facebook account.
In all seriousness, it would take thousands of years to break correctly deployed 128-bit encryption.
But, when when we saw competitors offering 256-bit encryption as possibly a bit of a marketing ploy, or completely misrepresenting reality by calling it "2048-bit encryption" (because the initial certificate exchange of openVPN can be set to that... but the ACTUAL data through tunnel is 128-bit or 256-bit), we realized we needed to offer it as well.
Unlike others, there is no premium to pay. It is there for your unlimited use at no extra charge.
Just know it isn't necessarily any more secure in any practical terms (regardless of what others may tell you) and may bog down performance.
But, if you want it, we got it!
ALTERNATE
These may be particularly useful for some China VPN customers, or other areas where the ISP may be employing additional blocking techniques. Feel free to try them out if you have trouble connecting or maintaining a connection.
TESTING YOUR personalVPN™
To make sure that you are fully secured and anonymized, Click Here and you should see a different IP address displayed instead of your ISP’s and the location of the Secure Gateway your are connected to. WiTopia does "stealth" servers in a variety of ways so it may not say "WiTopia" and the location may also not seem to match because there are many geolocation databases out there and many are not accurate, unfortunately. Rest assured the server is where we say it is so feel free to perform a traceroute http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traceroute to verify if you wish.
HAVING PROBLEMS CONNECTING?
It is common in censored countries to use DNS as a way to filter or block content. WiTopia provides secure DNS servers at no extra charge and we strongly recommend their use for maximum security, privacy, and performance of your VPN. This often occurs automatically, but sometimes you will need to enter them on your Mac manually. To manually enter WiTopia's DNS servers on your Mac:
TIGER users open "System Preferences" then "Network" then "TCP/IP"
LEOPARD users open "Network Preferences", click "Advanced" button, then "DNS"
In DNS server fields, enter 38.119.98.220 (for those closest to US East Coast) and/or 216.93.191.228 (for those closest to US West Coast) in DNS Server field and SAVE and APPLY the setting changes. It may be a good idea to enter both. Certainly will do no harm.
SEEM ABNORMALLY SLOW?
Some loss in download speed is normal due to encryption and distance, but often browsing speeds, Skype, and upload speeds can actually improve when using the VPN. Speed tests can be far from accurate due to how a VPN works, but if it really does seem dramatically slower when VPN is on, an adjustment is likely needed. If you suspect an issue, please check out http://wiki.personalvpn.net/wiki/VPN_Service_Speed_Issues
STILL HAVING AN ISSUE?
Most other issues can be solved by viewing the personalVPN™ FAQ at http://wiki.witopia.net/wiki/FAQ
If you don't see an easy solution, please send a log to us at support@witopia.net to start a trouble ticket and WiTopia Support staff will get right on it.
DISCONNECTING AND ONGOING USE
Remember to only "Disconnect" when you're done using your personalVPN™. If you "Quit," the icon will disappear and you'll have to relaunch "Viscosity" from your Applications Folder.
It's best to disconnect personalVPN™ when not actively using your computer.
That’s about it. Enjoy your Encryption and Thank You for your business!!
