Manually install ExpressVPN for Mac OS X with L2TP

If you cannot use the ExpressVPN app on your Mac OS X, use this tutorial to set up ExpressVPN manually, using the L2TP protocol.

Important: L2TP/IPsec provides weak security benefits and should only be used for anonymization or for changing locations.

Prefer app setup? See the instructions for app setup on Mac OS 10.10 and above.

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Get your ExpressVPN account credentials
Configure your VPN
Connect to the VPN

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Get your ExpressVPN account credentials

Open the Welcome Email you received when you signed up for ExpressVPN. Click the link in the email.

If you can’t find the link, sign in to your account here.

Once you’ve clicked the link in the welcome email or signed in to the website, click on Set Up on More Devices.

Click on Manual Config on the left side of the screen and then select PPTP & L2TP/IPsec on the right. This will show you your username, password, and a list of server addresses around the world. To copy, click on the copy information icon on the top right corner of the box.

Keep this browser window open! You will need this information for the setup.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Configure your VPN

Open your computer’s System Preferences.

Open Network.

Click on the “+” sign under the menu on the left.

For the Interface, choose VPN. For VPN Type, select L2TP over IPsec. For Service Name, type in the name you’d like to use. We used ExpressVPN. Click Create.

Enter the server address and username that you obtained earlier. If you’re not sure which server location to choose, please refer to this guide. Then click on Authentication Settings.

Enter the password you obtained earlier. For Machine Authentication, select Shared Secret and enter “12345678“. Click OK.

Select Advanced.

Under Options, check the box for Send all traffic over VPN connection. Click OK.

Check the box for Show VPN status in menu bar. The VPN icon will appear in your menu bar in the upper-right corner of your screen. Click Apply to set the VPN configuration.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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Connect to the VPN

You can connect to ExpressVPN either by clicking Connect in the Network settings window, or by clicking on the VPN status icon in the menu bar and selecting Connect [your network name].

Amazing! You have successfully completed the manual setup of ExpressVPN for your Mac OS X using L2TP. Now you are free to surf.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

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