Creating a VPN Hotspot on Your PC: Your Personal Secure Wi-Fi

A VPN hotspot is an effective way to secure not just your devices but others on your network as well. In this guide, we’ll provide a step-by-step instruction for PC users to create a VPN-enabled Wi-Fi hotspot. Let’s transform your PC into a secure Wi-Fi access point.

Guide for Windows

Step 1: Install and Configure ZoogVPN

1. Download and install the ZoogVPN Windows app from here.
2. Open ZoogVPN and connect to a VPN server using one of these protocols:
   • OpenVPN
   • ZoogTLS
   • Shadow Protocol
     You can change the protocol in the app settings.
3. Verify the VPN connection is active by checking your IP address on a website like whatismyipaddress.com.

Step 2: Enable Mobile Hotspot

1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot.
2. Toggle the Mobile Hotspot switch to On.
3. Click Edit to set a name and password for your hotspot, then save your changes.

Step 3: Configure Network Sharing

1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Change Adapter Options.
2. Find the active ZoogVPN adapter (e.g., “ZoogVPN TUN” or “ZoogVPN Network Adapter”). Do not select ZoogVPN IKEv2.
   • If multiple adapters are listed, choose the one that does not have a red cross icon.
3. Right-click the VPN adapter and select Properties.
4. Go to the Sharing tab and check the box for Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
5. From the dropdown menu, select the hotspot connection (e.g., “Local Area Connection”).
6. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 4: Connect Devices

1. On other devices, connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot you just created.
2. Verify that the connected devices are using the VPN connection by checking their IP address online.

Troubleshooting for Windows

1. Hotspot not visible:
   • Ensure your Wi-Fi adapter is active and not in use by another process.
   • Restart the hotspot feature or your PC if necessary.
2. Devices can’t connect:
   • Ensure the password you set for the hotspot is correct.
   • Verify the VPN is connected and that the sharing configuration is correct.
3. Traffic not routed through VPN:
   • Make sure you selected the correct VPN adapter in the sharing settings.
   • Reconnect to the VPN and restart the hotspot if needed.

Guide for macOS

Step 1: Set Up Your VPN Connection

Using OpenVPN (Tunnelblick):

1. Download and install Tunnelblick from here.
2. Import your VPN configuration files (e.g., OpenVPN .ovpn files) into Tunnelblick.
3. Open Tunnelblick and connect to your VPN.
4. Ensure Tunnelblick is configured to route all traffic through the VPN in its settings (“Route all traffic through the VPN”).

Using L2TP:

1. Go to System Preferences > Network > click the … (three dots with a downward arrow) to Add VPN Configuration and select VPN (L2TP over IPSec).
2. Enter the following:
   • VPN server address provided by your VPN service.
   • Account name and password from your VPN provider.
3. Click Authentication Settings, and provide:
   • Password: Enter the password provided by your VPN service.
   • Shared Secret: Enter the shared secret (sometimes called “pre-shared key”) from your provider.
4. In Options, ensure “Send all traffic over VPN connection” is checked.
5. After entering the settings, navigate to the VPN section; Either select VPN from the left sidebar or click the VPN option on the same Network page.
6. Click Apply and Connect to activate the L2TP VPN.

For PPTP Users:

• Note: PPTP is available only on macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) and earlier. Apple removed PPTP support starting with macOS 10.12 (Sierra) due to security concerns. If you’re using macOS 10.12 or later, follow the L2TP guide above.

Step 2: Configure Internet Sharing

1. Open System Preferences > General > Sharing.
2. In the left column, check Internet Sharing, but do not enable it yet.
3. Configure the options as follows:
   • Share your connection from:
     • For Tunnelblick users, select the active VPN connection (use the Terminal command ifconfig if it’s unclear, and look for interfaces like utun, tap, or tun).
     • For L2TP users, select the L2TP VPN connection you created in Step 1.
   • To computers using: Select Wi-Fi.
4. Click Wi-Fi Options and configure the following:
   • Network Name: Choose a name for your hotspot.
   • Channel: Set to 1, 6, or 11 for optimal performance.
   • Security: Select WPA2 Personal.
   • Password: Create a secure password and confirm it.
5. Return to the Sharing page and enable Internet Sharing by checking the box.

Step 3: Test the Connection

1. On another device, connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot you just created.
2. Verify the VPN connection by checking the device’s IP address on a website like WhatIsMyIPAddress.com. It should reflect the VPN’s location.

Troubleshooting for macOS

• If Internet Sharing fails:
  • Ensure the VPN connection is active and routing all traffic.
  • Restart your macOS device and repeat the steps above.
• If devices cannot connect to the hotspot:
  • Double-check the Wi-Fi hotspot settings (password, security, and channel).

Ensure your macOS firewall isn’t blocking the connection (System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall).