The Tunnelblick application is one of the alternative ways to connect to NordLayer private gateway on your Mac. This is a good option for those who prefer a manual connection and like tinkering with open-source software. That said, it lacks the additional features of the NordLayer native app. It's also a bit more complicated to set up. Below you will find a guide helping you to configure a manual connection with Tunnelblick on macOS.
Download Tunnelblick, a free and user-friendly app for managing OpenVPN connections on macOS
Click download your Private Gateway configuration files from the Member's profile and copy your service credentials
Navigate to your Downloads folder and double-click the Tunnelblick installation file you have just downloaded (it has a .dmg extension)
macOS Downloads folder displaying Tunnelblick VPN installer DMG file
- In the window that opens, double-click on the Tunnelblick icon
Tunnelblick installer window with multilingual instructions to double-click app icon to begin setup
- A new dialogue box will pop up, asking you if you are sure you want to open the app. Click Open
macOS security dialog confirming Tunnelblick app download with Open button highlighted
- You will be asked to enter your Mac password
Enter it and click OK.
macOS authentication dialog requesting password to install Tunnelblick to Applications folder
- Once the installation is complete, you will see a pop-up notification asking you if you want to launch Tunnelblick now
(An administrator username and password will be required to secure Tunnelblick). Click Launch.
Alternatively, you can click on the Tunnelblick icon in the status bar and select VPN details...
Tunnelblick menu bar showing no active connections with VPN Details and Add a VPN options
- A new dialogue box will appear
Click I have configuration files.
Tunnelblick welcome dialog with configuration file options and I have configuration files button highlighted
- Another notification will pop-up, instructing you how to import configuration files
Click OK.
Tunnelblick configuration dialog with instructions to drag and drop VPN files with .tblk extension
- Drag and drop the previously downloaded .ovpn file from your Downloads folder to the Configurations tab in Tunnelblick
Tunnelblick configuration window with arrow indicating dragging VPN file from Downloads to Configurations panel
- A pop-up will appear, asking you if you want to install the configuration profile for your current user only or for all users on your Mac
Select your preferred option.
Tunnelblick installation dialog prompting user to choose between All Users or Only Me configuration access
You will be asked to enter your Mac password.
macOS authentication dialog requesting NordLayer password to install Tunnelblick VPN configuration
- A warning will pop-up
You can safely check the Do not warn about this again box and click OK.
Tunnelblick warning dialog about deprecated OpenVPN configuration with Do not warn checkbox highlighted
Select the server and click Connect
Enter your NordLayer service credentials that you have copied earlier, mark the box Save in Keychain, and click OK
That’s it! You are now connected to a VPN
To disconnect, click on the Tunnelblick icon in your status bar and select Disconnect from the drop-down menu.
Tunnelblick menu bar showing active NordLayer connection with disconnect option highlighted
Note: In case you have any questions or are experiencing any issues, please feel free to contact our 24/7 customer support team.