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Lightweight, no-frills VPN client for secure connections to work, school, or organizational networks

Lightweight, no-frills VPN client for secure connections to work, school, or organizational networks

Vote (105 votes)

Program license Free

Developer cisco

Version 4.9.01.0280

Works under Mac

Vote

(105 votes)

Developer

cisco

Works under

Mac

Program license

Free

Version

4.9.01.0280

Pros

  • Basic, slim interface. All you need to get connected and nothing more.
  • Lightweight. Doesn't add a heavy system load.
  • Designed by Cisco, a leader in networking and security.

Cons

  • Ugly interface.
  • Not intuitive if you're not used to VPNs or computer networking.

What is the Cisco VPN Client for Mac?

This is a Cisco VPN (Virtual Private Network) client app, designed for Mac OSX systems. It's just the client version that you would use to connect to an existing VPN. You don't build a VPN with this.

It's a low-profile app that runs in the background and has a decent set of notifications to let you know whether you're connected or not. For people with multiple VPN servers, the drop-down menu is good enough.

Streamlined, Barebones, and Secure

If you don't like a lot of visuals or bells and whistles flashing at you, Cisco's VPN client is it.

This is one of those tools that is mostly just a grey box with buttons to press and fields to fill out. It's not a lot of information if you know how to use a VPN already.

If you don't know how to use a VPN and you're a visual learner, make sure to read the manual or watch a how-to video first. All of the information you need is in the help menu and the guide, but this isn't a hand-holding app.

Why Would You Need A VPN Client?

Most people downloading this app will do so because their work, school, or organization network requires a VPN.

Virtual private networks are good ways to protect networks from hackers at a basic level. One of the easiest ways to break into a network is to steal a computer and get basic passwords, and VPNs make that harder.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Basic, slim interface. All you need to get connected and nothing more.
  • Lightweight. Doesn't add a heavy system load.
  • Designed by Cisco, a leader in networking and security.

Cons

  • Ugly interface.
  • Not intuitive if you're not used to VPNs or computer networking.