How to fully export and import the VPN settings Lion

Asked By Amanda Keterina 10 points N/A Posted on - 01/23/2013

Hi Experts.

I discovered the export option from OS X does not export things like: proxies, or DNS settings from the VPN configuration.

How can I export all of these?

• Status: Open
• Question Views: 811
• Answer Count: 1
• Vote Up 1 Vote Down

• Answer Accepted: No
• Question Category: ISPs & Hosting

Answered By Barbara Miller 0 points N/A #195536

How to fully export and import the VPN settings Lion

Hello Amanda Keterina,

 

Please follow the instructions below to export your VPN settings:

 

– Go to Network Preferences and add VPN Interface that you need

 

– Open System Profiler and copy the Hardware UUID from Hardware Tab

 

– Go to Library/Preferences/Byhost and locate you old Network Preferences file.  It must have the form of com.apple.networkConnect.<prior-mac-UUID>.plist, copy this file. Replace the <prior-mac-UUID> portion with the one you had previously copied in System profiler. You must now have a new file named com.apple.networkConnect.<new-mac-UUID>.plist.

 

– Open both files in TextWrangler: the com.apple.networkConnect.<new-mac-UUID>.plist file you previously made, and /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist.

 

– In preferences.plist, find GUID of each VPN interface that you have made. The "UserDefinedName" string at the end of the key will give you:

 

<key>14A4B264-C231-41FE-857B-EE5557B69851</key>

<dict>

<key>DNS</key>

<dict/>

<key>IPv4</key>

<dict>

<key>ConfigMethod</key>

<string>PPP</string>

</dict>

…

<key>UserDefinedName</key>

<string>VPN (L2TP)</string>

</dict>

 

The first long string ("14A4B264…") is the part you want. Copy this.

 

– Now move to your com.apple.networkConnect file. Locate the key that contains all of your old VPN settings. Select the whole key name (GUID of your VPN interface on your old Mac), then paste it to replace it with the new GUID.

 

– Repeat steps five & six for every VPN interface you need.

 

– Save the changes and close the com.apple.networkConnect file. Close the preferences.plist file without saving anything.

 

– Open your Network Preferences, Choose your VPN interface, you should see your past configurations.

About Barbara Miller

Questions
0

Answers
101

Best Answers
46

• Vote Up 0 Vote Down

• Posted on - 01/25/2013
• Question Category: ISPs & Hosting