20 October 2026 · TekLan VPN
TekLan VPN 4.0 is a rebuilt app for Windows and Mac, and you can try it today as a beta. It follows the same design as TekLan VPN 4.1.1 for Android, so the app looks and behaves the same whichever device you pick up: Connect, Locations and Settings, with the same labels and the same rules behind them.
On Windows, 4.0 will replace the current 1.6 app. On the Mac, it's the first TekLan VPN app, so you no longer need to import a configuration file by hand.
Quick answer: how to try it
- Open the beta page.
- Windows 10 or 11: download and run the beta installer. Mac (macOS 14 Sonoma or later): join on TestFlight.
- Sign in with your TekLan VPN email address and password, choose a location and connect.
A connect button that only says Connected when you are
There are three states: Not connected, Connecting and Connected. The big round button responds straight away, and you can press it again while it's connecting to cancel.
The app doesn't say Connected just because you pressed the button. It waits until the VPN is actually up and the app has checked it. If something fails, you get a short message saying what to do and a Retry button. The technical detail goes into the diagnostics, not a wall of warnings on your screen.
Locations that open instantly
Older apps measured the ping to every server each time you opened the list. 4.0 measures each server once, remembers the result, and only measures again when a server is new or has changed, or when you ask it to refresh. The list keeps its order while results come in, so it doesn't jump about under your cursor.
You can connect while measurements are still running. A server that doesn't answer a ping is shown as unmeasured, not as down, because plenty of networks block pings even when the VPN works fine. Star the locations you use most to keep them at the top.
TekLan DNS, or your own
DNS is what turns a website's name into an address. The default DNS option is now called TekLan DNS: the DNS supplied by the TekLan server you're connected to. You can still choose another DNS provider in Settings.
On Windows, the app checks that the DNS you chose is the DNS Windows is really using. It looks at the VPN connection's settings, at any Windows rules that could quietly send lookups elsewhere, and at the routes to the DNS servers. If anything would send your lookups outside the VPN, the app won't show you as connected.
Switching locations safely
On Windows, when you switch location or protocol, the app keeps your current connection until the new one has started and passed its checks. If the new server fails, your previous connection is put back, so you're not left unprotected. If you disconnect or sign out part-way through a switch, that wins: nothing reconnects behind your back.
WireGuard and OpenVPN, both up to date
Choose WireGuard, OpenVPN over UDP or OpenVPN over TCP. The Windows installer includes both, so there's nothing else to install. During testing we moved to newer OpenVPN releases that fix recently published security issues, and the app won't run an older or unrecognised OpenVPN version.
Your sign-in is stored securely, not in a plain settings file, and signing out removes it.
What we'd like you to test
- Connect, disconnect, and cancel a connection part-way.
- Switch between WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP and OpenVPN TCP, and between locations, while connected.
- TekLan DNS and another DNS provider, with IPv6 on your network if you have it.
- Putting the computer to sleep and waking it, and changing Wi-Fi network while connected.
If anything misbehaves, open a ticket with your Windows or macOS version, the protocol and location you used, and what you saw. That's what lets us fix it before the public release. Our post on joining a TekLan VPN beta has tips for a report we can act on quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go back to the current Windows app?
Yes. The current Windows app stays available from the Windows guide until 4.0 is released. Uninstall the beta, then install it from there.
Do I need a different account for the beta?
No. Sign in with the same TekLan VPN email address and password you use everywhere else.
Does the beta use an extra connection?
Only while it's connected, the same as any other TekLan VPN app.
Ready to try it? Head to the beta page.
Since this post: Windows 4.0 and the Mac app have been released. For the current versions, see the Windows and Mac guides.