WireGuard is an extremely simple yet fast and modern VPN that utilizes state-of-the-art cryptography. It aims to be faster, simpler, leaner, and more useful than IPsec, while avoiding the massive headache. It intends to be considerably more performant than OpenVPN. WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike, fit for many different circumstances. Initially released for the Linux kernel, it is now cross-platform and widely deployable. It is currently under heavy development, but already it might be regarded as the most secure, easiest to use, and simplest VPN solution in the industry.
This specific post isn’t about the installation and configuration of WireGuard in the context of a VPN server (Stand by for some news about that over the next couple of days), but a quick look at how to install the WireGuard Toolkit on a MacOS system. Unlike OpenVPN, that has clients for almost any platform you can think of, WireGuard is still in its infancy when it comes to stable clients.
Even the offical Installation Page state that a lot of the steps and clients involved are in the experimental stages. For me, on my MBP running Mojave 10.14.2, I was having issues installing the Toolkit from the Apple Store.
It wouldn’t install the client full stop. I’m not sure why exactly, but rather than troubleshoot… I decided to go down the tried and tested path of using HomeBrew to try install it. Below are the very quick and easy steps to install from the Terminal.
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Anthonys-MacBook-Pro-3:anthonyspiteri$ brew install wireguard-tools jq
Warning: jq 1.6 is already installed and up-to-date
To reinstall 1.6, run `brew reinstall jq`
==> Installing dependencies for wireguard-tools: bash and wireguard-go
==> Installing wireguard-tools dependency: bash
==> Downloading https://homebrew.bintray.com/bottles/bash-5.0.7.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
==> Downloading from https://akamai.bintray.com/07/07f1f20a0fd6a8b06cd66d9aa6bd26d4d5afe5bd79b5354b081493bb9ee28943?__gda__=exp=1557709499~hmac=8657414d12456a193b26684b5cbb3c3ab88285f4b1ccdd6186240f676a7bf82f&response-content-dispositi
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Pouring bash-5.0.7.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
==> Caveats
In order to use this build of bash as your login shell,
it must be added to /etc/shells.
==> Summary
🍺 /usr/local/Cellar/bash/5.0.7: 150 files, 9.4MB
==> Installing wireguard-tools dependency: wireguard-go
==> Downloading https://homebrew.bintray.com/bottles/wireguard-go-0.0.20190409.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
==> Downloading from https://akamai.bintray.com/1e/1efcc1d6bacea0eb997da3f1fa74849c00ddb9239b9433e119af85f2261c8e41?__gda__=exp=1557709510~hmac=4841029219764501bba73c82e3f82fa615fbec1c8624acf8abb8cfa4e624a8c1&response-content-dispositi
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Pouring wireguard-go-0.0.20190409.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
🍺 /usr/local/Cellar/wireguard-go/0.0.20190409: 5 files, 4MB
==> Installing wireguard-tools
==> Downloading https://homebrew.bintray.com/bottles/wireguard-tools-0.0.20190406.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
==> Pouring wireguard-tools-0.0.20190406.mojave.bottle.tar.gz
==> Caveats
Bash completion has been installed to:
/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d
==> Summary
🍺 /usr/local/Cellar/wireguard-tools/0.0.20190406: 10 files, 140.6KB
==> `brew cleanup` has not been run in 30 days, running now...
==> wireguard-tools
Bash completion has been installed to:
/usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d |
Once installed, you can start the desktop tray application by searching for WireGuard. The WireGuard Toolkit icon will appear in the tray as show below
From here you can Manage the Tunnels manually or import the configuration from a file obtained from a WireGuard Server.
And that’s it… the Client has a similar look and feel to the TunnelBlick OpenVPN Client I have been using to connect up to my Veeam PN network while I am on the road… maybe in that there is a clue as to why I have been looking at WireGuard… or maybe not.
Either way, the easiest way to install the WireGuard Toolkit client on MacOS is with Home Brew as shown above…quick, simple and no fuss!
WireGuard is a registered trademark of Jason A. Donenfeld.
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