Hamachi for Mac

Product overview

Hamachi is a free application that creates virtual private networks which behave like a local area network across the Internet. It lets devices appear and communicate as if they were on the same LAN, making remote collaboration and resource sharing straightforward for both individuals and organizations.

Data protection and administrative controls

• Communications are secured with AES using 256-bit keys, ensuring strong encryption for traffic across public and private networks.
• A centralized console lets administrators manage authentication, set passwords, and control who may join each virtual network.
• The interface is designed to be user-friendly, reducing the learning curve for non-technical users while still offering enterprise-grade controls.

Why it’s useful for multi-site organizations

• Distributing and installing client software across branches can be handled remotely, removing the need for physical presence at each site.
• Centralized access management simplifies policy enforcement and auditing across locations.
• Because it emulates LAN behavior, existing network tools and workflows often work without modification.

Network layout options

• Virtual gateway networks — provide secure entry into an entire private LAN from remote clients.
• Radial (hub-and-spoke) virtual networks — allow selective access to specific machines without exposing the whole network.
• Full mesh-style connections — enable direct peer-to-peer links between participating computers for low-latency communication.

Recommended alternative

Suggested option: LogMeIn Hamachi (free tier available). It offers the same basic VPN-over-Internet functionality, with similar encryption and centralized management features suitable for both personal and business use.