VPN Compatibility

Last updated: 2026-03-14

Alpaca and VPNs

Alpaca is designed to work alongside most VPN applications. However, since both Alpaca and VPNs use macOS Network Extensions, occasional conflicts may occur.

Common Symptoms

• Websites load slowly or don't load at all when both are active
• VPN connection drops when Alpaca is enabled
• Alpaca shows as inactive when VPN is connected

Recommended Solutions

1. Check VPN Compatibility

Most modern VPNs work fine with Alpaca. If you're experiencing issues, try:

1. Disconnect your VPN
2. Verify Alpaca works — test by loading a few websites
3. Reconnect your VPN — if websites stop working, the VPN may be conflicting

2. Adjust VPN Settings

Some VPNs have a "split tunneling" or "DNS settings" option. Try:

• Disabling the VPN's built-in DNS protection (since Alpaca handles this)
• Enabling split tunneling and excluding Alpaca from the VPN tunnel

3. Start Order

The order in which you start Alpaca and your VPN can matter:

1. Start Alpaca first
2. Then connect your VPN

This helps macOS properly chain the Network Extensions.

Need More Help?

If you can't resolve the conflict, contact our support team with:

• The name of your VPN application
• Your macOS version
• A description of the issue