If you installed the VilaNet DMG on a Mac and later installed the App Store copy, the connection usually fails because the DMG's old system extension is still registered. That leftover extension blocks the App Store build. Keep only one of the two apps. If you already removed the DMG and the App Store app still will not connect, remove the old extension with the steps below, and turn System Integrity Protection back on in the last step.
How the two builds differ
Install from only one of these places. The App Store listing needs an Apple ID that is not a mainland-China Apple ID.
| App Store build | Direct DMG | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to get it | VilaNet on the Mac App Store | The universal DMG from the VilaVPN downloads page or the GitHub releases page. The same DMG supports Intel and Apple silicon Macs. |
| How it connects | It uses TUN mode and asks macOS to approve a VPN configuration. It uses a PacketTunnel network extension, so it does not need the DMG system-extension approval. | It starts in Proxy Mode and does not show a VPN or system-extension prompt. The prompt appears only after you switch it to TUN Mode, which needs the system extension approved once. |
On the DMG build, open Settings, then the Connection tab. The macOS section lists TUN Mode (whole system) and Proxy Mode (apps and browser). The change is saved immediately and applies on the next connection. Approve the system extension in System Settings. The click path depends on the macOS version; follow How to Install VilaNet on macOS and the current macOS guide. Approve only a prompt that names VilaVPN or VilaNet.
Keep only one app
- Uninstall the copy you do not want to keep.
- If you kept the App Store app, open it and select Connect once.
- If you kept the DMG and you want TUN Mode, approve the system extension as above, then connect. Staying on the default Proxy Mode does not need that approval.
Deleting the app does not always remove a system extension that is already registered. If the App Store app still cannot connect, continue. These steps let the App Store build register. Afterward, use only the App Store app.
Remove the extension left by the DMG
Do the steps in order. Step 5 turns System Integrity Protection (SIP) back on. Do not stop in the middle.
- On Apple silicon Macs: restart the Mac and hold the power button until "Loading startup options" appears. Choose Options, then Continue, to open macOS Recovery. On Intel Macs, use Apple's instructions for starting up from macOS Recovery.
- From the menu bar, open Utilities > Terminal. Type the following line, press Return, then restart normally:
csrutil disable - After that restart, open Terminal and type this line, then press Return:
sudo systemextensionsctl uninstall '*' com.viraltech.vilanet.pt - Restart the Mac again so the old network extension is fully removed.
- Enter Recovery the same way as in step 1, open Terminal, type the following line, press Return, then restart:
csrutil enable
This removes the extension that the DMG installed. Do not keep using the Mac for ordinary work until step 5 is finished. If you kept the DMG and macOS says a restart is needed, restart the Mac so the system extension takes effect. If the system extension was denied, approve it again in the same place in System Settings.
How to tell it worked
- Only one VilaNet remains in Applications.
- Open that copy and select Connect. On the main page the status turns blue and reads Connected, and the button becomes a red Disconnect.
- Open two familiar HTTPS sites in a browser, return to VilaNet, and confirm it still says Connected.
Still not working?
- If Terminal prints an error, keep the full text. For the network-extension prompt on a clean install, see How to Install VilaNet on macOS.
- Install, sign-in, and first-connection steps are in the VilaNet macOS guide. For the difference between the two modes, see Proxy Mode and TUN Mode.
- If the old extension is gone, step 5 has been run, and it still will not connect, open a ticket from the client area. Include the macOS version, which copy you kept, and the Terminal text.