How to share VPN connection via hotspot ExpressVPN?

Can a Mac share a VPN connection?

In my quest to learn how to setup and use the Mac, I have gotten quite used to the ease of connecting to the Internet through an internet connected router with an IP address range in the 192.

168.0-192.255 range. Then on that IP address, I can setup a server which runs whatever I like. I get all the benefits of a server (file/print sharing), along with a firewall, and some services like http and ftp.

I'm not aware of anything like this in the Mac world. Now I can run OpenDNS or No-IP and assign an IP from that range and a DNS name that forwards to the main site I want to surf. That being said, is there a way to share this connectivity? A common example is having a parent at home who wants to connect to a family account at work, or perhaps a friend. Can I setup something so he can connect to the family network through our shared connection and get the benefit of having a firewall, web, and FTP server on a router in our network while he sits at home without it.

I have a Linksys v8 router running DD-WRT firmware. Its IP range is 192.3.99.

I know there's the option of port forwarding to the other computer, but I'm wondering if there's a native way to do this without setting up the router manually and running a script to forward it. My gut feeling is no, but I'd appreciate it if someone knowledgeable could confirm that. Edit: There are other forums talking about this. Most say it's not possible, though none explain why. The top answer at How can I share my Ubuntu desktop internet connection via a modem and a router? is that it's possible, but one of the answers explains it as a security vulnerability. Anyone know what exactly that means?

Edit 2: As pointed out by @Sajmon, this isn't a router issue, its a protocol issue. Last edited by dasan on October 13th, 2025, 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason:More links included. As much as I would love to help you figure it out, I really am not the person to help you with that.

How do I share ExpressVPN with other devices on Mac?

I got one of the new Mac Minis running with a SSD drive and a second HDD on its own internal 3TB (plus 4 external SATA drives). The purpose is to use it solely for data storage for media and backups.

When I boot up, there is an ExpressVPN icon on the tray, that opens up ExpressVPN and I connect it to any available wired connection. When I shutdown ExpressVPN, it will ask me if I want to connect to it next time when I start it up.

The problem is that I have 2 devices connected to 2 different USB ports (2nd controller): MacMini 1. USB cable connected to MacMini 1 -> SATA drive 1. USB cable connected to MacMini 2 -> SATA drive 1. SATA drive 1 has my main partition (Windows 7 on it) and my secondary partition is another external SATA drive (used for all of my important data) which is not connected to the MacMini 2; yet ExpressVPN is connected to the MacMini 2. All is well with the MacMini 1 because only the MacMini 1 (and the MacMini 1 itself) have the ExpressVPN icon on the tray. Yet my wife can't do anything to her MacMini 2 without being logged out because ExpressVPN needs an internet connection on the 2nd controller, and the 2nd controller is not connected to the internet.

I believe I can solve this problem by sharing ExpressVPN between the 2 controllers. Can I accomplish this? And if so, how?

How to share VPN connection via hotspot ExpressVPN?

I have a Windows computer and a mobile phone that are connected to a VPN via ExpressVPN app.

I'd like to keep this connection when I travel. How to do that?

There are two ways to share ExpressVPN connection. The first is to share ExpressVPN connection with your mobile via Hotspot VPN. That means, you must have an ExpressVPN account on your mobile. If you don't have an account, you can sign-up at Click on Sign up Now button in top-left corner of the page. Then choose Hotspot ExpressVPN by clicking the ExpressVPN on mobile tab.

The second way is to enable your mobile to connect via hotspot. After enabling Hotspot, you can connect to ExpressVPN via it. However, you can't manage VPN connection from ExpressVPN app. That means, when you disconnect your mobile, you cannot connect again via ExpressVPN app. Therefore, you must disable hotspot first, if you want to manage VPN connection from ExpressVPN app.

There is another way to solve this problem. You can install ExpressVPN and then open Settings from the ExpressVPN app. Click on Connections. Then you can change the default server location. For example, click on United States (Washington), then check Add Connection.