SparkLabs Blog.

The latest news and releases.


Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.6

We're pleased to announce that version 1.6 of Viscosity is now available for both Mac and Windows! This update contains a huge number of new features, improvements, bug fixes, and tweaks.

We've placed a special focus on overhauling and upgrading Viscosity's DNS system, with new features such as connection specific DNS modes, DHCP assigned DNS and WINS settings, improved support for IPv6 DNS servers, and bringing Viscosity's highly advanced split DNS system to Windows. More information about the DNS changes can be found in the Upcoming DNS Features and Changes in Viscosity 1.6 blog post.

The Details window has also been updated to look at home on recent versions of Mac OS X and Windows, with smoother graph rendering and a more modern appearance. OpenVPN has been updated to version 2.3.10, and OpenSSL has been updated to version 1.0.2f.

Version 1.6 also contains an assortment of other improvements, including support for setting browser web proxies, improved virtual network drivers for Windows 7 and later, workarounds for iCloud clashes that could result in iMessage or Back to My Mac connectivity problems, and many more. Please refer to the release notes below for a complete list of changes.


Version 1.6 Mac Release Notes:

added
New DNS engine for improved reliability and IPv6 support
added
The DNS mode can now be set on a per-connection basis
added
DNS and WINS settings from a remote DHCP server are now supported
added
DNS settings sent by the VPN server can now be ignored
added
Web browser proxy settings can now be set for connections
improved
Details window design and graphing improved
improved
Tun connections now use the inbuilt utun network adapter type
improved
Back to My Mac no longer needs to be disabled while connected
updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.10
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2f
fixed
Connecting will no longer interrupt an iMessage session
fixed
Resolves issue setting duplicate IPv6 servers under OS X El Capitan
fixed
Connection startup errors will now be correctly added to the log
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements
removed
The Apply DNS settings simultaneously option has been removed
removed
Mac OS 10.7 is no longer supported


Version 1.6 Windows Release Notes:

added
New DNS engine for improved reliability and IPv6 support
added
Split DNS is now supported
added
The DNS mode can now be set on a per-connection basis
added
DNS settings sent by the VPN server can now be ignored
added
Web browser proxy settings can now be set for connections
improved
Details window design and graphing improved
improved
Improved driver for Windows 7+
updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.10
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2f
fixed
Windows 10 AOAC Connected Standby is now handled correctly
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements
removed
The Apply DNS settings simultaneously option has been removed
removed
Windows XP is no longer supported

Finally, please note that version 1.6 drops support for OS X 10.7 and Windows XP. OS X 10.8 and Windows Vista are now the minimum operating system versions required.

The 1.6 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Upcoming DNS Features and Changes in Viscosity 1.6

Viscosity 1.6, due for release shortly, has some new and exciting improvements to the DNS engine. These changes allow for much greater functionality and control over DNS settings, and for more powerful and advanced VPN setups.

For the vast majority of users transitioning from a previous version of Viscosity to version 1.6 will be seamless. Viscosity's DNS settings for all connections will default to "Automatic" mode under 1.6, where it will attempt to intelligently determine whether DNS should be enabled, and if so what mode (Full or Split) is desired.

However in some rare instances upgrading users may wish to override the Automatic behavior and manually set the DNS mode and related settings. This blog post is designed to give a quick overview of the newly available DNS options and how they function in advance of the 1.6 release so you can determine whether you wish to change the DNS behavior of your connections after upgrading.

Connection Specific DNS Settings

Previous versions of Viscosity allowed DNS to be enabled or disabled on a per-connection basis, and the DNS servers and domains to be used. However the "Apply DNS settings simultaneously" (equivalent to the new "Split" option) could only be applied on a global basis to all connections. This presented a problem for users who wanted differing DNS modes for connections as it required manually toggling the option on and off and required.



Viscosity 1.6 now allows DNS settings to be customized on a per-connection basis by introducing several new DNS modes: Automatic, Full DNS, Split DNS, and Disabled.

Full DNS mode ensures that your VPN's DNS servers become the primary DNS servers on your computer and that they are used for all lookups by default. This is typically the mode you'll use when connecting to a VPN Service Provider. Split DNS mode instead uses your VPN's DNS servers for only VPN domains. For example, using split DNS you can set the domain "example.com" and have requests such as "www.example.com", "myserver.example.com" etc. only use your VPN's DNS servers. For more information please see the Configuring DNS and WINS settings support article.



Automatic mode will intelligently determine which mode should be used, and it is the recommend mode to use in most instances. Viscosity will look at the VPN and routing settings being used to determine the best DNS mode. If all traffic is being routed through the VPN connection Full DNS mode will be automatically used. Likewise, if a split-routing setup is used and DNS domains are set, then Split DNS mode will be automatically used. Finally, DNS will be automatically disabled if there are no DNS servers present. Viscosity will log which mode is being used for a connection in the OpenVPN log.

Version 1.6 also introduces a new "Ignore DNS settings sent by VPN server" option, allowing DNS and WINS settings sent by the remote VPN or DHCP server to be ignored if desired.

Advanced Split DNS For Windows

While the Mac version of Viscosity has been able to perform split DNS since through the use of the old "Apply DNS settings simultaneously" option, the Windows version has not. We're pleased to announce that version 1.6 introduces an advanced internal DNS system for the Windows platform that enabled true split DNS functionality. DNS requests for VPN specific domains for a connection will only ever use your VPN connection's DNS servers. This allows you, for example, to remotely connect to your workplace's network and have DNS requests for work domains use your workplace's DNS servers, while your standard network traffic uses your normal DNS servers.

DHCP Assigned DNS Settings

A highly requested feature that we're pleased to say Viscosity 1.6 implements is DHCP DNS and WINS support. Viscosity can now use DNS servers, WINS servers, and DNS domains set by a remote DHCP server on bridged (Tap) connections. This allows for easier integration of a VPN server with an existing network, with no need to have the OpenVPN server push out duplicate settings or to set them locally in Viscosity. These options can also be easily ignored by using the "Ignore DNS settings sent by VPN server" option.

Improved DNS IPv6 Support

Finally, Viscosity 1.6 also greatly improves support for IPv6 DNS servers. You can expect greater stability and improved performance of IPv6 servers over previous versions of Viscosity.


Version 1.6 of Viscosity is expected to be available shortly for both Mac and Windows, with many more exciting features and updates than just the DNS-related changes listed above. Please keep an eye on our Blog, Twitter account, or Viscosity's inbuilt automatic update support for notification of when it's available.

Mac OS X 10.7 and Windows XP Support Ending

The next major update to Viscosity, version 1.6, will end support for Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) and Windows XP. The current release, version 1.5.11, will continue to function on these platforms however it will no longer receive updates and security fixes. Version 1.6 is expected to be released later this month.

The decision was made as these platforms are no longer actively supported by Apple and Microsoft, they are missing critical security updates, and only a very small fraction of Viscosity's user base (<0.1%) are still using these platforms.

Version 1.5.11 of Viscosity will still be available for users from the Legacy Downloads page, however if you're still on one of these unsupported platforms we encourage you to upgrade to a newer operating system version to ensure that you continue to receive the latest updates.

Viscosity For Mac: Version 1.5.11

Version 1.5.11 of Viscosity for Mac is now available! This version includes a few tweaks to improve support for Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan) as well as a number of small bug fixes.


Version 1.5.11 Mac Release Notes:

improved
Improved support for Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan)
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.11 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.5.10

Version 1.5.10 of Viscosity for both Mac and Windows is now available! This version updates OpenVPN to version 2.3.8 and includes lots of small improvements.


Version 1.5.10 Mac Release Notes:

added
Viscosity will no longer prompt to upgrade the helper after future updates
updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.8
fixed
Resolves an issue where an extra-certs file may not be used when connecting
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


Version 1.5.10 Windows Release Notes:

updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.8
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.10 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Windows: Version 1.5.9

Version 1.5.9 of Viscosity for Windows is now available! This version includes improved support for Windows 10 as well as a number of small fixes and improvements.


Version 1.5.9 Windows Release Notes:

improved
Improved support for Windows 10
improved
Network interface handling enhanced on Windows 7 and later
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.9 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.5.8

Version 1.5.8 of Viscosity for both Mac and Windows is now available! This version updates OpenSSL to version 1.0.2d and also improves Windows 10 compatibility.


Version 1.5.8 Mac Release Notes:

updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2d
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


Version 1.5.8 Windows Release Notes:

improved
Windows 10 compatibility enhancements
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2d
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.8 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.5.7

Version 1.5.7 of Viscosity for both Mac and Windows is now available!


Version 1.5.7 Mac Release Notes:

updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.7
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2c
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


Version 1.5.7 Windows Release Notes:

updated
OpenVPN updated to version 2.3.7
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2c
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.7 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.5.6

Version 1.5.6 of Viscosity for both Mac and Windows is now available!


Version 1.5.6 Mac Release Notes:

fixed
Fixed reachability detection issue for TCP connections
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


Version 1.5.6 Windows Release Notes:

fixed
Resolves Windows 10 compatibility issues
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.6 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.

Viscosity For Mac & Windows: Version 1.5.5

Version 1.5.5 of Viscosity for both Mac and Windows is now available!


Version 1.5.5 Mac Release Notes:

updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2a
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


Version 1.5.5 Windows Release Notes:

improved
Danish Localization added thanks to Lars Juul
updated
OpenSSL updated to version 1.0.2a
fixed
Various bug fixes and enhancements


The 1.5.5 update can be automatically installed from inside Viscosity, or downloaded and manually installed. For support with this version please visit our support section.