Hamachi

Sometimes, you want a little more privacy than what your network gives you. With Hamachi, you can connect two computers and create a virtual private network with highly secure encryption algorithms. Regardless of whether you have little or professional experience setting up private networks, Hamachi makes it easy to start a VPN in only a few steps.

Because Hamachi uses industry-proven encryption algorithms, all of the communication you perform between computers is completely safe. You can even configure Hamachi to secure a local area network. From communicating through chat lines to playing against friends on a private server, Hamachi gives you full control to do what you want.

In order to connect two computers using Hamachi, both computers must have the program installed and configured properly. Setting up an IP address is quick and easy; however, you may have to open up Notepad and enter a few properties in the server.properties text file. Afterward, you can play "Minecraft" or any network game between friends, and all of the action and communication remains secured from prying eyes. In addition, it features full documentation, so you always have access to troubleshooting information if you encounter a problem.

The only downside to Hamachi is that it doesn't support file-sharing. Therefore, you have to go through quite a few steps to configure the Windows folder sharing option to work with the program. While it's not absolutely impossible to share files through Hamachi, the process isn't as easy as setting up a secure VPN.

Hamachi lets you create a secure network and communicate safely between two computers. With its straightforward interface and complete documentation, you should have no trouble setting up a server to chat or play games with friends on your own private network.

• Simple to use
• Fully documented
• Quick and easy setup

• Complicated file-sharing process