Privado VPN unveils an MCP server on Windows and mac OS to let your AI agent manage your connection | Tech Radar
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Privado VPN unveils an MCP server on Windows and mac OS to let your AI agent manage your connection
The opt-in server runs locally and plugs into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, LM Studio, and Visual Studio Code
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Privado VPN has added a built-in MCP server to its Windows, mac OS apps
It lets MCP-compatible AI tools manage your VPN connection
The server is opt-in, runs entirely on the device, and is restricted to localhost
The latest update from Privado VPN hands the keys to your VPN over to your AI assistant.
The provider has built a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server into its Windows and mac OS apps, letting compatible AI development tools connect to and control your connection directly from your coding environment.
MCP is the open standard Anthropic introduced in late 2024 to link AI systems with external tools and data. By adopting it, Privado VPN joins a growing list of providers wiring their apps into the agentic era, allowing the best VPN services to be driven by natural language rather than menus and toggles.
Privado VPN's server plugs into MCP-compatible tools including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, LM Studio, and Visual Studio Code.
Once it's running, an assistant can connect or disconnect the VPN, switch server locations, and check your current connection, IP address, and status. It can also list available locations, swap between Wire Guard, IKEv 2, and Open VPN protocols, toggle the Kill Switch, and run basic network diagnostics.
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Under the hood, the server is a local HTTP component embedded in the client. It listens on a fixed port (5801 by default) and is restricted to localhost, so it cannot be reached remotely. Commands run through the official Privado VPN app, and any change shows up instantly in the interface.
Security sits at the centre of the design. The server is off by default and has to be switched on by the user; it never leaves the device, and every action is executed by the Privado VPN client itself rather than handed to the AI.
The company pitches the feature to developers, QA teams, and power users who routinely run tests across different regions and VPN configurations.
You can see all the technical details on Privado VPN's support page.
To turn it on, users need to open the Privado VPN app, head to Settings, then Application, and turn on the MCP Server option. Once saved, it runs quietly in the background.
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From there, you point your AI tool at the endpoint, http://127.0.0.1:5801/mcp.
In Claude Code, for example, a single terminal command registers it, while Codex, Cursor, LM Studio, and VS Code each take a short JSON snippet in their MCP configuration.
Privado VPN is only the first of a growing but still small list of VPN providers joining the AI agents race.
Express VPN, for example, claimed an industry first in March when it launched an MCP server in beta for its desktop apps. Siilarly to Privado, also Express VPN's tool is opt-in, local, and covered by its strict no-logs policy.
Norton VPN went further with its "VPN for Agents", an AI-native tool that spins up temporary, Docker-based tunnels so each agent and task gets its own separate connection.
Windscribe took a different route, releasing a skill that lets agents such as Open Claw drive its command line interface (CLI) on a dedicated machine, while Pure VPN turned Chat GPT into a conversational assistant that recommends servers and connects through deep links.
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Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.
GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.
She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, Slash Gear, We PC, and Tom’s Hardware.
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