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Wireless Network Connections For Mac Os:x
Jesus Vigo reviews Terminal commands used to enable, modify, and manage Wi-Fi connections on Macs in OS X.
Tips to Effectively Manage WiFi Networks In OS X By Shujaa Imran – Posted on Apr 3, 2014 Apr 2, 2014 in Mac There is a really good chance that on your Mac, the WiFi management section is the area you access most frequently.
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Hidden from the casual Mac user is a spiffy command line utility that allows you to view, configure, and troubleshoot your Mac’s wireless connection, entirely from the Terminal of OS X. This command has a help file but is otherwise but not much documentation, and judging by the obscure location of.
Connecting to a Wired Network
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This chapter shows how to connect your MacBook to wired and wireless connections as well as how to manage multiple connections.
This chapter is from the book
My MacBook (covers OS X Mavericks on MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air), 4th Edition
Wireless Connections Sprint
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
My MacBook (covers OS X Mavericks on MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air), 4th Edition
In this chapter, you learn how to get your Mac online, including tasks like:
→ Connecting to wired networks
→ Connecting to secure wireless networks
→ Configuring network address, DNS, and routing information
→ Verifying network connections
→ Creating VPN connections
→ Managing multiple connections with Locations
Being connected to a network gives you access to information, files, and services such as email or the Web. Your Mac comes with the latest networking technology—802.11ac Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet, making it a snap to connect to existing wired or wireless networks.
Connecting to a Wired Network
The most common type of network connection in the business world is a wired Ethernet connection. The cables used to connect to the network look like oversized phone connectors and, as luck has it, plug directly into your MacBook’s Ethernet port. (New Air and Retina MacBook owners need to buy Apple’s USB or Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter.) The MacBook supports gigabit Ethernet, making it able to exchange information at extremely high speeds.
Making an Ethernet (Wired) Connection
On a network that is set up to automatically configure your computer using DHCP, the most complicated thing you need to do is plug in the network cable!
Open the System Preferences panel and click the Network icon.
The network preference panel displays. All of the active network interfaces are listed here. Red dots indicate that no connection is present on the interface.
Plug the network cable into the back of your Mac. After a few seconds, the interface should update, showing a green dot for an active connection. The pane to the right of the interfaces displays the information that your computer is using to communicate online.
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Coffee shops, malls, hotels, and now even cars are being made with built-in wireless hotspot features. Wi-Fi access is everywhere! And while it's been made relatively easy enough to connect to access points for consumers, sysadmins face a different challenge when having to manage wireless settings, especially on mobile devices.
For those leveraging mobile device management (MDM) platforms to push settings, this is a non-issue, but if the cost of these suites remains prohibitive or connectivity is spotty, the following Terminal commands can be used to manage Wi-Fi settings in OS X. They can even be incorporated into a script and deployed to remote end users.
Before moving forward with the various networksetup-based commands, please note that as of OS X 10.8, the AirPort Terminal command, which is what drives some of the changes made to Apple's AirPort wireless connections, has been hidden within the OS and must be referenced directly each time the command is run. To side-step this, run the command below first, which will create a symbolic link to the AirPort command itself so that it may be referenced each time without having to enter a long string of commands each time.
Create a symlink to the AirPort command in Terminal
Network connections list
Enable or Disable Wi-Fi
Secure Wi-Fi Settings
Arguments
RequireAdminsIBSS=yes (or no) | Restricts creation of ad-hoc networks to admins.
RequireAdminPowerToggle=yes (or no) | Restricts power on/off of Wi-Fi to admins.
RequireAdminNetworkChange=yes (or no) | Restricts network changes to admins.
View available Wi-Fi networks
Join Wi-Fi network
Create a Wi-Fi network profile
Variables
SSID_OF_NETWORK | SSID of the network you wish to join/create a profile of.
Best painting program for mac. INDEX_NUMBER | Numerical value to assigns a position in the list of preferred wireless networks. A value of '0' adds to the network to the top of the list.
SECURITY_OF_WIRELESS_NETWORK | Wireless network security type (ex.) WPA2.
WIRELESS_NETWORK_PASSPHRASE | Password or passphrase used to authenticate the password-protected network.
Delete a Wi-Fi network profile
Remove all stored Wi-Fi network profiles
Though managing wireless network settings may seem trivial to some, in densely packed office buildings with dozens of Wi-Fi networks broadcasting their signals, data security is a big concern. Configuring wireless endpoints so that they're properly secured against eavesdropping from unauthorized networks is just one way in which network administrators work with system administrators to ensure that secured wireless access is granted through trusted networks and managed accordingly.
How do you manage Wi-Fi for Macs in your organization? Share your experience in the discussion thread below.