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Why can't Lion location work as well as iPad?

R

RedElectro

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 26, 2010
140
0
United Kingdom
I work in a school and need to access the wifi network through a proxy server. I have two locations set up on my MBP one for work (with proxy) and one for home (without). After recently buying the 3rd generation iPad I was pleasantly surprised to find out, that once setup, the iPad handles all of the location switching automatically (and proxies) and the entire process to me is transparent.

Why can't Lion handle this in the same way? I would've thought the 'automatic' option would've offered something similar, but doesn't seem to do anything at all?!

Am I doing something wrong? Have I missed something really obvious?


Thanks in advance! :)
 
RedElectro said:
I work in a school and need to access the wifi network through a proxy server. I have two locations set up on my MBP one for work (with proxy) and one for home (without). After recently buying the 3rd generation iPad I was pleasantly surprised to find out, that once setup, the iPad handles all of the location switching automatically (and proxies) and the entire process to me is transparent.

Why can't Lion handle this in the same way? I would've thought the 'automatic' option would've offered something similar, but doesn't seem to do anything at all?!

Am I doing something wrong? Have I missed something really obvious?


Thanks in advance! :)
Click to expand...


are you saying it doesn't automatically connect to networks it was previously connected too?

My MBP on Lion does this with no problems
 
Well unless I am missing something my iPad and iPhone are better at moving around networks compared to my macbook air.

I use a static ip address at home as I prefer assigning IPs when I can. But unlike on my iOS devices that static IP stays with the Wifi settings on my mb. So if I forget to change locations I can't access anything when I use the mb someplace else.

Ideally I wouldn't even have to use locations. If Lion saved WiFi preferences on a per-connection basis it would just revert back to DHCP on any network but the one in my home.




Michael
 
RedElectro said:
"remember networks this computer has joined" is ticked, but purely by accident as I didn't even now it existed until your post!
Click to expand...
It remembers the SSID and passcode for wifi networks but it doesn't seem to save the TCP settings. That is the part I do not like. I don't like having to manual change location. iOS devices don't need that as they do save TCP settings separately for each network.



Michael
 
Tinmania said:
Well unless I am missing something my iPad and iPhone are better at moving around networks compared to my macbook air.

I use a static ip address at home as I prefer assigning IPs when I can. But unlike on my iOS devices that static IP stays with the Wifi settings on my mb. So if I forget to change locations I can't access anything when I use the mb someplace else.

Ideally I wouldn't even have to use locations. If Lion saved WiFi preferences on a per-connection basis it would just revert back to DHCP on any network but the one in my home.

Michael
Click to expand...

I do the same thing, and the simplest way I have found to achieve this is to always use automatically for my MBP wifi settings and then to assign the statics within my dhcp server at home. I have the static ip assigned by the the mac address. This way when I come home, viola connected and a static ip, when I am out and about it polls the server as expected and I get an assigned IP with no hassle of changing settings, etc. I have been doing this for years this way without a hitch.
 
squeakr said:
I do the same thing, and the simplest way I have found to achieve this is to always use automatically for my MBP wifi settings and then to assign the statics within my dhcp server at home. I have the static ip assigned by the the mac address. This way when I come home, viola connected and a static ip, when I am out and about it polls the server as expected and I get an assigned IP with no hassle of changing settings, etc. I have been doing this for years this way without a hitch.
Click to expand...
There is an old saying: "God takes care of drunkards and fools."

What you are doing is very bad practice and has worked only by happy accident--happy for you. You should not use a fixed IP address with a wireless router. If it is your router, then you can do with it what you want. However, there is no advantage to using a fixed IP address. In the case of a public Wi-Fi network, your fixed IP address may conflict with the IP address assigned to another device by the router's DHCP server.

Until recently, your rather outrageous practice worked only because most wireless routers assign the same range of IP addresses. As ever more laptops, tablets, and smart phones use public Wi-Fi networks, the probability that your chosen fixed IP address will conflict with another device on public networks will rise exponentially.

This is more than a suggestion. When accessing public Wi-Fi networks, use an automatically assigned IP address.
 
MisterMe said:
There is an old saying: "God takes care of drunkards and fools."

What you are doing is very bad practice and has worked only by happy accident--happy for you. You should not use a fixed IP address with a wireless router. If it is your router, then you can do with it what you want. However, there is no advantage to using a fixed IP address. In the case of a public Wi-Fi network, your fixed IP address may conflict with the IP address assigned to another device by the router's DHCP server.

Until recently, your rather outrageous practice worked only because most wireless routers assign the same range of IP addresses. As ever more laptops, tablets, and smart phones use public Wi-Fi networks, the probability that your chosen fixed IP address will conflict with another device on public networks will rise exponentially.

This is more than a suggestion. When accessing public Wi-Fi networks, use an automatically assigned IP address.
Click to expand...


Okay mr snide remark, I hope that God is looking out for you, as you definitely fall into one of those two categories at the moment.

Thanks for your sentiments and incorrect assumptions. As you know nothing of my network, I am unsure how you can say that I am using bad and unacceptable practices. The rules for assigning the static ip are on my home server (not my wifi router as assumed) that is assigning the addressing throughout and within my home network, and not on the mac book as you are assuming. The MBP wifi is set to standard dhcp assigned, so that when on public and other private networks I get assigned addressing from that particular dchp server (and not the same ip I have for home) that I am connected to at the time. When I return home and connect to my firewalled network, the mac address of my MBP is read and interpreted by the network and I am assigned the preallocated static IP address I have established within my DHCP server. There is a benefit as now I can talk to and share my information throughout my home network with the other computers on my network and server and access them through the static addressing assigned if my DNS server fails.

Tell me how I am breaking some great networking practice and getting through on blind dumb luck? Also correct me in how I should set it up different, as this is how many corporate level networks are configured??

This is what I was suggesting the other user do (assign the address as a rule on their home system and leave the MBP setting to DHCP assigned), but I guess you misread/misunderstood my setup instructions??
 
Last edited:
squeakr said:
Okay mr snide remark, I hope that God is looking out for you, as you definitely fall into one of those two categories at the moment.

Thanks for your sentiments and incorrect assumptions. As you know nothing of my network, I am unsure how you can say that I am using bad and unacceptable practices. The rules for assigning the static ip are on my home server (not my wifi router as assumed) that is assigning the addressing throughout and within my home network, and not on the mac book as you are assuming. The MBP wifi is set to standard dhcp assigned, so that when on public and other private networks I get assigned addressing from that particular dchp server (and not the same ip I have for home) that I am connected to at the time. When I return home and connect to my firewalled network, the mac address of my MBP is read and interpreted by the network and I am assigned the preallocated static IP address I have established within my DHCP server. There is a benefit as now I can talk to and share my information throughout my home network with the other computers on my network and server and access them through the static addressing assigned if my DNS server fails.

Tell me how I am breaking some great networking practice and getting through on blind dumb luck? Also correct me in how I should set it up different, as this is how many corporate level networks are configured??

This is what I was suggesting the other user do (assign the address as a rule on their home system and leave the MBP setting to DHCP assigned), but I guess you misread/misunderstood my setup instructions??
Click to expand...

I applaud your effort at rationalizing with such lunacy. I would probably have responded to that nonsense with just two words, and they ain't happy birthday. :)



Michael
 
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