Using locations on MacBook Air

[case2001]

I have googled and searched the forum about this issue but still do not really understand the function of the location setting on my MacBook air wifi.

I usually use the automatic setting for connecting to wifi using DHCP. This works fine for 90% of what I do. However, one office I go to my machine will not connect with DHCP with automatic ip. I have to manually assign an ip address them I am good to go. I thought I could set up a different location as roaming with that office's wifi setting and just switch locations and it would work. But this does not seem to work. If I set up the roaming location with DHCP with manual ip it will work, but when I go back to automatic the DHCP with automatic IP, the settings do not seem to switch back. It seem to stick with DHCP with manual IP. I am missing the point of the Locations option in wifi? Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks for any help. I appreciate it.

 

[case2001]

Responding to my own question, but it may help someone else.

The locations settings do appear to change the IP settings as I outlined above. What I did was delete all my known networks under my "Roaming" Location.

Then i created a new location call "Office". I then set the IP settings to DHCP and manual IP. I created a "Home" Location with DHCP and automatic IP settings. Now when I go to the office, I select Office location and it changes my IP settings automatically. I believe my problem was I did not delete the Office wifi network under my old "Roaming" location but simply created a new location called "Office" and the Office wifi network settings were be "pulled" from the Roaming location including the IP settings (which were DHCP automatic) from there.

Hope the makes sense and helps someone else.