Disable "none of your preferred networks are available" window?

[Elo Everidge]

Right after logging in Leopard displays the window "None of your preferred networks are available" when Airport is activated and you are not connected to any wireless network even though Leopard detects one or more. I find this rather annoying, considering the fact that I use my laptop at many locations where I actually use wired network access (and yes, Leopard even shows the window if you have a perfectly fine cable connection to the Internet).

Anybody know if and how one can disable this "feature"? I'd be perfectly happy to click the Airport icon in the menu bar myself in the rare occasions that I want to connect to a network that I have never used before.

 

[Chris Grande]

Uncheck "Ask to Join New Networks" in System Preferences -> Network -> AirPort.

 

[Elo Everidge]

Never mind, I found the answer here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1257227

System Preferences>Network>Airport>Uncheck "Ask to join new networks"

As the original poster in that thread, I always assumed that meant that OS X would automatically join unknown networks without asking. But that's not the case.

(Edit: Thanks for the quick reply, Chris Grande.)

 

[killmoms]

As the original poster in that thread, I always assumed that meant that OS X would automatically join unknown networks without asking. But that's not the case.

That would be a pretty big security risk.

 

[Chris Grande]

That would be a pretty big security risk.

And one that was in Windows for a rather long time, wasn't fixed until XP SP2 if I remember correctly. I don't think any version of Mac OS (all the way back to OS 9) would join a network without asking first.

 

[spamdumpster]

Good thread, I needed to disable that on my new MBA.

Also, shouldn't it be, "None of your preferred networks IS available"? I was always taught that "none" was singular."

 

[gustavopi]

That would be a pretty big security risk.

And what about Ethernet (Internet by cable modem)? In theory I'm in a network of my Internet provider and my Mac connect without asking, is there a risk in this case?

 

[andreasfmpro]

Uncheck "Ask to join new networks"?

I unchecked the box "Ask to join new networks".

Now, I do not get the dialog box prompting me to select a network. Great!

Of course, this way I cannot connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, so I have to invoke the drop down menu myself, in order to select my network.

Yeah, that was very helpful.