rMBP Not Connecting To Known WiFi Networks Automatically

[steiney]

Hello all,

My late 2013 rMBP running Mavericks 10.9.4 seems to have lost the ability to automatically connect to known wifi networks. I'm not sure how it happened but I noticed the behavior recently.

At the moment, my workaround is an Applescript triggered by a keyboard shortcut via Alfred that turns off the Airport card and then turns it back on again.

I am running NoSleep so that my computer does not sleep when I close the lid. This is the only thing I can think of that could be interfering with the Airport card doing it's normal routine.

95% of the time, I am just moving the computer back and forth between my home and work. So, when I leave one location, the Airport obviously disconnects from the wifi router, but when I arrive at the other location, it does not search for or connect to that location's wifi router.

I am guessing it does some searching after I have left the previous location, but by the time I have arrived at the other location, the network searching function has timed out.

Is there any way to prevent it from timing out or would that just waste too much battery life?

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

steiney

 

[simonsi]

Hello all,

My late 2013 rMBP running Mavericks 10.9.4 seems to have lost the ability to automatically connect to known wifi networks. I'm not sure how it happened but I noticed the behavior recently.

At the moment, my workaround is an Applescript triggered by a keyboard shortcut via Alfred that turns off the Airport card and then turns it back on again.

I am running NoSleep so that my computer does not sleep when I close the lid. This is the only thing I can think of that could be interfering with the Airport card doing it's normal routine.

95% of the time, I am just moving the computer back and forth between my home and work. So, when I leave one location, the Airport obviously disconnects from the wifi router, but when I arrive at the other location, it does not search for or connect to that location's wifi router.

I am guessing it does some searching after I have left the previous location, but by the time I have arrived at the other location, the network searching function has timed out.

Is there any way to prevent it from timing out or would that just waste too much battery life?

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

steiney

Stop running NoSleep.

See if it still occurs.

 

[steiney]

Stop running NoSleep.

See if it still occurs.

If I stop running NoSleep, the problem will stop occurring. When I arrive at a new location, the computer will wake up and search for a wifi network. My questions if anyone knows of a way to get the computer to not time out on it's search for a known wifi network, e.g. an Applescript that runs whenever the wifi is disconnect and checks every minute or so until it finds a known network.

 

[simonsi]

If I stop running NoSleep, the problem will stop occurring. When I arrive at a new location, the computer will wake up and search for a wifi network. My questions if anyone knows of a way to get the computer to not time out on it's search for a known wifi network, e.g. an Applescript that runs whenever the wifi is disconnect and checks every minute or so until it finds a known network.

Poor behaviour of NoSleep, you should raise it with them, it is the same as if you were moving around a building with different open access points, a vanilla MBP would connect as it moved, it would also search and reconnect when it woke up from sleep. NoSleep appears to be stopping that basic behaviour.

It may not be timing out as such, NoSleep may be inhibiting the search behaviour happening at all. While running NoSleep does it ever connect of its own accord or do you always have to restart the WiFi card?

You seem to have a pretty good workaround, I can't think of a better one.

Can I ask why you are running NoSleep AND moving around enough to change WiFi network - most users I would have thought would use that facility in a static location??

 

[steiney]

It may not be timing out as such, NoSleep may be inhibiting the search behaviour happening at all. While running NoSleep does it ever connect of its own accord or do you always have to restart the WiFi card?

No, the Airport card never connects to a wifi network on it's own. Currently, I trigger the Applescript. Prior to that, I was clicking on the wifi icon in the menu bar, and then waiting while the airport card searched for all the nearby networks, then I would select my work or home network.

You seem to have a pretty good workaround, I can't think of a better one.

I was actually searching earlier for an Applescript that does the disconnecting AND reconnecting, versus me having to press the keyboard shortcut twice to trigger my current Applescript that just turns the Airport on or off.

I was also searching for an Applescript that would watch to see when the Airport disconnected and then try searching for networks every minute and connect to a known network when it comes in range, overriding the negative effect of NoSleep and negating my need to hit the keyboard shortcut every time I get to a new location.

Can I ask why you are running NoSleep AND moving around enough to change WiFi network - most users I would have thought would use that facility in a static location??

Sure. I take my computer back and forth between work and home, Monday through Friday. When I'm at either location, I like to be able to just shut the lid when I am not using the computer but allow the computer to still run so that downloads continue, emails continue to come in as they are sent to me, etc. At home, it makes me feel that the screen is safer when the computer is unattended because it is shut and in a less vulnerable position. And in either location, closing the lid also acts to lock the computer, so no one can mess with it. At work, it's a security issue because I deal with clients financial documents and other sensitive materials and at home it mitigates pranking by my housemates.

 

[simonsi]

Yes I was thinking if you could come up with a script to detect the loss of one network and then periodically reset the wifi card hence triggering the search for a new network....but I don't know how to achieve that, above my pay grade in scripting

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At work, it's a security issue because I deal with clients financial documents and other sensitive materials and at home it mitigates pranking by my housemates.

See your point - I use Keycard to help with that, once your phone is paired to the MBP it locks the MBP if you go out of BT range (with a choice of sensitivity), cooly unlocking when you return with the phone in hand...

Surely though it isn't downloading any emails etc when in transit as it isn't on a network????

 

[steiney]

Yes I was thinking if you could come up with a script to detect the loss of one network and then periodically reset the wifi card hence triggering the search for a new network....but I don't know how to achieve that, above my pay grade in scripting

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See your point - I use Keycard to help with that, once your phone is paired to the MBP it locks the MBP if you go out of BT range (with a choice of sensitivity), cooly unlocking when you return with the phone in hand...

Surely though it isn't downloading any emails etc when in transit as it isn't on a network????

Yeah, I don't know anything about scripting, so I was hoping to find something already written online. No such luck though.

I thought about the BT method for locking the computer, but I don't want to drain my battery during the day, keeping the BT connected all day and night. And I don't always keep my phone with me when I'm at home. I like to "disconnect" from work sometimes when I get home and not toting my phone around the house helps with that.

You are correct, nothing is downloading when I'm in transit. I actually forgot to mention before, but I could just toggle NoSleep off before I close the lid of my computer to transport it to another location, but that takes a click on the menu bar which is actually more of a pain than hitting the keyboard shortcut when I arrive at the new location, and if I don't let the computer sleep, I don't have to wait for it to wake up when I get to the new location.

EDIT: I just re-read that and realized how lazy it makes me sound that I am fretting over a matter of clicking a button on the menu bar! Oh well. I guess I'm just spoiled by this computer age we live in and I really want everything to automated so I don't have to click or push buttons to make the computer do what I want.

 

[simonsi]

and if I don't let the computer sleep, I don't have to wait for it to wake up when I get to the new location.

Mine takes like 0 seconds to wake up, enter password and its ready...

 

[snaky69]

Yeah, I don't know anything about scripting, so I was hoping to find something already written online. No such luck though.

I thought about the BT method for locking the computer, but I don't want to drain my battery during the day, keeping the BT connected all day and night. And I don't always keep my phone with me when I'm at home. I like to "disconnect" from work sometimes when I get home and not toting my phone around the house helps with that.

You are correct, nothing is downloading when I'm in transit. I actually forgot to mention before, but I could just toggle NoSleep off before I close the lid of my computer to transport it to another location, but that takes a click on the menu bar which is actually more of a pain than hitting the keyboard shortcut when I arrive at the new location, and if I don't let the computer sleep, I don't have to wait for it to wake up when I get to the new location.

EDIT: I just re-read that and realized how lazy it makes me sound that I am fretting over a matter of clicking a button on the menu bar! Oh well. I guess I'm just spoiled by this computer age we live in and I really want everything to automated so I don't have to click or push buttons to make the computer do what I want.

Or you know, you could just let the computer sleep normally. Unless your email server sucks, you'll receive all of those the second you reconnect to the internet, so it's no faster or slower than it was before. E-mails are time stamped so you'll have them in the correct order in your inbox too.

NoSleep should be used for your situations when the computer really must stay awake. And even then, you could simply turn off the sleep timer and leave the lid open.

 

[Weaselboy]

When I'm at either location, I like to be able to just shut the lid when I am not using the computer but allow the computer to still run so that downloads continue, emails continue to come in as they are sent to me, etc.

Your Mac supports Powernap and should continue to receive email even with the lid closed and the system asleep.

 

[steiney]

Thanks all for your input and/or help! I figured out another workaround for the case where the laptop is open before I leave one location. I created an Automator workflow to toggle NoSleep on/off, saved it as an app and assigned it a keyboard shortcut via Alfred.

So, if the computer is open/awake before leaving one location, I use the keyboard shortcut to turn off NoSleep before shutting the lid and transporting the computer. Then, when I wake the computer at the new location, it automatically finds and connects to the new wifi network. If the computer lid is closed when I leave and transport the computer, then when I open it at the new location, I use the wifi on/off keyboard shortcut instead.

The whole situation is still not as automatic as I would like, but that last little bit is definitely an improvement for me!