Unlocking iMac question

[GIZBUG]

I have WiFi turned off on my iMac as my house is hard wired and I prefer using my Cat6a lines more WiFi. However when I turn WiFi off I can no longer unlock my iMac with my watch?
Suggestions? Do I have to be in the WiFi to benefit from this unlock feature? If so I guess I would have to decide what is more important (speed or unlock with watch)?

 

[ipaqowner]

Do I have to be in the WiFi to benefit from this unlock feature?

Yes, how else do you expect your watch to communicate with your other equipment.

 

[iamasmith]

Yes, how else do you expect your watch to communicate with your other equipment.

Actually it is a fair question if these networks are bridged then there should be nothing stopping service discovery.

There may, however, be some additional facter that checks SSIDs or auth public keys match to avoid spoofing unlock in another location of course.

 

[cateye]

Suggestions? Do I have to be in the WiFi to benefit from this unlock feature? If so I guess I would have to decide what is more important (speed or unlock with watch)?

Network interfaces are not either-or. You can be connected to both ethernet and wireless. Simply put your ethernet connection at the top of the list in the Network control panel. That way your computer will prefer that connection for all traffic, but it will still be accessible via the wireless connection.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

I assumed watch unlocking was accomplished through bluetooth. I do keep wifi on on my macbook tho - no ethernet jack on modern models...

Interesting find, OP. Thanks.

 

[matrix07]

Network interfaces are not either-or. You can be connected to both ethernet and wireless. Simply put your ethernet connection at the top of the list in the Network control panel. That way your computer will prefer that connection for all traffic, but it will still be accessible via the wireless connection.

This. This is what I did to my Mac mini. You can have Ethernet and WiFi on at the same time. If you can’t plug in Ethernet however, that’s when WiFi will be your only choice.

 

[seinman]

Yes, how else do you expect your watch to communicate with your other equipment.

Bluetooth.

 

[macduke]

I have WiFi turned off on my iMac as my house is hard wired and I prefer using my Cat6a lines more WiFi. However when I turn WiFi off I can no longer unlock my iMac with my watch?
Suggestions? Do I have to be in the WiFi to benefit from this unlock feature? If so I guess I would have to decide what is more important (speed or unlock with watch)?

I assumed watch unlocking was accomplished through bluetooth. I do keep wifi on on my macbook tho - no ethernet jack on modern models...

Interesting find, OP. Thanks.

Bluetooth.

Fun fact: It actually uses a little-known WiFi protocol known as 802.11v. The Mac needs to be using 802.11ac or newer because those Broadcom chipsets support 802.11v, which is a time of flight timestamp packet used for additional security that makes sure your Apple Watch is within a ~10ft radius of your Mac when it unlocks it. This is a part of the handoff protocol that it uses to authenticate with macOS.

Network interfaces are not either-or. You can be connected to both ethernet and wireless. Simply put your ethernet connection at the top of the list in the Network control panel. That way your computer will prefer that connection for all traffic, but it will still be accessible via the wireless connection.

This is the correct answer and what the OP needs to do. At work I plug my MBP into ethernet so that I can more quickly upload and download files from our web and file servers (and not have to use VPN), but I leave WiFi enabled lower in the stack for handoff, Apple Watch unlock, and AirDrop. It's also handy for when I run to a meeting I don't have to toggle my WiFi back on. It just works.