Why doesn’t Mac OS X automatically join wireless networks?

[Aayush]

Hello.

I often leave my MacBook Pro connected to the Internet via my Time Capsule powered Wi-Fi setup and leave the room, only to return hours later. If the there’s a power cut in the meanwhile though, the Time Capsule gets switched off and my Mac is disconnected from the Wi-Fi network.

What I want to know is why doesn’t it just automatically rejoin the last network it was on when the power comes back on the Wi-Fi setup is reinstated again? This is driving me batty. Is there any fix for this?

Thanks.

 

[bananabar]

I've always been annoyed by this but only reading your post realised that, of course, the iPhone will remember networks and automatically join them. So why not the full OS X?!

I don't have an answer but wanted to note my interest in this topic!

Anyone know why? Is there a way?

 

[Aayush]

I've always been annoyed by this but only reading your post realised that, of course, the iPhone will remember networks and automatically join them. So why not the full OS X?!

Exactly!

 

[millar876]

all my macs do, but i have the WiFi passwords stored in my keychain, and sometimes it joins the wrong network (4 in the house - BT Openzone, BT Homehub, Apple 11g base station and apple 11n base station)(dont ask there is a good reason)

 

[reh]

My Macs always automatically rejoin the network. The only time they had a problem was when I had the SSID hidden.

 

[AdeFowler]

My Macs always automatically rejoin the network.

+1

In System Preferences>Network there's an option to ask before joining a new network; make sure that's unchecked.

 

[bananabar]

If my AirPort Express is on and I open my MBP, it will indeed find and join my network but if I then power cycle my AirPort Express, my MBP will not automatically find and join it and will simply sit internetless - I need to click the wifi icon and select it.

My iPhone, however, will re-join it without any prompting.

So why won't the full OS X?

 

[millar876]

my iPhone, iMac G3, iMac Intel CD, Powerbook G4, 11g base station, 11n Express, Wii and PS3 ALL reconnect automaticly to my 11n base station if I Cycle the power, and by that i mean yany out the power from the back of it then plug it back in. as I said above Keychain. also maybe in network preffs, Airport, tell it to automaticly join preffered networks and add yours to the list.

Windows annoys the crap outa me by joining the open public hotspot neer my house because it thinks it has a stronger signal than the base station sitting about 3ft from it and for the heck of it all I cant figure out how to stop it doing it, nor do I realy care, because I only boot into windows to play (single player campeigns of) LotR BfME I & II, The Orrange Box & Bioshock.

 

[bananabar]

Well this is strange - keychain has my password and my MBP only has one network to remember. But if I power cycle my APE (.11n) it won't join it again until I tell it to.

 

[AdeFowler]

Nice name

 

[bananabar]

For ages it was called "Free wireless internet!" I liked the idea of people's joy quickly being crushed when they were asked for a password.

Aaah. One of life's little joys.

MacRumours users should all offer each other free hotspots. We should all call our wifi the same thing with the same password. That's man helping his neighbour and no mistake.

 

[AdeFowler]

For ages it was called "Free wireless internet!" I liked the idea of people's joy quickly being crushed when they were asked for a password.

My neighbours is called 'Red Hot Dutch' for the same reason

 

[millar876]

there is a box somwhere in network preffs, that you can add networks too ( dont have a mac at work, BOO!) but you clich the little + box and add the network to there, I think its called prefered networks, not sure tho.

 

[millar876]

the box possibly lives near where you took the screen shot from

 

[kolax]

Always joins for me.

I have about 6 wireless networks I use, at home and university. As soon as I enter my password to unlock my Mac from sleep, it has already connected to the wireless network and ready to go.

 

[Aayush]

If my AirPort Express is on and I open my MBP, it will indeed find and join my network but if I then power cycle my AirPort Express, my MBP will not automatically find and join it and will simply sit internetless - I need to click the wifi icon and select it.

My iPhone, however, will re-join it without any prompting.

So why won't the full OS X?

I’m in exactly the same situation as you. It does join the network automatically when it wakes up from sleep, but never after a power cycle. And yes, I have the password saved in my system keychain, have only one network, and it is added to the preferred networks list. Mine is a first generation Core Duo 17" MacBook Pro and it used to work this way on Tiger and has continued on in Leopard. I’ve even done a clean install once but that didn’t fix the problem. And my first generation iPhone has no problem joining my network automatically whenever it is available.

Weird…

 

[sOwL]

go to network preferences>advanced and check "Remember any network this computer has joined". I know that this option is meant for something else, but once i realised that when i disabled it, i had the same problem with the OP. Re-enabled it and now works fine again.