Switching Locations

If you travel with a laptop, you may find yourself frequently opening up System Preferences→Network so you can switch between Internet settings: Ethernet at the office, WiFi at home.

The simple solution is the →Location submenu, which appears once you’ve set up more than one Location. As Figure 17-6 illustrates, all you have to do is tell it where you are. OS X handles the details of switching Internet connections.

Creating a New Location

To create a Location, which is nothing more than a set of memorized settings, open System Preferences, click Network, and then choose Edit Locations from the Location pop-up menu. Continue as shown in Figure 17-6 at bottom.

Tip

You can use the commands in the menu to rename or duplicate a Location.

Top: The Location feature lets you switch from one “location” to another by choosing its name—either from the menu (top) or from an identical pop-up menu that appears in the Network pane of System Preferences.Automatic means “the standard, default one you originally set up.” (Don’t be fooled: Despite its name, Automatic isn’t the only location that offers multihoming, described earlier in this chapter.)Bottom: When you choose Edit Locations, your Locations appear; click the button. A new entry appears at the bottom of the list. Type a name for your new location, such as Chicago Office or Dining Room Floor.

Figure 17-6. Top: The Location feature lets you switch from one “location” to another by choosing its name—either from the menu (top) or from an identical pop-up menu that appears in the Network pane of System Preferences. Automatic means “the standard, default one you originally set up.” (Don’t be fooled: Despite its name, Automatic isn’t the ...

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