Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Second Edition

Multihoming

Speaking of different ways to get online, Mac OS X offers one of the coolest features known to Internet-loving mankind: multihoming. That’s the ability to auto-detect which Internet connection methods are available, and then switch to the fastest one available—automatically.

This feature is especially ideal for laptops. When you open your Web browser, your laptop might first check to see if it’s at the office, plugged into a cable modem via the Ethernet—the fastest possible connection. If not, it automatically looks for an AirPort network. Finally, if it draws a blank there, the laptop reluctantly dials the modem. It may not be the fastest Internet connection, but it’s all you’ve got at the moment.

In short, for each location you create, you can specify which network connections the Mac should look for, and in which order. You can even turn off some connections entirely. For example, if you have a desktop Mac that’s always connected to a cable modem, you may never want your Mac to dial using its built-in modem. In that case, you could turn off the modem entirely.

Here’s how to go about using this multihoming feature:

1. Open System Preferences. Click the Network icon.

   Make sure the appropriate location is selected in the Location pop-up menu.

2. From the Show pop-up menu, choose Network Port Configurations.

   Now you see the display shown in Figure 18-7. It lists all the different ways your Mac knows how to go online, or onto an office network.

3. Drag the items up and down in the list ...