Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition

252 switching to the mac: the missing manual

simply visit the branch office from time to time, and you’re getting tired of having to

change the local access number for your ISP each time you leave home (and return

home again).

The simple solution is the aÆLocation submenu. As Figure 9-5 illustrates, all you

have to do is tell it where you are. Mac OS X handles the details of switching to the

correct Internet connection and phone number.

Creating a New Location

To create a Location, which is nothing more than a set of memorized settings, open

System Preferences, click Network, and choose New Location from the Location pop-

up menu. You’ll be asked to provide a name for your new location, such as Chicago

Office or Dining Room Floor.

When you click OK, you return to the Network pane, which is now blank. Take this

opportunity to set up the kind of Internet connection you use at the corresponding

location, just as described on the first pages of this chapter. If you travel frequently,

in fact, you can use Location Manager to build a long list of city locations, each of

which “knows” the local phone number for your Internet access company (because

you’ve entered it on the PPP tab).

Making the Switch

Once you’ve set up your various locations, you can switch among them using either

the Location pop-up menu (in System PreferencesÆNetwork) or the aÆLocation

submenu, as shown in Figure 9-5. As ...