HELP!!!! Proxy settings

[scotyboy56]

I have a Mac which i use for work and personal use and I dont want to have to keep changing the proxy settings for every school I go to and I cover 5 schools. I really dont want to use locations as that will just annoy me and get on my nerves. If anyone knows of a piece of software which you can easily change it or if there is a script to change the proxy settings that would be amazing

[ste1988]

Its 3 clicks to change the location, i guess you can get that down to 1 with a switch

[scotyboy56]

I know its just 3 clicks but its a hassle when i get home as i dont want to have a location just for home. what do you mean switch?

[ste1988]

Ive seen custom apps, which sit on the desktop and its just a drop down with locations on. home/school etc

 

easily switch between the two.

 

That was on a linux netbook, that the children have.

[scotyboy56]

That sounds perfect tbh do you have any idea what one for a mac would be as I have a 13" MacBook pro

[HodgeHi]

How can locations get on your nerves. Its 2 clicks. The initial configuration can be a bit of a pain but other than that, relatively simple to use and not really fiddly.

 

Edit: someone beat me to it. However, you can just have the automatic location set for home. This would have no proxy info set at all.

Edited May 22, 2012 by HodgeHi

[scotyboy56]

Just the fact of setting them up annoys me tbh and I dont want to have to go to network in system prefferences and change it constantly would just like something in my dock or desktop to change the location quickly without openeing stuff up.

[HodgeHi]

You don't have to go into System Prefs each time to change the location. You can just go to the Apple menu >Locations >Work/home/whatever-you-have-set-up.

[localzuk]

Whilst I disagree with your somewhat over the top dislike for having to use something that is a couple of clicks away, I have a possible solution.

 

Write some AppleScripts - each one for setting the proxy for a specific place, and one for unsetting it (ie. home).

 

An example of such an apple script is available here - Toggle web proxy settings via AppleScript - Mac OS X Hints

[scotyboy56]

wow never knew that thanks thats really helped tbh. Love Apple for always making things easy

[HodgeHi]

wow never knew that thanks thats really helped tbh. Love Apple for always making things easy

 

The menu option doesn't show up in 10.5+ until another location has been created.

[scotyboy56]

fair enough then is there any way to set a default location so whenever you turn the laptop on it defaults to that one?

[HodgeHi]

Not that I know to. Your best bet would be to look at the applescripts that @localzuk linked to and look at startup scripts or something.

[scotyboy56]

Thanks for all your help HodgeHI

[HodgeHi]

No worries

[nicklec]

I used to use macropolo (now maintained as ControlPlane | Context Sensitive Computing) to switch locations based on the local subnet, we've no longer got a proxy so I've not used it since.