OS X :: How Does OSX Prioritize Network Connections?
Jan 9, 2008
This is a technical question out of pure curiosity. I could probably dig through the documentation, but that would probably take longer than my curiosity would hold out, so I figured "why not ask?"
I occasionally switch between wireless (g) and wired (gigabit) networking with my home laptop on occasions when I want the extra speed for accessing large files. I'd noted before that this was pretty transparent, but for the heck of it I did a test today:
Connected to my home server (10.4's built-in AFP sharing, gigabit to a new Airport hub) using wireless, and started playing a medium-bandwidth (1.5Mbit/s) video file. With it playing, I connected the hardwired Ethernet, waited a bit for it to get an IP address, then tuned off the Airport card. I was honestly surprised that the video didn't even stop playing (and not due to caching), so obviously the transition was transparent enough to the app that it didn't stall out long enough to mess up the video. Switching back worked as well--in fact, I could tell it was changing, because via wireless there were slight glitches in playback, I'm assuming due to the way the player (mis-)handled preloading on a relatively slow connection.
Which got me wondering: How exactly does OSX prioritize network traffic when there are two available paths? All to the faster one, some connections prioritized over others based on hardware, or does it spread traffic around?
Also, given two alternate paths to the internet, what kind (if any) of load-sharing will the OS do by default? I'd always assumed that you'd need a special router to combine two separate internet connections (say, cable and DSL), but this got me wondering if OSX (given two network paths) would do some of this load-sharing by itself. I of course don't have two internet connections in the same place to try this with.
My MBP 3,1 (early 2008?) normally just connects to my WLAN when I start it up but very occasionally it connects to a nearby WiFi Hotspot. When it does, turning Airport off then on again sometimes gets it to connect to my WLAN but sometimes it just keeps re-connecting the the hotspot. The only solution - and it works every time - is to reboot. But rebooting seems such a Windows thing to have to do.
Does Airport "prioritize" its choice of connection, e.g. first tries to connect to the last WLAN it was connected to? One other thing. If I go into Network Prefs and click the Advanced button, I see my WLAN there but there seems to be no way to tell it to connect to that particular WLAN - the equivalent dialogue in Windows for example has a Connect button so you can select a WLAN and hit connect to force it to (try to) connect to that one, but there's no Connect button in OS X. In case it's important, I don't broadcast the SSID on my WLAN.
This is my sis's Mac mini, running the latest Lion OS and latest iTunes version 10.6.1 Her mac mini is on our home Airport Wireless Network.
Whenever she launch iTunes, she gets this pop-up message:
Do you want the application "iTunes.app" to accept incoming nework connections Deny and Allow buttons. Every single time have to click 'Allow' to continue.
Check the Firewall settings, it's on. Inside Advance Settings the iTunes allow all incoming connections. This is not really annoying and disturbing, but have to allow almost every day when iTunes is launched. The other way is to disable Firewall.
Info: iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3), iPhone 4S 64G, iPad2 3G+WiFi 64G
In our house we have 4 macs...two of them are new and I set them up by restoring from TimeMachine rather than with the migration tool as I have done in the past. This was recommended to me as a "cleaner" way to set up new machines (at least on an alternating basis).
On these two new machines I get a popup "Do you the application "microsoft word.app" to accept incoming network connections (this is also for excel or any office product). I'm still using Office for Mac 2008.
The only way I can find to stop these annoying popups is to turn off the fire wall, which I do not want to do (and which I have not done on the 2 mac books and they work fine).
Is there some setting or script I can run to fix this?
When I quit Word:mac 2008, I always get an error message that reads:"A file error has occurred. Check your network connections or make sure the disk is properly inserted and not defective.I have repaired permissions, rebooted, and did everything I could think of to fix this without any luck.
I have someone monitoring my outgoing internet connections. That person sends pings, knows my logs and IP addresses I connect with, Skype is of his highest interest. Is there any way to protect myself from people monitoring what I do and what websites I visit? Or at least to know WHEN I am being watched? Is Network Utility of any help?
Is so, how to interpret it? I don't know much about MacBook, I was a Windows person till July. I had Tor, Privoxy and NetShield installed but it's a bit fussy and slows the connection. I have a MacBook with Intel 2.1 GHz processor, Leopard 10.5.6 OS and Safari 4 beta (552816). I use a wireless internet connection via a USB modem (Huawei E220). That person uses a PC with Windows XP.
I have several home security cameras that utilize Java.I've had them for years. But just in the past day, I've begun noticing a lightning fast popup that comes flying by and leaves so fast I can't even read it. It happens when I first launch one of the cameras in either Safari or Firefox (likely would do the same in other browsers too. I finally had to use a screen recording app to be able to record when the pop up flies by.I then slowly scrolled and paused on the message.It is a standard security message that says, "Do you want the application "Java" to accept incoming network connections?"
There is an ALLOW and DENY button but there's no way the popup ever is on the screen long enough for you to even read it, let alone click on a selection. I see lots of other posts about this around the discussion forum and I see how I could go into the Security preferences and perhaps allow network connections there, assuming I can figure out how to point to the correct piece of Java code (System/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/1.6.0.jdk???) But my bigger question is why now? I haven't done any updates in the recent past and I log onto to these cameras every day... Granted this popup goes by fast but it is noticeable... Had it been there a week ago I would have noticed it... But no... It just started today. Why? And why would any message that seeks a user choice automatically appear and then disappear within a fraction of a second?
I have (had) an effective VPN connection established on my iMac to enable connection to my work computer. I recently reviewed my use of users, creating a separate administer account and changing my home account privileges from admin to 'standard'.
I am now unable to use the VPN connection from my home account. The connection shows in the Network pane but the "Connect" button is greyed out. If I unlock the Network pane using the administrator details the Connect button becomes operational.If I change to the administrator account I can use the connection fine.
How can I enable the use of the VPN connection from a standard user, having locked the network connections (for the sake of not having children interfere with the network settings)?
Info: iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.4)
I get this Accept or Deny message every time I open iTunes. I realize I have Firewall enabled, but is there anyway to set itunes to accept automatically?
Because I have Firewall enabled, everytime that I launch iTunes, I get a popup asking me: "Do you want the application "iTunes.app" to accept incoming network connections?" I click on "Allow." But unlike other applications where this process is only asked once, the first time you launch an app, I'm asked this every time.
I've talked with AppleCare about this, and the representative told me it may be because I've disabled "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library," because I prefer to organize my music folders my own way. She offered 2 work arounds:
1) Enable file sharing of my Music folder. It didn't work. The prompt still occurs every launch.
2) Reinstall iTunes. However, admittedly, she said this may not necessarily resolve the issue as it could simply be because I'm not using iTunes' file location by enabling "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library."
Does anyone have any idea how to resolve this? Also, if I reinstall iTunes, will I have to re-add my Library to iTunes or are the relevant database/album covers files & folders retained?--it took a few hours for a collection of my size to be added.
Receive "Do you want the application "iscsid" to accept incoming network connections?" at every startup in OS X Mavericks 10.9.4. Have configured Firewall to Allow access (iscsid...Allow incoming connections) but still receive prompt. Only Support page that seemed somewhat related is URL.... Installation of Java also did not alleviate problem. No communication issues with Drobo Mini or Dashboard - just tired of receiving seemingly unnecessary modal prompt upon boot.
Info: MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)
On startup I get a window that asks, Do you want the application "Service" to accept incoming network applications. I can't get rid of it nor can I discover its source.
Since upgrading to iTunes 10.5.2, I have problems using airplay to connect to my hi-fi speakers.When I enable them in iTunes I get the message "Do you want the application "iTunes.app" to accept incoming network connections? " immediately followed the message."An error occurred while connecting to the AirPlay device "hi-fi". The network connection failed".If I choose "allow" for the first message, deselect "hi-fi" in iTunes and select it again, it works!This is becoming more annoying having to do this every single time.I am using an Airport Xpress with airport utility 5.5.3 and Mac OS 10.6.8
Info: Mac OS X (10.6.8), also Mac Pro Avid and Pro Tools HD systems at work :)
My tenant uses my wireless network and lately has been sucking up so much bandwidth that I can't even hold a connection on XBox Live for more than 10 minutes. She is on the guest network so is there any way to prioritize bandwidth on my Airport so that it knows to give the main network priority over the guest network and so if I'm on XBox Live or downloading a movie and she's downloading something of her own it'll give me at least 75% of the bandwidth and her only 25%?
i have a linksys wireleess connection upstairs in my house and i would like to buy an airport express base station in my room becuase recpetion is shotty at times... I would like to know how and can i bridge connections with an Airport express base station.
i've got a service/application in my security (firewall) panel set for "Allow incoming connections" and "Automatically allow signed software to receive incoming connections" checked on.Yet it asks me for permission to "allow or deny" for incoming connections every time i start up my Mac.
I have an Early 2008 White MacBook. Recently I have been having problems acquiring wifi signals with it. My iPhone, othere peoples' phones, my sister's computer and everything else can get wifi in my room, but my MacBook has not been able to "see" the connections for the past few days. I am tethering my iPhone 3G right now and it's killing my data plan, I have used 3 GBs in 2 days (I have 6 GBs on my data plan)
Is anyone else having problems with SL dropping your wireless connections. I've never had any problems with Leopard and my home wireless network but SL has dropped my connection numerous times since I did my install. The only way to recover seems to be to reboot my computer.
I'm new here but have lurked for a while and love the community. Hope someone can shed some light on this. I've got a Mac Pro with iVPN installed (which allows you to use the VPN server built into each copy of Snow Leopard). I've got it working perfectly on my Mac Pro - but my friends Mac Pro is having problems.
I absolutely know I have the shared secret, username, and password correct. The shared secret must be correct because when I change it - it times out. However, when I go to connect to the VPN from either an iPhone or another Snow Leopard Mac, it throws an error than the password isn't correct. Obviously I've tested this multiple times with multiple passwords. See the log below.
The Mac Pro is NOT running Snow Leopard Server - just regular Snow Leopard (which can run a VPN server all the same).
My Mac and modem had easy passwords and I noticed someone connected to me in the attached servers list. At one point my wifes PC announced that the modem had no password. I checked my firewall that was not on and allowıng all connections. Need help as I do banking online etc and did turn on Console logs but to be honest I dont understand it all and only turned it on when I thought I had a problem.
The Mac Pro people seem to have trouble with their computers hooked up to monitors using a MiniDisplayPort to DisplayPort connection. There might be issues both with cables and adapters:
[URL]
I'm trying to figure out if it's a problem specific to the Mac Pro video card or if it's a general issue that affects MacBook Air users as well. If you're connecting your MacBook Air to a monitor using a MiniDisplayPort to DisplayPort connection, could you please post which adapter+cable or cable (brands, links if possible) you are using with which monitor?
I seem to be having an issue figuring out what kind of connection this is on my Mac, it has a video symbol on it but I bought what I thought was the right cable which was the mini DP to HDMI but its not the right connector.
Safari won't let me log into paypal or mobileme (gives an error msg. about "secure connections"), Apple Mail isn't working, and a message has been popping up and telling me that my IP address on my network is already being used.
I have this wierd problem on my MBP. Every time I launch iTunes it asks me if I want to allow incoming network connections. It asks this because I have configured my firewall settings to "Set Access for specific services and applications". The catch is, iTunes is already listed in the list of apps, and is configured to "allow incoming connections".
I just had a quick questions that i've spent all day trying to research, maybe i'm not hitting the right key words. I have a wired xbox 360 and using wireless on my computer. The internet is a university internet that I put in an ethernet address to configure to. So I connect the internet from wall to time capsule. Anyways, Whenever I use xbox live I cannot hit my wireless at all. My iPhone cannot connect to my wireless at anytime despite xbox live or not. So it seems the case that one connection is being strictly devoted to. I have my time capsule on bridge mode, but haven't had any luck switching to shared or anything without errors. Is bridge mode the right setting, does anyone know if both connections can run together? It has always worked just fine for me but recently my time capsule broke and I had to get it replaced and since then I can't get things going smooth again.
I have a MacBook Pro running OS 10.6. There is a website I used to visit to read e-books for free. Then one day (nothing changed hardware or software-wise), I could no longer access that site from my computer. My friend came over - with his PC - and was able to access it from my network. Today, I just accessed the site from my wife's iMac G5 (same network), but I still cannot access it on my computer using ANY browser (Safari and Firefox). I cannot access the site from anyone's network either --- making me think my MBP is doing something weird. I keep getting: "The server denies connections. The server might be too busy or might be disabled. Try again a bit later."
