Network user unable to log

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Level 1

130 points

Network user unable to log

I've just set up a new Macbook Pro but am having problems logging in as a network user. This is the first time I've done this with Monterey but didn't expect it to be any different than earlier macOS versions. There are older Macs connecting with no problems but I must admit it's a while since they were set up so I can't be 100% sure I've not missed something.

In the Login Options of Users & Groups, the Network Account Server displays correctly with a green "light".

In Directory Utility - Directory Editor, I can view LDAP users after selecting that server in the "node" dropdown and selecting any user in the list displays the values I'd expect in the righ-hand pane.

From the login screen if I enter a network user account and deliberately enter the wrong password, the spinner appears for a second or two and then the password field shakes before returning to the login screen which is just as I would expect.

However, if I enter the correct password, the credentials fields disappear (as expected) and the spinner continues ... apparently indefinitely. I've left it trying for nearly 30 minutes and it does not finish or timeout. A forced power down seems to be the only way to stop it.

Does anyone know what might be causing this and how to go about fixing it?

MacBook Pro Apple Silicon

Posted on Jul 4, 2022 3:41 AM

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Answer 1

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ku4hx

Level 7

23,442 points

Jul 4, 2022 4:30 AM in response to gakushaburu

There are no "network users", per se, any user can use the network, you just have to access it in the prescribed manner.

System Preferences > Network. From there you connect to the network of choice. The first time you have to do it manually, after that you can select auto connect if you wish. You do of course need to know the network name and the correct password.

That process allows network access for all users.

If the process is bogging down, it's likely because of some flaw in the OS. Network access is one of the simpliets most straight forward parts of the OS. Usually accepting all defaults works fine for the vast majority of users.

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Answer 2

gakushaburu Author

Level 1

130 points

Jul 6, 2022 1:29 AM in response to gakushaburu

I contacted Apple support about this but they were hopeless (they didn't even seem to know what Directory Utility is).

I'm convinced there must be a change that happened somewhere between Mojave (where LDAP users can log in) and Monterey (where they can't) which has either broken LDAP support or means the server settings need to be changed but Apple didn't want to comment on that.

If anyone has Monterey clients successfully connecting to LDAP, I'd be grateful for any information on what you did to get it working.

Unfortunately there seems to be no way to edit my previous post or title to change "network" to "LDAP" as that seems to have led to misunderstanding, nor to change "log" to "log in" which was just plain wrong.

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Answer 3

gakushaburu Author

Level 1

130 points

Jul 4, 2022 4:38 AM in response to ku4hx

System Preferences > Network is where network settings are entered. That is nothing to do with user authentication/login and through LDAP or domain servers.

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Network user unable to log

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