Using Automator to turn off wifi (with timer)

If you happen to be using a Wi-Fi network with an Apple Airport of Time Capsule as your wireless router you can use the Airport Configuration Utility to only allow certain computers to use the network on a certain schedule.

(other brands of wireless routers may allow this functionality as well)

That would effectilvely keep you off the internet and email but otherwise with full access to the computer.

Matt

Automator -> Application

Automator -> Utilities -> Run Shell Script

replace 'cat' with

/usr/sbin/networksetup -setairportpower en1 off

sleep 7200

/usr/sbin/networksetup -setairportpower en1 on

Save the automator app.

Now double click on the saved app when you want to turn off your WiFi connection for 2 hours (7200 seconds).

I have tested the script and it does work for me.

OK, just looked at what Mac your signature says you are using (Macbook Air) which does not have an en0 ethernet port and en1 WiFi. Rather your Macbook Air most likely "Just" has an en0 WiFi port.

Using Applications -> Utilities -> Network Utility -> Info -> Select a network interface for information

Does it say "Wi-Fi (en0)" or "Wi-Fi (en1)"?

Anyway, change the script from using en1 to using whatever Network Utility says is your WiFi device.

Rude and crude

/usr/sbin/networksetup -setairportpower en0 off

n=120
while [[ $n -gt 0 ]]
do
    echo "$n minutes until Airport WiFi turned back on" >$HOME/Airport_Off_Time_Remaining.txt
    sleep 60
    n=$((n-1))
done

/usr/sbin/networksetup -setairportpower en0 on

Now when you want to see how much time is left, you double click on Airport_Off_Time_Remaining.txt in your Home Folder. You will have to close the TextEdit window each time and re-open the Airport_Off_Time_Remaining.txt each time. I said this was "Rude and Crude" 🙂

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the drill down on the WiFi setting on the Automator. I had a similar question and thought you might be able to help me too. I want to set my Wifi to automatically turn off after 6pm M-F and come on again at 8am. I also want my WiFi to stay off during the weekend Sa-Su. Ideally, if I need to use my work computer during that time, I would just wake up my iMac (click trackpad) and just enable the WiFi again manually (WiFi icon > Turn on WiFi).

Thanks again for any assistance you can offer.

Best,

Nathan

OhGreat wrote:

Thanks for the drill down on the WiFi setting on the Automator. I had a similar question and thought you might be able to help me too. I want to set my Wifi to automatically turn off after 6pm M-F and come on again at 8am. I also want my WiFi to stay off during the weekend Sa-Su. Ideally, if I need to use my work computer during that time, I would just wake up my iMac (click trackpad) and just enable the WiFi again manually (WiFi icon > Turn on WiFi).

Create 2 automator apps. One that turns WiFi off, and one that turns WiFi on (adjust the en0, en1 values as appropriate for your Mac).

Now create a calendar action for 6pm M-F that invokes the turn off app and a M-F 8am action to run the turn on app. Since the Friday turn off action will not be countered until Monday, you get no WiFi all weekend as a side effect.

<http://www.macissues.com/2014/07/17/easily-schedule-tasks-with-calendar-in-os-x/>

You could also do this via a launch agent or launch daemon, but that is more complicated, and calendar events are easier to setup.

<http://www.thesafemac.com/scheduling-recurring-tasks/>

Thank you Bob! Excellent advice 🙂

I've created two separate Automator apps for toggling the WiFi radio on/off and have those triggered to run per a daily calendar alarm (sans weekends).

I will take a look at launch agent and launch daemon on my own and see if I can figure it out.

Thanks again,

Nathan

This worked for me!

(Macbook Pro 2008, running 10.7.5)