Enable wifi at login window for network accounts

Question

Level 1

9 points

Enable wifi at login window for network accounts

I have some MacBook Pros bound to AD that will only be connected to our network via wifi, but network users will need to be able to login. I understand that wifi settings are stored in the user keychain, and since there is no user loaded at the login screen, there is no wifi available. So it's a catch 22...I can't login without wifi, but I need to be logged in in order to access the wifi.

I have tried some solutions around that involve creating a .mobileconfig file with apple configurator and then modifying that to load wifi settings into the system profile, but have been unsuccessful (everything I have seen has been for <= 10.8).

Are there any solutions to enabling wifi at the login window for mavericks 10.9?

OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on May 12, 2014 3:42 PM

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Answer 1

mhadjar

Level 2

191 points

May 13, 2014 7:52 AM in response to smith.kyle

http://training.apple.com/pdf/WP_8021X_Authentication.pdf

http://www.ntsystems.it/post/Joining-WiFi-before-login-on-Mac-OS-X-108.aspx

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Answer 2

smith.kyle Author

Level 1

9 points

May 13, 2014 8:45 AM in response to mhadjar

Thanks - our network doesn't use 802.1X, and I tried the .mobileconfig method (both the one above and a different .mobileconfig method I found), but couldn't get it to work. Can you (or anyone) verify that it works on 10.9?

Thanks!

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Answer 3

mhadjar

Level 2

191 points

May 13, 2014 8:50 AM in response to smith.kyle

Our wireless network is setup as 3 separate SSIDs using 802.1X RADIUS

Device-Network

Associate-Network

Guest-Network

When we authenticate against AD, its using Device-Network. It's using a computer account to connect to this wireless SSID.

Once we log on as a user, it uses Associate-Network.

Your Mac needs to authenticate to a wireless network prior to login. You need to use 802.1X for this to work properly. That account must be part of AD or OD.

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Answer 4

May 13, 2014 10:32 AM in response to smith.kyle

I have seen 10.9 + AD + login screen + wifi work here at my university.

When the computer powers on, it should automatically connect to the saved wifi networks.

Just in general, I've created new local users those accounts are able to connect to the wifi networks created by a different user.

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