nickaster

Q: Automatic time set not working

I've seen this discussed but everything is from 2009 or so.  Anyone with latest (2015) OS having a mac clock that fails to set itself?  It simply never works for me, I always have to manually set it.  I'm on new WiFi networks all the time in many time zones and for at least a year I haven't seen it set itself automatically.

 

Is this a common problem? How does it work anyway? It gets it from WiFi no?

MacBook, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Aug 24, 2015 4:28 AM

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Q: Automatic time set not working

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  • by Linc Davis,Helpful

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 24, 2015 11:08 AM in response to nickaster
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Aug 24, 2015 11:08 AM in response to nickaster

    Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on. Open the Date & Time pane in System Preferences and select the Time Zone tab. If the settings are locked, click the padlock icon in the lower left corner of the window and enter your password when prompted. Then check the box marked

              Set time zone automatically using current location

    if it's not already checked. Within a few seconds, a red pin should drop onto the map at your location. Does that happen?

  • by nickaster,

    nickaster nickaster Aug 24, 2015 1:10 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 24, 2015 1:10 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Yes, that's exactly what I always do but it almost never works.  On my home WiFi account it seems to work great but 95% of the time, when I travel, the new WiFI networks fail to broadcast the time (I guess).  Is this normal?  Do most WiFI networks not work for this?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Aug 24, 2015 1:48 PM in response to nickaster
    Level 10 (207,963 points)
    Applications
    Aug 24, 2015 1:48 PM in response to nickaster

    Location Services (including automatic time zone selection, Maps, and "Find My Mac") relies on a database of Wi-Fi access points with known locations. You don't have to be connected to a wireless network, but Wi-Fi must be turned on and within range of one of those access points. Otherwise the machine won't be located at all, or the location will be wrong. Sometimes the location will be wrong because the database contains inaccurate data. That would happen, for example, if you moved from one place to another and took your Wi-Fi router with you. The router is still listed in the database, but the location is wrong.

    According to reports, if you connect to a Wi-Fi network with an iPhone, the location of the network will be sent to Apple and added to the database after a delay. An iPhone, unlike other Apple devices, has built-in GPS satellite navigation, and so can locate itself independently of Wi-Fi. The phone would have to be set to share diagnostic and usage information with Apple.