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ScotRaleigh Author

Level 1

9 points

Unable to Export Network Connection in El Capitan

I have a VPN connection for my work setup in Network Preferences. Any time I get a new Mac, the VPN connection is the only thing that never gets copied over by Migration Assistant when I move things over from my old Mac to the new Mac. What I've always done in the past is select the VPN connection on one of my Macs (I have a MBP and an iMac), export it (usually to a USB thumb drive), and then import it on the new Mac because I don't have all the settings to set it up manually again (one of the network guys at work set up the VPN connection for me years ago).

I just got a new MBP, and after everything got copied over I went into Network Preferences - and as usual, the VPN connection wasn't there. I went to my old MBP to export it, and when I selected the VPN connection and tried to export it I couldn't. The Export Configuration menu item was greyed out. So I thought maybe something funky was going on with my old MBP, and tried to do it from my iMac. Same thing happened on my iMac - the Export Configuration menu item was greyed out. All of them have El Capitan on them. It doesn't matter what connection I select under Network Preferences (even non-VPN connections, and even on my new MBP), the Export Configuration menu item is greyed out - it's not just with the VPN connection. Import Configuration is there and is selectable - if I had a configuration to import. Is this some bug in El Capitan, or what the heck is going on?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Oct 26, 2015 8:26 AM

24 replies

Dec 21, 2015 5:46 AM in response to Alan Richards

Did you have any results with this? We've just run into this problem.

Dec 30, 2015 11:31 PM in response to helpus all

Hi all,

Exact same issue as documented by helpusall on a brand new Laptop shipped with 10.11 El Capitan. I have 20 saved VPN configurations and 90% are Cisco IPSec and throw out that same exact error. After a minute or so, an empty IPSec service is created. Multiple times if you insist 🙂

Any feedback or workaround on this would be appreciated. I will do my own research but please post attempts or research you may have done to get this figured out. Big bummer for me, thinking of going back to Yosemite do stay productive!

Thanks

Dec 31, 2015 8:41 AM in response to ScotRaleigh

OK, I haven't been able to export these configs, but I suspect this is due to enhanced security, as Cisco IPSec contains a shared secret. However I have gotten my profiles to work again. On a hunch, I tried the old trick of deleting /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/Networkinterfaces.plist and also /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferencses.plist, then I deleted any VPN configs that I had in Network preferences and profiles in Profiles. After a restart and freshly installing these VPN profiles, everything worked fine. I have done this on three machines so far with success.

Not sure if I needed to deleted both Networkinterfaces.plist and preferences.plist, but it worked, so I'm satisfied.

stoney27

Level 1

0 points

Jan 23, 2016 6:14 AM in response to Alan Richards

Hi Alan,

How did you install your VPN profiles? Was it via the GUI or command line. I am trying to get my wife's VPN working again after a "nuke and pave" install of 10.11.

Thanks for any help.

-S

ScotRaleigh Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 28, 2016 8:24 AM in response to ScotRaleigh

I gave up on trying to export/import and just had one of the guys at work help me set up my VPN connection from scratch on my new MacBook Pro. Works great, but can't export it. Oh well.

May 15, 2016 6:27 PM in response to ScotRaleigh

Try by disabling rootless.

Follow these steps to disable rootless

https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-turn-off-the-rootless-in-OS-X-El-Capitan-10-11

Oct 6, 2016 2:01 PM in response to ScotRaleigh

Hmmh. We have a slew of Mac Minis on El Capitan, as well as my Mac Book pro. Cannot export network configuration for any of them. (Export is grayed out). PS I'm trying to export all of the settings (gateway, dns, proxies, etc.) to make changes easier across 40 some machines that are moving to a new location.

rothn

Level 1

4 points

Nov 30, 2016 7:48 AM in response to weberduder

Same problem for me as well.

Mar 1, 2017 5:26 PM in response to srinidutt

Does turning off rootless temporarily work for anyone? I'd like confirmation before trying.

Unable to Export Network Connection in El Capitan