I want Siri to know my location NOT using WiFi on my DESKTOP iMac!

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earnric38 wrote:

This is terrible software design.

I have an older 'cheese grater' desktop mac (12 cores, 64GB RAM, 32 TB of storage) that I will keep for a long while ... it does NOT have WiFI (but it does have 2 ethernet ports). You should be able to simply specify your location.

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I agree that you should have the choice over wether to use WiFi for location. For what its worth here are the possibilities in order of decreasing accuracy.

• GPS
• Mobile cell tower triangulation
• WiFi assisted location
• Ethernet GeoIP location

Since typically or at least in the case being discussed here the first two do not apply and the last is orders of magnitude less accurate this is why Apple 'force' using WiFi. In my own case of business Internet access my current companies link is listed as being via a city over 100 miles away. In a previous company the Internet link for a global company I worked for was in a city in a different continent thousands of miles away!

My own concern over being forced to use WiFi is that this exposes your Mac and network to security concerns. As should be already clear to everyone Apple design their products with consumers in mind, businesses are barely an afterthought despite what Apple claim. 😟

As an aside the ntp software used to sync clocks over the Internet also has the option to use a local GPS provided clock, this would be via a serial port connected GPS receiver. Whilst I have never seen this done on a Mac I believe it should be possible to use a USB to serial port adapter to connect one and then to set ntp up to use it. In theory a similar approach could be used for 'location services' i.e. Siri etc. although I have no idea if Apple have hidden support for this.

1. No, system fonts in mail is greyed out, although it looks like there might be a way to change, but I can't find it. (crappy user interface).

2. I don't think an unused, always open and stationary WiFi is a good idea in terms of security. Besides, it STILL does not answer the question. Unsafe work-arounds are not a solution. It'd be soooo easy for OS X to have a way to manually enter and save your location.

Apparently, Apple is much more interested in making emojis for 10 year olds than making the Mac easier to use. Sadly, I see no way a "spaceship" Apple HQ will increase their caring or intelligence.

I couldn't agree more. It is very frustrating that Apple forces Siri to use Wifi for location services. I mean, sure use the wifi info if it is turned on, otherwise, use the IP address/ISP info to give location if not using wifi like EVERY WEBSITE does. If you go to weather.com on the very same iMac connected via ethernet only, you'll get a pop-up in the browser that asks permission to find your location. You click OK and boom it is found instantly. Yet Siri doesn't want to do anything without wifi. Very poor design by Apple for Siri IMHO. It would also be fine if you could just tell Siri where you are for that session. Basically, make her useful when wifi is NOT available or desired.

This entire thread is focused on how it should work with both interfaces enabled and not one person has actually thought about it and said "Yeah, Apple probably should find a way to get the location for Siri WITHOUT requiring wifi"

Using Ethernet for location services would give the location of your ISP which could be far from your actual location. Based on Ethernet only websites have located me as far as 60 miles from where I actually live and the most accurate is 25 miles. An IP address is worthless for providing location.

Granted, living in a rural area I'm an edge case but because companies like Google have created maps of WiFi spots, with WiFi your location can be totally accurate. in short, Apple isn't denying you something out of laziness or petulance-it requires WiFi because that's how it has to be.

Sure IP address is not always exact, I've seen it be as much as 80 miles off. That is because rural ISPs like Windstream and Century Link have a large rural footprint service wise, but not equipment wise. But, for things like the weather or cinemas in the area it would still be pretty dang close and still viable to use in my opinion. Siri users aren't asking what is going on in my neighborhood.

That said, there is no reason they couldn't add the ability for you to tell Siri where you are located for things like weather, movies, local news, etc. They could simply add a "Home zip code" option under System Preferences for Siri to use when Wifi isn't enabled. And just limit that feature to desktop Macs. Clearly it's not a show stopper, most of us have an iPhone or Android phone nearby anyhow to get such info, but for convenience it would be nice to use Siri without Wifi.

drenmatt wrote:

This entire thread is focused on how it should work with both interfaces enabled and not one person has actually thought about it and said "Yeah, Apple probably should find a way to get the location for Siri WITHOUT requiring wifi"

First, you only need WiFi enabled. Second, dwb is 100% correct. Using IP numbers doesn't get you anywhere. If I plug in my public IP it locates me 10 miles from where I actually live, which not coincidentally is my ISP's closest office. With WiFi I am located within 50ft of my house. With GSP, right on top of my device.

If you have any other ideas, let Apple know… apple.com/feedback.

This is terrible software design.

I have an older 'cheese grater' desktop mac (12 cores, 64GB RAM, 32 TB of storage) that I will keep for a long while ... it does NOT have WiFI (but it does have 2 ethernet ports). You should be able to simply specify your location.

Add me to the list of people frustrated with the need to turn on WiFi for location services, on a desktop computer.

I agree that there should be an option, to use manual entry of your location in settings, on a desktop Mac.

If WiFi could be turned on only for location purposes, without screwing up other network activity, it would not be so bad, but having WiFi on does cause problems, regardless of what order the network preferences is set to.

This is a very annoying problem, that could easily be fixed in the operating system.

Hi !

If you open system preferences > Security and privacy > Privacy > click on about location services and privacy .

You can let Apple know of your displeasure here…

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

It is so easy.

All you have to do is to make sure that Ethernet takes precedence over Wifi in System Preferences->Network

Click the little button at the bottom left (beside the minus sign) and choose "Set Service Order...".

Drag Ethernet to the top of the list. Then click Apply.

Now you can have both connections active and everything wirks as it should.