Connection drops when changing user

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Hello,



I have a USB ADSL modem which works fine, but when I switch user the connection drops and it has to connect again. It only takes a few seconds but is quite annoying. Is there any way to keep the connection on?



Thanks,



Mr Skills

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    allinoneallinone Posts: 279member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Mr Skills

    Hello,



    I have a USB ADSL modem which works fine, but when I switch user the connection drops and it has to connect again. It only takes a few seconds but is quite annoying. Is there any way to keep the connection on?



    Thanks,



    Mr Skills




    Is the Mac making a PPPoE connection? If so one solution would be to have another device between the mac and the "modem" make the PPPoE connection. You can pick up a router for cheap, configure it with PPPoE on the WAN side and DHCP on the LAN side. As long as you are adding another device you can also look to add more functionality by getting a router/switch or router/wirelessbase.



    Hope this helps.



    Edit: sorry overlooked the USB bit. This solution won't work with USB. Sorry.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    randycat99randycat99 Posts: 1,919member
    Excuse my poor memory and limited help, but I believe there is a setting somewhere in your Networking Control Panel where you can tell it to maintain connection when switching user accounts. I'm sorry I cannot tell you exactly where to look (hence the bad memory), but I remember enough to tell you to look for something like that. I came across this useful setting so that my dial-up connection would not get nixed everytime I need to switch to another account. I will post back if I come across better information...
  • Reply 3 of 4
    mr skillsmr skills Posts: 144member
    Thanks for the help! I went through the network prefs and found the option you meant - I had completely missed it when I searched before (doh!).



    In fact you need to go to system preferences > network > configure > ppp options and deselect 'disconnect when user logs out'.



    This tick-box is not very well worded - it actually disconnects whenever you change user, even if you stay logged in.



    Thanks again.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    randycat99randycat99 Posts: 1,919member
    Yes, it is easy to miss. I had no idea a setting like that even existed earlier, but it makes a lot of sense once it starts happening to you, and you wish there was "a way" to change it! (almost like "you from the future" anticipated you would be looking for it, so he put a haxie in OSX just for you to come across one day)



    As for it cutting your connection when you change users- it should not do that. I can change users at will and still maintain a connection on my setup, as long as I keep my original account active. It's when I logoff the first account (or maybe at least one account needs to remain logged-on- I have not tested this to know exactly what condition must be met). I just know the connection is still there waiting for me (whether it be dial-up or DSL) when I use the "easy-user switching" menu to jump into another account w/o logging off the original account).



    You do have the "easy user switching" function enabled, right?
Sign In or Register to comment.