Suppressing the Network Configuration Dialog

Q:  When I attach my device, why does a dialog appear asking me to configure it for the network?

A: When I attach my device, why does a dialog appear asking me to configure it for the network?

Starting in Mac OS X 10.5, a dialog prompts the user when a device is connected to the system that could be used for networking, such as a USB Ethernet interface, modem, or serial port adaptor. Two I/O Kit properties are available that device drivers can use to control this dialog.

• The New Interface Detected Action property can be added to the I/O Registry properties for the device. Use this property if your device provides a network interface, but you do not want the dialog presented. Devices with this property will still appear in the Network preference pane and will still be usable as networking devices. The property can have the value of None or Prompt. None will prevent the dialog from appearing; while Prompt will show allow the standard dialog to appear.

• The HiddenPort property can be added to the I/O Registry properties for the device. Use this property if your device will never be used for networking. When this property is set, the device is hidden from the Network preference pane and the System Configuration framework, and cannot be used as a network device. Devices with the HiddenPort property will never cause the network interface dialog to appear. The value of this property should always be set to 1.

The New Interface Detected Action property is available starting in Mac OS X 10.6 while the HiddenPort property has been available since Mac OS X 10.2.

Devices that do not require additional drivers to function can use a codeless KEXT to control the dialog. The example KEXTs will merge the correct properties into the I/O Registry; however, each KEXT's Info.plist file will need to be modified to match the hardware being controlled. For more information on I/O Kit matching dictionaries, as well as KEXT installation, see the document I/O Kit Fundamentals. For USB devices, the document Technical Q&A QA1076, 'Tips on USB driver matching for Mac OS X' may also be helpful.

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