Keyboard Shortcut for the Airport Menu [Keyboard Shortcuts]

This isn't a double, I just accidently published it yesterday.


RSS Readers will need to click this link to watch the video for this post.

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm lazy. I'm so lazy, in fact, that I don't want to mouse up to the airport menu on my laptop just to turn off my AirPort. The problem though, is that you can't make keyboard shortcuts for items that on the right hand side of the menu bar. However, I have found a solution to this vexing problem.


Step 1: Open up the "Network" System Preference Pane.


Step 2: Click on the "Locations:" menu at the top of the window. Select the "Edit Locations..." option and click on the + button in the lower left corner of the window that appears. Type in "AirPort Off" and hit Return.


Step 3: Select the "Done" button. Then, click on the "Apply" button in the lower right hand corner.


Step 4: Click on the Locations menu again and select the "AirPort Off" location.


Step 5: Select the AirPort service from the list of services on the left hand side.


Step 6: Click on the gear button beneath the service list and select the "Make Service Inactive" option. Underneath the AirPort service it should now say, "Inactive".


Step 7: Click on the Apply button again.


Step 8: Now we just need to make a shortcut for both your "AirPort Off" location and your "Automatic" location. We can do this because there is now a "Locations" menu under the Apple Menu.
To do this, go to the Keyboard and Mouse preferences, select the "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab, click the plus button in the lower right hand side of the window, and fill in the menu that appears.


Now, when you use the keyboard shortcut for "AirPort Off" you airport will turn off. When you use the keyboard shortcut for "Automatic" your airport will turn on. Now that we can do this, we just need to figure out a way to make a keyboard shortcut to give us better airport reception when we're mobile.

If you're more of a visual learner, watch the movie to see how to do this.