Apple removed an important feature for handling different network settings from macOS 13 Ventura. Mac users up to the current macOS 12 Monterey can use so-called environments to configure certain network settings and then quickly switch between them, also directly via the Apple menu. All previous preview versions of macOS 13 Ventura lack this option, since developers have access to the beta report.
Apple checks bug reports
This doesn’t appear to be a bug: Bug reports sent to Apple are closed with the succinct response that the investigation is complete and everything works as “currently designed,” according to a response from the OS manufacturer posted by a developer.
Apple has used this word choice in the past when features were eventually removed from the operating system. The end of the network environment has not yet been officially documented. The feature has also not been mentioned in the Ventura beta release notes, either as “discontinued” or as a “known issue”.
The disappearance of Network Neighborhoods appears to be related to the complete overhaul of System Preferences in macOS Ventura. These are now the same as iOS settings; network environments do not exist on iPhone and iPad. Despite continuing criticism Apple has only slightly revised Ventura’s new macOS system configuration so far.
Quick switch between network configurations
Networking belongs to the long-standing core features of macOS, allowing users to quickly switch between different DNS settings. You can also configure specific settings for your office and home network, and set the priority of network interfaces so that your Mac tries to establish an Ethernet connection first instead of a WLAN.
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