Mac: Different manual IPs for different Wi-Fi networks

Question

I use my MacBook Pro most frequently in two places with specific Wi-Fi networks, and I want it to have a different manual IP address for each one. Rather than having to switch manually, is there some way to do this automatically?

I know the Network preferences support "Locations" — does the computer automatically detect which location I'm in by the available networks, or how does this work?

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure that built in Locations won't switch automatically.

I've heard of a third party app, also called Locations (just to be difficult) which "watches when your network changes and switches your settings". It's not free but it's not too expensive.

Among the many actions it can perform based on location, is "Change your Network Location".

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A possible alternate solution (which doesn't directly answer your question):

If you have DHCP control of each network (via router or other DHCP software on the net), you could configure a static allocation (aka dhcp reservation) to ensure that your computer always gets the same IP address. You then configure your MacBook to get its IP address from the server and don't have to worry about switching locations.