GitHub - montanaflynn/EthernetConnectionStatus: A native macOS menu bar app that monitors your ethernet connection status.

Ethernet Connection Status

A native macOS menu bar app that monitors your ethernet connection status in real-time.

Features

• Real-time Ethernet Monitoring: Displays current ethernet connection status in the menu bar
• Dual Display Modes: Toggle between text ("Ethernet") or custom RJ45 port icon
• Status Indication: Brightness changes based on connection (bright = connected, dim = disconnected)
• Native macOS Design: SwiftUI-based settings with native macOS styling
• Menu Bar Only: Runs as a menu bar-only app (no dock icon)

Installation

Option 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

brew tap montanaflynn/EthernetConnectionStatus https://github.com/montanaflynn/EthernetConnectionStatus
brew install --cask ethernet-connection-status

The Homebrew installation automatically handles the quarantine attribute removal for you.

Option 2: Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release ZIP from GitHub Releases
2. Extract the ZIP file
3. Remove the quarantine attribute (required for unsigned apps):

   xattr -cr "/path/to/Ethernet Connection Status.app"

   Replace /path/to/ with the actual location of the extracted app
4. Drag the app to your Applications folder
5. Launch the app - it will appear in your menu bar

Note: This app is unsigned, so macOS will block it by default. The xattr command removes the quarantine flag that prevents unsigned apps from opening.

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Xcode 15.0+ for building from source

Building

From Xcode

1. Open EthernetConnectionStatus.xcodeproj
2. Select the "EthernetConnectionStatus" scheme
3. Build and run (⌘R)

From Command Line

xcodebuild clean build \
  -project EthernetConnectionStatus.xcodeproj \
  -scheme EthernetConnectionStatus \
  -configuration Release

CI/CD

This project includes GitHub Actions for continuous integration:

• Build verification on every push and pull request
• macOS latest runner for testing
• Automated builds with artifact upload

See .github/workflows/build.yml for configuration.

Adding Tests

To add unit tests to this project:

1. Open the project in Xcode
2. Go to File → New → Target
3. Select "Unit Testing Bundle" under macOS
4. Name it "EthernetConnectionStatusTests"
5. Add the test file NetworkMonitorTests.swift to the test target
6. Run tests with ⌘U

The test file is already included in the repository and contains tests for:

• NetworkMonitor initialization
• Network interface detection
• Start/stop cycles

Architecture

• MacMenuBarApp.swift: Main app entry point and AppDelegate
• NetworkMonitor.swift: Monitors network interfaces using SystemConfiguration framework
• EthernetIcon.swift: Custom RJ45 ethernet port icon drawing
• SettingsView.swift: SwiftUI settings interface

Settings

Click the menu bar item to access settings:

• Display mode: Choose between Text or Icon display
• Brightness indicator: Shows connection status

How It Works

The app uses the SystemConfiguration framework to monitor network interfaces:

• Detects ethernet interfaces (en1+, bridge devices)
• Polls every 5 seconds for reliable detection
• Posts notifications when status changes
• Updates menu bar display accordingly

License

MIT License - feel free to modify and distribute.

Compatibility