As I’ve reported in the “New M4 Mac mini susceptible to low temperature?” thread,
https://talk.tidbits.com/t/new-m4-mac-mini-susceptible-to-low-temperature/29878/27
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I had been using PPPoE on my iMac for broadband Internet connection since 2018;
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I switched to M4 Mac mini in December 2024;
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Then I started to experience problems with the Internet connection, so I installed a router between the ONU unit and the Mac. Because the router took over the Ethernet and PPPoE is not used any more, I removed the PPPoE service (via System Settings > Network > PPPoE screen) on March 8th.
The problems were solved – and I am satisfied now – except that…
I noticed the ‘PPPoE’ menubar icon still remaining (between the ‘Input source’ icon and the ‘Spotlight’ icon) on the menubar, looking like “< >”. If I click it, a menu drops down, with two items:
Can’t find PPPoE configuration
Open Network Settings…
The first item is grayed out and cannot be selected.
If I select the second item, then the System Settings > Network > Ethernet screen opens.
Before March 8th, PPPoE was active, the menubar icon looked like “<…>” when the Internet connection was active, and looked like “< >” when it was not active, a good visual cue. Also, I was able to use its menu to Connect/Disconnect it.
But now that I am not using PPPoE any more, the “< >” menubar icon is totally useless. I want to remove it from the menubar. So, here is my question: Does anybody know how to remove it? I tried the following:
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System Settings > Control Center does not provide any interface for enabling/disabling it.
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Adding a new PPPoE service (using the popup menu on System Settings > Network) and then removing the PPPoE service had no effect.
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Safe Boot does not affect it, The useless “< >” menubar icon is still there.
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The Apple Support person (with whom I had been talking several times since February) suggested: If I really want to remove it, then creating a new user on my Mac and copying all data from my current account to the new account might do it.
That’s quite a risky approach and requires too much work. I would probably be better off leaving the useless, but harmless, extra “< >” menubar icon.
I told him I somewhat expected he could provide a Terminal command that would magically remove the menubar icon, but he replied:
“Talking about Terminal commands with customers is prohibited in the Apple Support policy.”
He sounded regrettable about it, and he suggested I might look for help from the user community wisdom…