Like any computer, your Mac can be prone to WiFi problems and dropped connections. In this article, we’ll show you some troubleshooting steps if your Mac’s Wi-Fi has stopped working. We cover adjusting your packet size, resetting PRAM and SMC, configuring DNS, changing location, and deleting and reading WLAN settings.
Diagnose Your Mac WiFi Problems
A good place to start when analyzing Mac WiFi problems and dropping or losing connections is to diagnose the problem. The macOS native wireless diagnostic tool can be very helpful.
You can open it in different ways: through Spotlight or by holding down the Option key and opening the Wi-Fi settings in the control center.
You can follow the assistant here for some basic pointers, but it is a set of reports and small-scale analysis within the window in the drop-down list in the menu bar.
A useful report here is performance. This will open a graph showing the transfer rate, signal quality, and noise level on your WiFi network.
In many cases, transmission speed and signal quality influence each other. You can improve your signal by moving your Mac closer to your router. It is a simple solution to a problem that is sometimes complex.
If your noise level is high or sharp, try to find a better WiFi channel. Alternatively, you can log into your router settings through your browser and switch from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band.
Solutions to Mac Wi-Fi Not Working After Sleep Wake Cycle
This is a common problem for Mac users. Once the computer wakes up from hibernation, the WLAN does not work or the connection keeps dropping.
One possible solution is the “System Settings> Network” menu. Select WiFi in the left panel, then click the Advanced button in the lower right corner.
On the next screen, remove each network from the list. First select them using Command + A, then click the minus icon (-) to remove them all.
Click OK, then click the Locations drop-down menu> Edit Locations on the main network screen. From here, select the plus “+” symbol and give the new location a name of your choice. Click Done to use this location from now on.
Finally, reconnect to your home WiFi network and see if this really fixes this frustrating Mac WiFi problem.
How to Fix Your Mac Wi-Fi Problems
Here are several solutions in case your Mac won’t connect to Wi-Fi. They are not in any particular order, so feel free to pick one that looks like it might help you with your problems. However, if the first option you try doesn’t work, the next might be it. So take a look at each solution here.
1. Restart Your Mac
Before jumping into more complex solutions, try restarting your Mac to see if that fixes the WiFi crash issues. If your Mac connects to Wi-Fi after restarting, it could be a temporary error.
2. Disconnect Your USB and Wireless Signal Devices
This is a simple troubleshooting method. You can get everything working again by temporarily disconnecting all USB3 and USB-C devices.
So the first thing you should try is to unplug your USB devices one at a time to see if the WiFi comes back.
This could be a solution for a simple reason: some USB devices send out a radio signal that can interfere with your connection. Devices such as USB hubs can also disable the WLAN port. This is similar to how a plugged-in Ethernet cable can disable your WiFi connection.
3. Reset the NVRAM/PRAM and SMC
If your WLAN still disconnects or disconnects after the first two steps, try resetting the Random Access Memory (PRAM) / Non-volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) and the System Management Controller (SMC) parameters.
These are the areas on your Mac that control basic operations that are critical to the basic functionality of the system. However, this is not possible with Apple Silicon machines as they do not have an SMC. The equivalent is to turn off the computer, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
For Intel computers, there are a few steps you can take. Let’s start with the PRAM. Here are five simple steps:
1. Press and hold the Power button on your Mac to completely shut it down. You have to wait for the screen to go dark and all the fans to stop spinning. At this point, you can turn your Mac back on.
2. When you see the workout and the startup tone, hold down Command + Option + P + R. Hold it down until you hear the startup sound and see the Apple logo.
3. As soon as you release the buttons, the PRAM / NVRAM will reboot.
For Mac with SMC, this process varies depending on whether your Mac is a desktop or laptop and has a removable battery. Look up your particular Intel computer to find out which process to follow.
4. Reconfigure the DNS
In simple terms, the domain name server (DNS) converts IP addresses to human-readable web addresses (like “theexpertcrew.com”). It can be compared to a kind of phone book for the Internet. This step only fixes internet connection problems as long as your Mac can connect to your Wi-Fi network.
However, sometimes the specified DNS does not work correctly for a service provider. You can test this theory with a free public DNS. There are a few providers, but Google and Namecheap have solid solutions.
Here we are using Namecheap’s public DNS or 198.54.117.10. To do this, go to the network screen again and click on the “Advanced” button. This time select the DNS tab.
From here, click the Plus “+” icon to add a new DNS server, then add the IP address.
When you’re done, click OK and monitor your connection for problems.
5. Adjust Packet Size
If only a few pages do not load, it may be due to the number of packets (or “data”) that can be transmitted over the network. We can adjust the value so that all websites load without errors.
To get started, go to System Preferences> Network> Advanced.
Next, select the “Hardware” tab.
You will see two options. First change the “Configure” setting from “Automatic” to “Manual”. This will allow you to change the MTU settings. Select “Custom”.
Enter “1453” for the MTU value in the text field and confirm your changes.
You must monitor performance and connection to easily configure the DNS to determine if these changes resolve your problems.
6. Change Location and Renew DHCP Lease
Sometimes the automatic location your Mac detects is wrong. In these cases, we can configure a custom location and configuration, as well as renew the DHCP lease and IP address. Since DHCP is a protocol that helps you organize IP addresses, changing it can help ensure that traffic is directed to the correct location.
To do this:
1. Go to the Network Panel on macOS and go to the “Edit Locations” option from the “Locations” drop-down menu.
2. Click the plus sign (“+”) and give your location a new name. It does not affect the results, so it can be whatever you want.
3. You’ll notice that “No IP Address” appears under the Wi-Fi option in the panel on the left.
4. Head back to the “Advanced” screen, then to the “TCP/IP” tab.
5. Click the “Renew DHCP Lease” button and assign a new IP address to your device.
Before trying any of the other options on this list, browse the Internet and check your performance and connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there any third-party tools that can help me resolve my Mac Wi-Fi problems?
Mac’s native tools are usually perfect for diagnosing Mac WiFi Problems, so we obviously don’t recommend using Premium. However, you can analyze your network with solutions like NetSpot or WiFi Explorer.
Most solutions are quick to implement, so we only recommend a third-party solution if you have long-term problems that are difficult to resolve.
2. Should I buy a new router to fix my Mac’s Wi-Fi problems?
In many cases, you don’t need to buy a new router. Your attitudes are the way to solve a problem nine times out of ten.
However, you may want to extend your connection through a WiFi extender or mesh network. If you live in a big house or have thick walls, this is a good idea anyway, whether you have problems or not.
Final Word
Given the amount of time we spend on the Internet, it is important to keep it running most of the time. If it falls, it can stop everything in its path. However, diagnosing and fixing Mac WiFi Problems does not take long, especially if you are using the native tools to analyze your system. If you need to buy a new router, we can help you choose.
With your Mac WiFi Problems fixed, it’s time to start using your computer the way you want.
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