Mac WiFi issues — not working, dropping or slow

Check in this order: 1) is WiFi turned on in the menu bar? 2) Other devices on the same network — do they work? If only the Mac has issues, try 'Forget Network' and sign in again. 3) Delete ~/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist (you'll need to sign in to all networks again). 4) NVRAM reset on Intel.

Recurring drops: 1) check the router (restart it), 2) change the channel on 2.4 GHz to 1, 6 or 11. 3) Test on 5 GHz if available — often more stable. 4) If only your Mac drops, the WiFi antenna's connection to the logic board may be broken — contact us.

Slow WiFi: 1) test the speed on fast.com via cable and via WiFi to compare. 2) Stand close to the router. 3) Switch to 5 GHz. 4) Check how many devices are on the network. 5) If only your Mac is slow on WiFi but fast on cable, it could be a weak antenna — diagnosed with us.

If no networks show: 1) restart the Mac. 2) Toggle WiFi off and on (also via Airplane Mode). 3) NVRAM reset (Intel). 4) On Apple Silicon: System Settings → WiFi → Advanced → delete all networks → restart. 5) If still nothing, the WiFi module is faulty.

Connection failures despite networks being visible: 1) wrong password (it's common to forget after a router password change), 2) the router has a MAC address filter blocking your Mac, 3) your Mac has a private MAC address the router doesn't know. Check router settings or switch the Mac to 'Hardware MAC' under System Settings → WiFi → Details.

Recurring lost connections: 1) check router firmware (update it), 2) test by switching channels, 3) delete and re-add the network, 4) if the problem only occurs when you move the Mac (open/close the lid, change angles), it's the WiFi antenna's physical connection — contact us.