Last Updated on October 5, 2021 by Markeyus Franks
A Mac will not connect to WIFI because either the WIFI password is wrong, there is something wrong with the local router, or the ISP is shut down. Those are the common reasons, but there could be a bunch of reasons why your WIFI won’t connect let’s go over them and get you Connected
WIFI Password – This is a no-brainer, but unfortunately is a common issue when it comes to connection problems. Make sure you have the right WIFI password entered because sometimes you can have your device connected to the WiFi, but someone else changed the password, so now you’re not able to connect to your network.
If you run into this issue, then you have to forget the network you’re currently connected to then reconnect to the same network name. Upon reconnection, you will be prompted to put in a new password, now you can enter in the new password.
The router is Malfunctioning – This is a big possibility. If you have ruled out your phone, laptop, or computer also not connecting, then it’s time to look at the router. The fastest and easiest way to resolve a WiFi issue with your router is to just unplug it for about 10 seconds then plug it back in. This will usually work for the most part and all you would have to do is refresh your WIFI connection. If your WiFi is still not working, then you could bypass the WIFI by plugging your computer directly into the Ethernet ports on the back of the router.
If your internet is working via a hardwired connection, then you know it’s a WiFi malfunction within the router. At this time, you could log into the router to make sure the WIFI radio is on, and that you are on a good channel. If it still doesn’t work then you can call your ISP or factory reset your Router. Caution: If you have Static IP settings or any other settings ( DHCP, Pass-through, Website restrictions) set, then the factory reset will erase all data.
Duplicate IP – Make sure you’re not picking up a duplicate IP with another device. Sometimes the DHCP pool inside the router will hand out the same IP address to multiple devices. This could cause issues and prevent your Mac from connecting This is an easy fix, first make sure you’re are not reserving IP addresses on your router for specific devices and second, you need to release and renew the Ip address on your computer so that it will find a new IP address.
The command is a follows:
STATIC IP – Next make sure you don’t have a static IP set on your Mac if your router is sending out an IP address automatically. This is more common in offices, but it’s not too far-fetch to look at. When you’re trying to connect to the router, make sure your Mac is set to obtain an IP address and DNS automatically. This will ensure that your computer will always get an IP address when it’s handed out. Also, make sure you are set to obtain a DNS serve- automatically unless you’re using Google’s DNS.( 8.8.8.8 Secondary 8.8.4.4)
DNS server– Another possible reason why your Mac won’t connect to WIFI could be because your ISP’s DNS servers are down. In this situation, your WIFI could be working fine, but the DNS servers for your ISP may not be working. If this is the case, then you will have to change your DNS address. Most people just change it to Google (8.8.8.8 secondary 8.8.4.4). and try to surf the web again. Tip: A fast way to check to see if you may have a DNS problem is to put a website IP address in the URL instead of the domain name and see if you can get through. If you are, but couldn’t connect prior with just the domain then you have a DNS problem.
Restart Your Mac– If your computer is not connecting to the WIFI, one of the first things you want to try is to turn it off for a few seconds and then turn it back on. This will generally fix most network issues and will clear out any unwanted errors.
Clear Out Registered WiFi Names– Another trick that often helps is deleting and reconnecting already registered networks. . This will ensure that you clear out networks that are not working.
Renew Your DHCP Lease– Chances are you’re receiving an IP address from your router’s DHCP server. The DHCP server basically hands an IP address to different devices with a specific lease time associated with it. The lease time, which is usually set for a few days should automatically renew, but sometimes there are problems within this process causing connection issues. If you run into WIFE issues, then use the renew DHCP Release command to renew the IP lease on Your Mac.
Virus-Although not as prevalent with Macs, viruses can cause a lot of unwanted harm to your computer. If you are not able to use WIFI and suspect there is some type of vines on your system, then you could be spot on about the connection problem. Ya can download a virus protection software such as Norton anti-virus or Malware bytes, but because you’re on a Mac, I would not make this your first option.
Check WIFI Network Card– You Mac Communicates with other servers and routers based on its network card. The network card is basically where all the data transfer magic happens. If your WIFI network card is bad then you will not be able to connect online through WIFI. The easiest way to check your WIFI network card is to ping it from your command line. If you don’t get a response back from your ping then chances are you have a bad network card. The command for ping is ping 127.0.0.1 in the command prompt.
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