Published 2023-05-25 by TechNet New England
Wi-Fi issues on Mac usually come down to a stale network configuration, DNS problems, or a conflict between saved networks. These fixes address the most common causes. ## Check the Basics 1. **Is Wi-Fi turned on?** Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and make sure it is enabled. 2. **Is your network visible?** If your network does not appear, the router may be down or you may be out of range. 3. **Can other devices connect?** Test with your phone. If it works on the same network, the issue is your Mac. ## Fix 1: Toggle Wi-Fi Off and On Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, turn Wi-Fi off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Simple, but resolves temporary glitches surprisingly often. ## Fix 2: Forget the Network and Reconnect 1. Open **System Settings > Wi-Fi**. 2. Find your network under **Known Networks**. 3. Click the **Info** button (the "i" icon) next to the network. 4. Click **Forget This Network**. 5. Reconnect by selecting the network and entering the password. ## Fix 3: Renew the DHCP Lease If your Mac connects but has no internet access, it may have a bad IP address. 1. Open **System Settings > Wi-Fi**. 2. Click **Details** next to your connected network. 3. Click the **TCP/IP** tab. 4. Click **Renew DHCP Lease**. ## Fix 4: Reset DNS Settings 1. Open **System Settings > Wi-Fi > Details** (for your connected network). 2. Click the **DNS** tab. 3. Remove any existing DNS servers by selecting them and clicking the minus button. 4. Add reliable DNS servers: `8.8.8.8` (Google) `1.1.1.1` (Cloudflare) 5. Click **OK**. ## Fix 5: Delete Network Configuration Files This is the Mac equivalent of a full network reset. 1. Turn off Wi-Fi. 2. Open **Finder** and press **Command + Shift + G**. 3. Type: `/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/` 4. Find and move these files to your Desktop (as backup): `com.apple.airport.preferences.plist` `com.apple.network.identification.plist` `com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist` `NetworkInterfaces.plist` `preferences.plist` 5. Restart your Mac. 6. Turn Wi-Fi back on and reconnect. Your Mac will recreate these files with fresh settings. ## Fix 6: Create a New Network Location 1. Open **System Settings > Network**. 2. Click the three-dot menu at the bottom and select **Locations > Edit Locations**. 3. Click the **"+"** button to create a new location. Name it anything. 4. Select the new location and click **Done**. 5. Reconnect to Wi-Fi. This creates a completely fresh network configuration without affecting your other settings. ## When to Contact IT Support If the issue persists after all of the above, it may be related to: An 802.1X or certificate-based Wi-Fi network that requires specific configuration from your IT team. A device management profile (MDM) that is blocking or configuring Wi-Fi settings. A hardware issue with the Wi-Fi chip (rare but possible, especially on older Macs).