Troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues

Use these steps if your computer does not get online at all.

1. Make sure that AirPort is on.
   

   Mac OS X allows you to turn your AirPort card off entirely in case you do not wish to use it. Sometimes, the AirPort card may be turned off accidentally. If your AirPort interface is on and connected to a Wi-Fi network, the AirPort menu bar item will be bold. The AirPort menu bar item is in the top right corner of the screen.

   

   If your AirPort menu bar item looks like the one above, then your computer is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Move onto step #2 below.

   If AirPort is off, select the AirPort icon from the menu bar and select the option to "Turn AirPort On" from the drop-down menu.

   Note: If the AirPort icon shows an exclamation point over it, see Exclamation icon displayed in AirPort Menu Extra.

   If the AirPort icon does not appear in the menu bar at all, then launch System Preferences (located in /Applications). Select the Network tab of System Preferences, then select AirPort. Check the box next to "Show AirPort status in menu bar."

   

   If your AirPort interface does not appear in System Preferences, then you'll need to make sure that your AirPort card is recognized by your Mac. Boot to the install media that came with your computer.

   While booted to the install media, your computer will be able to access available AirPort networks.

2. Once you have confirmed that your AirPort card is on, if you are still not able to get online, check to make sure that your computer has joined the correct Wi-Fi network.

   Your Wi-Fi network should be listed in the drop down menu under your AirPort icon.

   The Wi-Fi network with which your Mac is associated will be checked, as shown below:

   

   Your Wi-Fi network may not be checked in this drop-down menu. If it is not checked, select it from the menu. If your Wi-Fi network is secured using a password, you will be prompted to enter a password as shown below.

   

   Note: If you do not know your network password, you will need to contact the administrator of your Wi-Fi network. If you own the network, you may need to configure your router in order to obtain the password for the network.

   Your Wi-Fi network may not be visible in the list. If the network is closed, it will not broadcast its network name. In order to join the Wi-Fi network, select "Join Other Network…" from the AirPort menu. This will bring up the following window:

   

   Enter the name of your network and select the Security your network uses.

   If your network is still not visible in your AirPort network list, then it may be using an incompatible Wi-Fi standard. Most Macs support all common Wi-Fi standards. To check which standards your Mac supports, check the Network Utility, located in /Applications/Utilities. Set the network interface to AirPort and examine the information listed after "Model:"

   

3. If your computer has joined the correct Wi-Fi network and you are still unable to get online, you should check your TCP/IP settings in the Network pane of the System Preferences.
   
   1. Launch System Preferences from /Applications.
   2. Select AirPort and click the Advanced button in the lower-left hand corner of the screen.
   3. Select the TCP/IP tab from the top of the screen.

   4. Your window should look like this:

      (Your IPv4 configuration may be different and your IPv4 Address will definitely be different.)

      

      Consult with your network administrator to determine the correct TCP/IP settings for your Wi-Fi network. Without the correct TCP/IP settings, your computer will not be able to get online.

   5. If your TCP/IP settings appear to be correct, and your computer still cannot access the Internet, check the DNS tab. See below for this tab. DNS is an Internet service that translates IP addresses into URLs and vice-versa. A correct DNS configuration allows your computer to connect to www.apple.com without having to enter the specific IP address of the Apple servers.

       

      

   6. You may want to contact your ISP for DNS addresses or use the DNS provided by a public service. To add a new DNS address, simply click the + button and enter the IP address for that DNS.
4. Try connecting to your router through Ethernet. Connect an Ethernet cable directly to your Wi-Fi router from your computer. 
5. Check your range to the Wi-Fi router and reduce the effect of interference.
   

   If your computer is too far from your Wi-Fi router or your environment has too much Wi-Fi interference, then your computer may not detect the Wi-Fi network properly. The easiest way to check for range limits with your Wi-Fi network is to move your computer or your Wi-Fi router closer together and make sure that there are no obstructions (such as walls, cabinets, etc) between the router and your computer.

   See Potential sources of wireless interference for more information about interference, its causes and solutions.

6. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network.

   If your computer does not exhibit any symptoms when connected to a different Wi-Fi network, then the issue may be related to your network router or ISP. In that case, you should contact the manufacturer of your router or your ISP.

Use these steps if Internet access is slow on your computer.

1. Confirm your network supports the correct Wi-Fi standards.

   802.11n provides the fastest speeds of all available Wi-Fi protocols. Other standards are still quite fast, but you should confirm that your computer is using the fastest protocol available.

   Hold the Option key down while selecting the AirPort menu bar icon.

   

   The PHY Mode lists the protocol your computer used to join this Wi-Fi network. If this does show the expected 802.11 protocol, you may want to check the settings of your Wi-Fi router. Consult the manufacturer of your router for information on configuring that router.

2. Disable other active network services.

   Active network services consume a portion of the available bandwidth - examples of these might be file servers, video streaming, online games, etc. When these are in use, they may cause other services to slow down. Try turning off unused network applications to increase the speed of other applications. Be aware that other computers or devices connected to your network may also contribute to poor performance. If you are not sure if a computer associated with your Wi-Fi network is causing poor performance, try turning it off or disconnecting it from the network.

3. Use WPA2 Authentication, if available.

   The WPA2 authentication mode meets the highest standards for Wi-Fi compliance and should be used to provide the greatest speeds for modern Wi-Fi networks. Other authentication methods may reduce performance of your Wi-Fi network. In order to change the authentication method offered by your Wi-Fi router, you will need to contact the manufacturer of that router.

4. Check your range to the Wi-Fi router and reduce the effect of interference.

   If your computer is too far from your Wi-fi router or your environment has too much Wi-fi interference, then your computer may not detect the Wi-Fi network properly. The easiest way to check for range limits with your Wi-fi network is to move your computer or your Wi-fi router closer together and make sure that there are no obstructions (such as walls, cabinets, etc) between the router and your computer.

   See Potential sources of wireless interference for more information about interference, its causes and solutions.

5. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network.

   If your computer works fine when connected to a different Wi-Fi network, then the issue may be related to your network router or ISP. In that case, contact the manufacturer of your router or your ISP.

Use these steps if your computer disconnects from its Wi-Fi network unexpectedly.

1. Check your range to the Wi-Fi router and reduce the effect of interference.
   

   If your computer is too far from your Wi-fi router or your environment has too much Wi-fi interference, then your computer may not detect the Wi-Fi network properly. The easiest way to check for range limits with your Wi-fi network is to move your computer or your Wi-fi router closer together and make sure that there are no obstructions (such as walls, cabinets, etc) between the router and your computer.

   See Potential sources of wireless interference for more information about interference, its causes and solutions.

2. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network.
   

   If your computer does not exhibit any symptoms when connected to a different Wi-Fi network, then the issue may be related to your network router or ISP. In that case, contact the manufacturer of your router or your ISP.