TopTechpal

World of Tech
Menu
  • Home
  • Tech News
  • Tips And Tricks
  • Technical Tutorials
  • Premium content
  • Latest leaks
  • Paid gone free
  • Others
  • Apple Music Code Generator
  • Donate us
Tips And Tricks

10 Troubleshooting Steps When Your Mac has no WiFi – 2021

Roshan May 2, 2021
Troubleshooting Steps When Your Mac has no WiFi

A little while ago I had a call-out to assist a client who’d lost WiFi access on her MacBook. It was rather an old MacBook running OS X El Capitan. Not only had the WiFi failed, but the client had been using a Bluetooth keyboard with the Mac as a number of the keys on the MacBook’s own keyboard were no longer functioning. Clearly, the computer was well past its best.

My first observation, when the computer was powered on, was that there was an X in the center of the WiFi icon at the top of the screen. Clicking on the icon resulted in the message WiFi: No hardware installed. I set about confirming that the WiFi hardware had failed by carrying out a number of troubleshooting steps.

I’d like to describe here the steps involved and hope you find this helpful should you face a similar issue.

Contents hide
1. Restart the Computer
2. System Information
3. System Preferences
4. Wireless Diagnostics
5. Recovery Mode
6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM
7. Reset the SMC
8. Safe Mode
9. Apple Diagnostics
10. Malware Scan
Conclusion

Troubleshooting Steps When Your Mac has no WiFi

1. Restart the Computer

A number of years ago there was an excellent British sitcom called The IT Crowd, about the IT department in a company in London. Each time the telephone would ring, it was answered with the question, ‘Have you tried switching it off and on again?’ This should almost always be the first troubleshooting step with any computer issue.

If a restart doesn’t resolve the issue, let’s dig a little deeper.

2. System Information

Enter the Mac’s System Information screen and scroll down to the Wi-Fi section under Network. Check to see if any interfaces are present. If no interfaces are listed, it means that the Mac is unable to detect the presence of WiFi hardware. This in itself would suggest that the WiFi hardware has failed.

3. System Preferences

Open System Preferences and select Network. Check the status of the Wi-Fi interface. In the case of the MacBook, I was working on, I was unable to turn the Wi-Fi interface on.

4. Wireless Diagnostics

Wireless Diagnostics are run on a Mac by holding down the option key while clicking the WiFi icon. You are then presented with a menu option to Open Wireless Diagnostics. When I clicked on this option the appropriate icon appeared momentarily in the dock but then disappeared again. As a result, the wireless diagnostics didn’t provide me with any information. Depending on the scenario you are facing, you may be presented with something more helpful.

5. Recovery Mode

Check to see if the WiFi is available at the recovery mode screen. To boot into recovery mode, hold down the command key with R immediately after powering on the Mac. You’ll have to wait a few minutes for the recovery mode screen to appear. When it does, check to see if the WiFi is active.

6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM

NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory) is a piece of its memory used by a Mac to store certain settings and provide rapid access to them. Similar information is stored in PRAM (Parameter RAM).

Reset the Mac’s NVRAM/PRAM by shutting down the computer and then powering it on while holding down the four keys command, option, P and R together. Continue holding the keys until the Mac restarts for a second time. When it boots up check to see if there’s any change in the status of the WiFi.

If you want to learn how to fix mac performance issues then click here.

7. Reset the SMC

The SMC (System Management Controller) chip on a Mac controls various functions such as its sleep function, power, various lights and indicators, the Mac’s fan speed, and its keyboard backlights. It’s worth resetting the SMC to see if it resolves your WiFi issue.

To reset the SMC, first shut the Mac down again. Different Mac computers require different approaches for reset of the SMC. In the case of the MacBook I was troubleshooting, the procedure was to press and hold down the control, option and shift keys while pressing the power button for about ten seconds. I then switched the Mac on and checked to see if there was any change in the status of the WiFi after it booted up.

Apple has provided instructions for how to reset the SMC for different Mac models. You may need to consult these to determine the procedure for your Mac.

8. Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a stripped-down version of the Mac operating system and it can be useful when troubleshooting issues like this one.

Boot the Mac into safe mode by holding down the shift key right after power on. After it boots up, check to see if there’s any change in the status of the WiFi.

9. Apple Diagnostics

Apple diagnostics can be used to help determine whether there is a hardware fault in a Mac. To run Apple Diagnostics, hold down the D key right after starting the Mac.

10. Malware Scan

If none of the troubleshooting steps described so far has resolved the issue, it’s always worth running a malware scan. I normally use a product called Malwarebytes to carry out a free malware scan of the computer.

Conclusion

After working through all the troubleshooting steps described here, you will have a clear idea as to whether your Mac’s WiFi hardware has indeed failed. In the case of the MacBook I was testing, I was reasonably sure before I began that I was looking at a failure of the WiFi hardware. The troubleshooting steps confirmed my initial diagnosis and the most straightforward solution was to suggest the use of a USB WiFi adapter. It’s the goal of my company to provide a satisfactory solution for every client and this proved to be an inexpensive resolution of the issue.

This Mac WiFi troubleshooting procedure was written by Norm McLaughlin. Norm is the founder of Norm’s Computer Services, a computer repair and IT support business in Brisbane, Australia.

Tweet Pin It submit
Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

improve your video marketing conversion rate
Improve your video marketing conversion rate - Product videos to …

How to improve conversion rates with product videos

Free phone number lookup
Free phone number lookup for verification of any country Get …

Free phone number for verification| USA, UK, Any country| 2022

twitch clip downloader
Twitch clip downloader | How to download twitch clips Twitch …

Twitch Clip Downloader | How to download twitch clips | 2021

Change google account location
Google play country is the key factor which determines the …

How to change google play country location to any region 100%

About The Author

Roshan

Roshan kc is a cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering latest happenings in cyber security and tech world. In addition to being the founder of this website, Roshan is also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism and additional to them he is also interested in movies, anime and web series.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Ads

Related Posts

  • How to get smtp server for free
    How to get smtp server for free …
    May 7, 2020 0
  • hbo max movie offline
    How to watch HBO max movie offline? …
    December 1, 2021 0
  • Discord text formatting
    Everything about discord text formatting | Premium …
    July 23, 2020 0
  • how to find best kik groups
    How to find Best Kik Groups Chat …
    August 29, 2022 0
  • Google secret
    Use Google effectively like pro | Google …
    February 4, 2020 5

TopTechpal

World of Tech

About US

TopTechpal is the best website to get information about technology, hacks and hacking news, gadget and Technical solutions. We provide authentic information about latest gadgets and post leaks. We provide authentic information and occasionally some free stuff to our viewers.

Contact us: admin@toptechpal.com

Check

  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Advertisement
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2023 TopTechpal
Website by @ Top Techpal

Ad Blocker Detected

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

Refresh
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of All the cookies.Read More
Cookie settingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT