Mac Wi-Fi problems: slow, dropping or no internet

Is it your Wi-Fi or your internet?

They’re two different things. The Wi-Fi signal is how clearly your Mac hears the router. The internet speed is how fast data moves between the router and the rest of the world. A strong signal can sit in front of a slow line, so check both, then read them together:

How strong is my Wi-Fi signal?

1. Hold down the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
2. Under the network you’re connected to, read RSSI: the signal strength in dBm (decibels compared with a milliwatt). Numbers closer to zero are stronger, so −48 dBm is stronger than −70 dBm.
3. Note the channel and band too. They’re in the same list.

Apple says a Mac starts looking for a stronger access point when the signal falls to −75 dBm, so a reading near that where you work is weak for a Mac. What’s a good Wi-Fi signal? dBm explained explains the numbers.

How fast is my internet, really?

Every Mac with macOS Monterey or later has a built-in speed test.

1. Close apps that are downloading or backing up, so they don’t share the line during the test.
2. Open Terminal. It’s in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Spotlight.
3. Type networkQuality and press Return.
4. Compare Downlink capacity, your download speed in megabits per second (Mbps), with the speed your plan promises. Uplink capacity is your upload speed.

studio@MacBook-Pro ~ % networkQuality==== SUMMARY ====Uplink capacity: 117.604 MbpsDownlink capacity: 935.312 MbpsResponsiveness: High (1290 RPM)Idle Latency: 11.208 millisecondsstudio@MacBook-Pro ~ % 

Responsiveness is how many round trips the connection completes in a minute under normal working conditions, in round trips per minute (RPM); higher is better. The test uses data on your plan. How to test internet speed on a Mac explains every number.

Why is my Mac’s Wi-Fi slow?

If the signal is weak, improve the link. Apple’s advice for a cleaner, stronger signal:

• Move closer to the router. Metal blocks Wi-Fi the most, then plaster and concrete, then brick and water; wood and glass block very little.
• Keep away from interference, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, wireless video cameras, fluorescent lights and power cables.
• Use the 5 GHz band if your router has one. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both use the 2.4 GHz band.
• Restart the router. Most routers look for the least crowded channel when they start up.

If the signal is strong but the test is slow, look at the router, your plan and other devices on the network. If only your Mac is slow, check VPN or security software, which can affect your connection. Why is my Mac’s Wi-Fi so slow? How to find out covers each case.

Why does my Mac’s Wi-Fi keep dropping?

Wireless Diagnostics, built into macOS, analyzes the connection and lists the problems it finds.

1. Quit your open apps, and join the Wi-Fi network that keeps dropping.
2. Hold down the Option key, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions. When the analysis is done, click the Info buttons in the Summary to read about each item.

Wireless Diagnostics doesn’t change your network settings. Also click the Wi-Fi icon and look for Wi-Fi Recommendations: it appears when your Mac has detected an issue. Mac Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting? How to find the cause goes through the signal, the router and sleep settings.

Connected to Wi-Fi but no internet?

Then the link to the router works, but the way out doesn’t. First, try another device on the same Wi-Fi. If nothing gets online, restart the router and ask your internet provider whether there’s an outage. If only your Mac is stuck, follow Apple’s steps:

1. Restart your Mac. It renews the IP address, its address on the network, that it was given when it joined.
2. Make sure the date and time are set correctly.
3. Renew the DHCP lease: choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Network, click Wi-Fi, then click Details. Click TCP/IP, click Renew DHCP Lease, then click OK.
4. Check VPN or other security software, which can affect access to the internet.

Mac connected to Wi-Fi but no internet? What to do has the rest of Apple’s checks, including DNS and the router’s settings.

How do I check ping and latency?

Ping measures how long a small message takes to reach another device and come back, in milliseconds (ms).

1. Option-click the Wi-Fi icon and note the Router address.
2. Open Terminal, type ping -c 10 followed by a space and that address, then press Return. -c 10 sends 10 pings, then stops.
3. Do the same with a website, such as ping -c 10 apple.com.

If the router replies but the website doesn’t, the problem is past the router. In the summary, 0.0% packet loss means every ping came back. How to run a ping test on a Mac explains each line.

Is something using my connection?

A backup, a sync or a big download shares the line with everything else.

1. Open Activity Monitor and click Network.
2. Click the column heading for received data to sort the list, largest first.
3. At the bottom, Data received/sec and Data sent/sec show how much is moving right now; Data received and Data sent are the totals.

On a capped network, turn on Low data mode: choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Wi-Fi, click Details next to the network, and turn on Low data mode. How much data does my Mac use? How to check shows which apps used the most.

Questions people also ask

Why is Wi-Fi fine on my phone but not on my Mac?

Each device hears the router differently: Apple notes that antennas vary from model to model. Compare the signal where you sit, restart your Mac, and check VPN or security software.

Does a VPN slow down Wi-Fi on a Mac?

It can. Apple says VPN and other software that monitors your network connections can affect access to the internet. Turn its features off, run networkQuality again and compare.

Is 5 GHz better than 2.4 GHz?

Often. Bluetooth and many Wi-Fi devices share the 2.4 GHz band, so Apple suggests connecting more devices to 5 GHz if your router supports both.