How to Fix WiFi Driver and Network Issues on macOS: Renew DHCP, Reset Network Settings, and Reinstall Drivers

WiFi problems on macOS can range from a minor nuisance — like having to reconnect after waking your MacBook — to a total failure where the WiFi menu just shows a spinning circle. The good news is that macOS includes several powerful tools for diagnosing and fixing network issues, and most problems can be resolved without reinstalling the OS.

Work through the fixes below in order. Each step escalates in complexity, so stop as soon as your connection is restored.

Before You Start: Quick Checks

Before diving into settings, confirm these basics:

• Restart your Mac and your router. A full power cycle (not just sleep) resolves the majority of transient WiFi issues on macOS. Unplug your router for 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
• Check for macOS updates. Go to System Settings → General → Software Update. A pending update can fix driver-level WiFi bugs, especially on newer Apple Silicon Macs.
• Confirm other devices can connect. If no device on your network has internet, the problem is with your ISP or router — not macOS. Run our speed test on a different device to rule this out.

Fix 1: Renew Your DHCP Lease

Your Mac gets its IP address automatically from your router via DHCP. If that lease becomes stale or corrupted — which often happens after sleep, a router restart, or moving between networks — your Mac can appear connected to WiFi but have no internet access. Renewing the lease forces your Mac to request a fresh IP address.

1. Open System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi.
2. Click Details… next to your connected network.
3. Select the TCP/IP tab.
4. Click Renew DHCP Lease.

After a few seconds, your IP address field should update with a new address (typically 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x). If it shows 169.254.x.x (an APIPA address), your Mac failed to get an address from the router — try restarting the router first, then repeat these steps.

Fix 2: Run Apple’s Wireless Diagnostics Tool

macOS ships with a built-in Wireless Diagnostics app that can automatically detect many common WiFi problems and recommend fixes.

1. Hold the Option key and click the WiFi icon in your menu bar.
2. Select Open Wireless Diagnostics…
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to run the automated analysis.

The app also contains hidden sub-tools accessible from the Window menu, including:

• Info — Shows your current network name, channel, band, signal strength (RSSI), and noise floor at a glance.
• Scan — Lists all nearby WiFi networks and recommends the least congested channels for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. If your router is on a congested channel, switch it in your router’s admin panel. See our guide to changing your WiFi channel for step-by-step instructions.
• Sniffer — Captures low-level WiFi packets for advanced debugging.

Fix 3: Forget and Rejoin the Network

Corrupted saved network credentials are a common cause of connection failures after a router password change or firmware update. Forgetting the network clears the stored credentials and forces a clean reconnection.

1. Go to System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi.
2. Click the Details… button next to your network name.
3. Click Forget This Network… and confirm.
4. Reconnect by selecting the network from the WiFi menu and entering your password.

Fix 4: Change Your DNS Servers

If your Mac connects to WiFi but websites fail to load, the problem is often with DNS — the system that translates domain names like google.com into IP addresses. Your ISP’s default DNS servers can be slow or unreliable. Switching to a public DNS resolver is a quick fix.

1. Open System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details…
2. Click the DNS tab.
3. Click the + button and add 8.8.8.8 (Google) and 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
4. Click OK, then Apply.

Open a new browser tab and try loading a website. If it works immediately, your ISP’s DNS was the culprit.

Fix 5: Delete Corrupted Network Preference Files

macOS stores WiFi network profiles and adapter settings in a set of property list (.plist) files under /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/. If these files become corrupted — typically after a failed macOS update or unexpected shutdown — they can cause persistent WiFi failures that GUI-level fixes can’t reach.

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal) and run:

sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.network.identification.plist
sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist
sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

Enter your admin password when prompted, then restart your Mac. macOS will regenerate these files from scratch on boot. You’ll need to re-enter your WiFi password when prompted.

Fix 6: Use wdutil from Terminal

wdutil is a command-line tool built into macOS that interfaces directly with the wireless diagnostics framework — the same one the Wireless Diagnostics app uses. It’s useful for capturing detailed logs when problems are intermittent.

To run a full diagnostic snapshot:

sudo wdutil diagnose

This generates a compressed archive of WiFi logs, crash reports, and adapter state in /var/tmp/. You can review the logs yourself or submit them to Apple Feedback or a support technician.

To toggle WiFi off and back on from the terminal (useful when the menu bar icon is unresponsive):

networksetup -setairportpower en0 off
networksetup -setairportpower en0 on

Note: replace en0 with en1 if your Mac uses a different interface — run networksetup -listallhardwareports to find your WiFi adapter’s interface name.

Fix 7: Reinstall macOS (Last Resort)

If every fix above has failed and your Mac shows a greyed-out WiFi icon or the adapter doesn’t appear in System Settings at all, the WiFi driver may be damaged at the OS level. A macOS reinstall via Recovery Mode repairs system files without erasing your data.

1. On Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4): Shut down, then hold the power button until you see “Loading startup options.” Select Options → Continue to enter Recovery.
2. On Intel Macs: Restart and immediately hold Command + R until the Apple logo appears.
3. In Recovery, select Reinstall macOS and follow the prompts. Your files, apps, and settings are preserved.

After reinstalling, run the speed test on our homepage to confirm your connection is performing as expected. If speeds are still below your plan, the issue may be on the router or ISP side — our guide to why WiFi is slow covers those scenarios in detail.

Summary: Which Fix to Try First

• Connected but no internet → Renew DHCP lease, then change DNS servers.
• Drops after sleep → Delete preference files, check for macOS updates.
• Wrong password error on known network → Forget network and rejoin.
• Intermittent drops → Run Wireless Diagnostics, check channel congestion.
• WiFi icon greyed out → Toggle with networksetup, then reinstall macOS.