What to do when your Mac says Wi-Fi components isn’t set up

Every single Mac bought given that the mid-2000s with number of exceptions integrated a Wi-Fi card, module, or chip which is aspect of the motherboard. So, it is surprising to any Mac user who fires up their Mac or is in the center of utilizing when they see a concept that reads “Wi-Fi: No components installed” in the technique Wi-Fi menu equally vexing is “Wi-Fi: Not configured” when you have designed no alterations and were just using it. In equally circumstances, a components difficulty could be the root. But you should run via other troubleshooting very first.

Correct Wi-Fi: not configured

It’s probable that community settings ended up disrupted or corrupted, disabling Wi-Fi access in a way that can be simply fastened via the Community tastes pane. To come across out if which is the circumstance, follow these measures:

1. Go to Method Preferences > Network.
2. Choose the Wi-Fi adapter in the list at remaining. It will be grayed out and have the label Inactive beneath it.
3. From the gear menu, pick Make Services Lively.
4. Click on Use.

An exclamation mark within the Wi-Fi fan will disappear, and your laptop will scan for networks or connect to a regarded one.

Check out for hardware faults

If hardware is the situation, the Wi-Fi fall-down menu could inaccurately read through “Wi-Fi: No hardware installed,” nevertheless visitors have found “not configured” and other glitches as nicely. There could be a small-degree configuration problem or a hardware problem, and you need to reduce configuration problems first.

Try out these troubleshooting techniques in get:

• Restart your Mac: This clears the point out in a lot of situations.
• Begin in safe manner: Protected mode fires up a limited quantity of expert services in macOS and could reveal a conflict. See Apple’s measures to commence up in safe manner.
• Generate a new person in macOS: In some cases the issue is with a consumer account. Try making a new user in macOS, restarting, and logging into that new user account. Does Wi-Fi work now? Then there is one thing corrupted in the other user’s low-level settings that may have to have reinstalling macOS. (You can obtain the directions to develop a new person in this column.)
• Take away the Wi-Fi community entry and restore it: The column “How to correct a missing Wi-Fi entry in macOS” offers the steps.
• Clear the components point out (Intel Macs): On Intel Macs, you can reset the Technique Administration Controller (SMC). That solves the dilemma for some end users. (Apple silicon M-series Macs have no SMC to reset.)
• Reinstall macOS: Make a Time Equipment or other finish backup of your Mac, restart into macOS recovery, and reinstall macOS. This is a non-destructive set up, but you have to have a backup in situation matters go erroneous.

If none of the higher than solves the difficulties, it’s time to strike the fix store. If your Mac continues to be underneath warranty, continue to keep information of your screening useful and phone for a restore. If it is out of warranty, the maintenance could be pricey as with most Macs launched in the very last 10 to 15 yrs, a full motherboard replacement may be needed. You could possibly get by with a hardware alternative, described following.

Choose for a components Wi-Fi replacement

If your Mac runs macOS 10.15 Catalina or before, you can purchase an reasonably priced third-get together Wi-Fi USB dongle, this kind of as the Edimax AC1200, which will come with drivers from the maker for OS X and macOS through Sierra, or the quicker 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) TP-Backlink Archer T3U (by way of 10.14) or T3U In addition (via 10.15).

For those people making use of a more the latest edition of macOS or who want driver-totally free entry to 802.11ac or 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 5 or 6), a USB-C adapter, mini-dock, or whole-sized dock with gigabit ethernet can pair with a wireless bridge. This is less effortless for a notebook, but a sensible solution for a desktop Mac that can’t plug in by way of ethernet right. Several very low-expense, significant-effectiveness wi-fi bridges can hook up to a community as if the bridge were being a normal Wi-Fi adapter.

Talk to Mac 911

We’ve compiled a checklist of the inquiries we get requested most often, alongside with answers and links to columns: read through our tremendous FAQ to see if your issue is lined. If not, we’re often hunting for new problems to solve! E mail yours to mac911@macworld.com, including monitor captures as suitable and irrespective of whether you want your complete name utilized. Not just about every query will be answered, we really don't reply to e mail, and we simply cannot supply immediate troubleshooting guidance.