Why Is My WiFi Not Working on My Mac or iPhone?

According to Pew Research, 85 percent of Americans go on the internet on a daily basis. And more than one-third of American adults are online almost constantly!

In our modern times, we rely on our computers and smartphones to help us access the internet so that we can run our personal, social, and professional lives. If your connection to the internet is suddenly lost, it might suddenly feel like you’ve lost access to the rest of the world.

At some point, we’ve all asked ourselves, “why is my WiFi not working on my Mac or iPhone?” This can be a very frustrating situation for anyone!

Nobody should be without the internet for too long. So if you’d like to learn more, then keep on reading, and we’ll help you get back online in no time.

Verify That the WiFi Connection Is the One You Want

First and foremost, whether you’re on a Mac or an iPhone, you want to turn your WiFi off and then back on. You then want to confirm that you are trying to connect to the correct network. This especially might be a problem to look into if you have multiple networks that have similar names.

Your device might have skipped from the WiFi network that you usually connect to and tried a different network. Sometimes, there will be networks that are technically open and available but don’t actually provide a connection to the internet. This kind of connection could be why you are experiencing problems.

If you notice that the WiFi symbol has an exclamation point over it, then that means that you are connected to the wireless router but you are not getting the right DNS connection from your internet provider.

Try switching between your 2Ghz and 5Ghz networks and see if that does anything. Sometimes this is all you need to do to solve the problem.

Check Wireless Diagnostics

If you are having trouble connecting your Mac to WiFi then you should try this method. In the Spotlight search function, search for Wireless Diagnostics.

With this feature, you’ll be able to get a detailed look at your network options. The Mac is going to take you through several different steps to find and solve your internet problems.

If that doesn’t work, you should try to set up a Mac WiFi scanner so that your computer can collect data about your technical issues. Even if you don’t understand the results, a technician could use the information to solve your internet problems later on.

Check Your System Updates

Whether you are on a Mac or an iPhone, you want to make sure that you are running the latest version of your operating system. If there are system updates available to you, you should install them.

These updates can solve different bugs that are inhibiting your ability to get onto the internet. Whenever you can, it is always a good idea to update your Apple device to the latest software version.

Restart the Physical Hardware

While it’s a cliché, it’s still true. Whenever you confront a technical problem, it’s usually a good idea to turn the hardware off and turn it back on again. This is true for both your device and your internet hardware.

Restart your Mac or iPhone and see if that solves the problem. Sometimes, your device can be clogged up with data and connections can get messed up. When you restart the device, you can clean out a lot of junk.

You should also unplug your wireless router and cable modem. Wait thirty seconds and then plug your cable modem back in followed by the wireless router.

Change the DNS Settings

One solution you can try is adding a new Domain Name System, also known as DNS, to the network settings of your Mac.

There is actually a chance that your internet is working fine but you can’t access the internet because the Domain Name Server from your internet service provider isn’t working correctly.

In a situation like this, you can try to use a free and public DNS instead. There are many reputable sources online that supply you with one.

In order to do this, you can open the Network Preferences from the WiFi icon from System Preferences or the top menu bar.

Click on “Advanced” and then choose DNS from the menu option. You then need to click the plus icon and add the new DNS address.

Just hit “OK” and try to get back onto the internet.

Reset NVRAM/PRAM and the SMC

PRAM stands for Parameter Random-Access-Memory, and NVRAM stands for Non-Volatile Random-Access-Memory. These are two internal components that save memory even when your device is off.

These systems are used in places like your device’s internal clock. Resetting the NVRAM and PRAM can be a good way to clear out your device’s cobwebs and get your WiFi working again.

Answering the Question “Why Is My WiFi Not Working on My Mac or iPhone?”

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you should now feel that you have the answer to the question, “why is my wifi not working on my Mac or iPhone?” As we can see, there are many different strategies to solve the issues of not being able to access WiFi.

And if none of these solutions work, then you might want to visit the Apple store or even get a new device.

Make sure to check out the rest of our site today for more helpful articles!