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Troubleshooting & Fixes 3 min read

Fix Wi-Fi that keeps dropping on macOS

Your Wi-Fi works fine, then drops, then reconnects on its own. Or it stays connected but the internet stops working. Or it just disconnects completely and refuses to come back. If any of this sounds familiar, the good news is that most Wi-Fi issues on macOS are fixable without touching your router at all.

TL;DR: start here

Before anything else, try these two things in order:

  1. Turn Wi-Fi off, wait 10 seconds, turn it back on (the menu bar toggle is enough).
  2. Restart your Mac. A surprising number of Wi-Fi problems are resolved by a fresh boot.

If neither works, keep reading.

Forget the network and reconnect

Go to System Settings > Wi-Fi, click the three-dot menu next to your network, and choose Forget This Network. Then reconnect by selecting the network and entering your password. This clears any corrupted network profile that may be causing drops.

Flush the DNS cache

If you are connected but websites will not load, the DNS cache may be stale. Open Terminal and run:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Enter your password when prompted. This resets DNS resolution without affecting your connection.

Renew your DHCP lease

Go to System Settings > Wi-Fi > click the Details button next to your connected network > TCP/IP tab > click Renew DHCP Lease. This forces your Mac to request a fresh IP address from your router.

Remove old Wi-Fi settings

macOS keeps network configuration files in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/. Over time, these can conflict. To reset them:

  1. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and navigate to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/.
  2. Move these files to your Desktop (as a backup): NetworkInterfaces.plist, preferences.plist, com.apple.airport.preferences.plist.
  3. Restart your Mac. macOS will recreate the files.
  4. If Wi-Fi works normally, delete the backup copies from your Desktop.

Check for interference

Wi-Fi works on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The 5 GHz band is faster but shorter range; 2.4 GHz travels further but is more crowded. If you are far from your router, your Mac may be dropping to a weaker 2.4 GHz signal and losing the connection in the transition. Try moving closer to the router to test.

Update macOS

Apple regularly releases fixes for Wi-Fi bugs. Check System Settings > General > Software Update. If you are not on the latest version, update — Wi-Fi problems are often patched in point releases.

If Wi-Fi drops only when your Mac sleeps and wakes, go to System Settings > Battery > Options and disable “Enable Power Nap”. Power Nap keeps Wi-Fi active during sleep, and on some configurations it causes the connection to get stuck.

When the router is the problem

If all Macs (or phones, or other devices) on the network have the same issue, the router is the likely cause. Try restarting it by unplugging it for 30 seconds. If the problem persists, check if your ISP is experiencing an outage, or look at the router firmware and update it if one is available.

Still dropping?

If you have tried all of the above and Wi-Fi still drops regularly, create a new Network Location. Go to System Settings > Wi-Fi, click the three-dot menu at the top right, and choose Locations. Add a new location, switch to it, and rejoin your Wi-Fi. This gives macOS a completely clean network slate without affecting anything else on your system.