Several users said that wireless internet is not working properly after updating to macOS Catalina. More specifically, users stated that their browsers (Safari, Chrome etc) stopped loading websites even though the Wi-Fi seems to be connected.
If you are having this problem, then this article is for you. Please after trying each step test to see if your Wi-Fi problem is fixed:
See also: How To Disable Wi-Fi Auto-Join in macOS
1. Update your Mac if there is an update available. You can check that by going to Apple menu > About This Mac > Software Update.
2. Disable Wi-Fi (you can do so by clicking the Wi-Fi icon and selecting ‘Turn Wi-Fi Off’ in the menu bar) and wait a few seconds and then re-enable it.
3. Restart everything:
- Restart your Mac by goign to the Apple menu and Restart
- Restart your modem and router
4. Create a new network location:
- On your Mac, click the Apple menu
- Click System Preferences
- Click Network
- Click the Location drop down menu (This says Automatic, unless you changed it before)
- Click Edit Locations
- Click the plus (+) sign to add a new location
- Rename the new location if you want
- Click Done
- And click Apply (Network pane).
- Now try to test if your Internent problem is resolved.
See also: Your Mac or iPhone Can’t Connect to a Public Wi-Fi Hotspot (Captive)? Fix
5. If you are still having this problem, restart your Mac in safe mode. Here is how:
- Turn off your Mac
- Turn on your Mac and immdediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login screen.
- When you see the login screen, you may release the Shift key.
- Login
- Your Mac will start in safe mode. In safe mode, do you have Wi-Fi problems?
- Restart your Mac. This time restart normally.
6. Remove Wi-Fi and readd again. Here is how:
- On your Mac go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Network
- Select Wi-Fi (left menu)
- Then click the minus (-) sign to remove it
- Then Click Apply
- After that now click the plus (+) sign. You will see a window saying “select the interface and enter a name for the new service.” Select Wi-Fi and click Create then Apply.
After trying the steps above, are you having issues with getting connected to a Wi-Fi network with your Mac? Then it is time to contact Apple Support.
See also: How to reset network settings on Mac
Nothing worked for me. I just updated to Catalina today. I’m so upset.
Me too (today April the 22th). Any solution?
Same here. Have you solve this??
It looks like i’m not the only one locked out of their computer after the update.
Amazing!
I updated to Catalina anf couldn’t connect to wifi –
And spent many hours to find a solution –
and your solution worked!
Thank you sooo much!
Apple is very irresponsible MNC as the problem is floating since late 2019.
No action is taken.
Is Apple ever going to repair the defective WiFi chip driver code in Catalina specific to the MacBook Air that is causing this problem? It’s been months and I thought they would have pushed out a fix by now. The iPad had a similar problem a few years ago that took over 18 months to be fixed. Awful.
Only available work arounds are connect via ethernet or re-image your system with Mojave. Or reboot again and again and …
its specifically ONLY the macbook air? Just trying to figure out a work around!
Having same issue and can’t connect to internet. Extremely frustrating!! Why upgrade when system doesn’t work!
Hi bro. Some days ago I had the problem with the wifi. I made everything and it worked for the last 4-5 days. Today the problem happens again and I repeated the process but still the same, wifi connectedness without internet (I’m using my home network with phones and works as usual, I also reset the router twice and nothing)
My wifi is fine except I need to be in 2 metres of the router. My windows machine works even out in the garden.
Just find the internet is so slow that I had to use my windows machine to read this page. Mac internet only works in safe mode so I guess I have other conflicts.
Thank you so much! The safe boot worked like a charm for me.