How to Fix MacBook Connected to WiFi but No Internet Issue?

Internet issues are very common. If you are using Mac and unable to connect to the Wi-Fi or the network, then it could seriously hamper your performance. While there could be numerous reasons behind it, here we have discussed some common reasons and how to fix MacBook connected to WiFi but no Internet issue.

How to connect to Wi-Fi on Mac?

To connect to nearby Wi-Fi network on Mac, follow these steps:

• Click the Wi-Fi icon (  or  ) in the menu bar.
• Select Turn Wi-Fi on to turn Wi-Fi On.
• Select a nearby Wi-Fi network from the list.

Why my Mac is not connected to the Internet?

Well, there could be numerous reasons including intermittent issues and other problems. It is possible that there is an issue with your Mac or router, issue with your Internet service provider, Mac software issue, or anything else.

It is important to understand that we use Wi-Fi and Internet interchangeably, but technically they are not same. Wi-Fi connects you to the local network, while that network is connected to the Internet. If you remove Wi-Fi Ethernet cable disconnecting it from the network, still you would be able to connect to Wi-Fi.

How to fix Mac connected to WiFi but no Internet issue?

As a quick solution, you can try to restart your router and MacBook and check if you are able to connect to the network now. You can also try to check to another Wi-Fi network to ascertain if the problem is with Wi-Fi, MacBook, Internet service provider or something else. If you are able to connect to another network, then the issue is with your personal network. You should contact to your ISP to fix the issue.

To fix other network related issues, follow steps mentioned below

1. Forget your Wi-Fi network then reconnect

To do this, you should remember your Wi-Fi password. Follow below mentioned steps to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network.

• Select System Preferences > Network.
• On the sidebar click on Wi-Fi and then Advanced… option in the bottom right.
• Now choose your Wi-Fi network from the list and delete it. To do this, use Minus (-) button.
• Click Ok and Apply.
• Next you need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network and enter password of Wi-Fi.

2. Ensure date, time, and location are correct

Even the wrong date, time and location could interfere with smooth network connection. So, you need to ensure they are correctly set on your MacBook. To check and correctly set it, follow these steps:

• Select System Preferences > Date & Time.
• Click Time Zone and select Set time zone automatically.

To set right location:

• Click System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.
• In the sidebar, choose Location Service and then Enable Location Services.

3. Check for Wi-Fi recommendations

If your Mac is unable to create a fast, secure, and stable connection and it finds some issue, then you can check this issue in the Status menu. Here, you will find a new item: Wi-Fi Recommendations. Select these recommendations to find the recommended solutions. This option is only available on macOS Sierra or later versions.

4. Analyze your wireless environment

To fix MacBook connected to Wi-Fi but no Internet issue, your Mac can use Wireless Diagnostic. To try this option, follow these steps:

• Quit all open apps and try to connect to your Wi-Fi network, if you could.
• Now press and hold Option (Alt) key.
• Now from the Wi-Fi status menu select Open Wireless Diagnostic option.
• When prompted enter administrator name and password.

Now it will begin analyzing wireless environment on your Mac.

Once it completes scanning, it will display diagnose results. Here, you can select Monitor my Wi-Fi connection option to fix intermittent issue with Wi-Fi.

Select Continue to summary to check recommendations. Now it will display all recommendations under summary. Click on Info (i) to see details of each item. You can apply these practices to fix the issue. Remember to tak backup of your router or network settings before making any changes.

Monitor your Wi-Fi connection

If you have chosen Monitor your Wi-Fi connection, then it will analyzing network issues.

It will stop monitoring if it finds an issue and display a brief description  of an issue. Once done, you can resume monitoring. Alternatively you can select Continue to summary for details and recommendations.

Wireless Diagnostic automatically saves a diagnostic report before it displays its summary. You can find this report with a name “WirelessDiagnostic”. This report could be helpful for network specialists for further analysis.

5. Change DNS of your Mac

DNS or Domain Name System servers help you map domain names to their IP addresses. It is helpfup to quickly open websites and servers you visit frequently. You can change your Mac’s DNS settings to public service like Google or Cloudfare to check if you can fix Mac connected to Wi-Fi but no Internet issue. To do this, follow these steps:

• Close all web browsers on your Mac.
• Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Network.
• Next is to choose Wi-Fi > Advanced.
• Select the DNS tab.
• Click Plus icon (+) under DNS servers.
• Now you need to enter the IPv4 or IPv6 address for the DNS server you want to switch to.

Some examples include 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for Google Public DNS and 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 for Cloudfare etc.

6. Renew the DHCP Lease in Network Preferences

DHCP is useful addition on your Mac that helps devices talk to each other. The MacBook, router, iPhone, or other devices on your network could communicate with each other using DHCP. Any issue with DHCP could interfere with network connectivity. You can try to renew the DHCP Lease to fix network issue. To do this, follow these steps:

Note: Your Mac’s IP address may change due to this step.

• Go to System Preferences > Network.
• Click Wi-Fi and then Advanced… option.
• Head to the TCP/IP tab and click Renew DHCP Lease.

7. Create a new network location

If the network location selection by Mac which is done automatically causes any trouble, then you may encounter network issue. To create a new network location, follow these steps:

• Go to System Preferences > Network.
• Open the Location drop-down menu and select Automatic.
• Click Edit Locations and then Plus (+) icon to add a new location.
• Click Done and then Apply.

8. Remove Profiles from MacBook

If you have multiple Profiles created on your Mac, then it is time to delete unnecessary ones to avoid connectivity issue on your Mac. To do this, follow these steps:

• Look for a Profiles option in System Preferences.
• Next is to delete all custom profiles.
• Restart your Mac and try to reconnect to the network.

9. Disable mDNSResponder

mDNSResponder is related to iTunes and it may cause the problem you are facing with Wi-Fi on your Mac. You can stop it from running to fix the problem. It will restart automatically without any issue. To do this, follow these steps:

• Open Activity Monitor using Spotlight or Utilities.
• Select Network tab and click Process Name.
• Find and select mDNSResponder.
• Click Stop button.
• Restart your Mac and check if issue is fixed with Wi-Fi.

10. Reset your network preferences

Though there is no Reset Network Settings button on your Mac, but you can try to delete preferences files to fix the Mac connected to Wi-Fi but no Internet issue. To do this, follow these steps:

Note: Before you make any changes, ensure to backup first.

• Select Go > Computer from Finder window.
• Now navigate to Macinosh HD/Library/Preferences/System Configuration.

Next is to delete these files:

• Com.appl.network.identification.plist
• Com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
• NetworkInterfaces.plist
• Preferences.plist
• Settings.plist

You probably don’t have all the files.

Other Solutions

In addition to above mentioned solutions, you can try these quick fixes to deal with Wi-Fi connectivity issue. Check these here:

• Outdated software may be causing network issue, you can try to update macOS to fix this problem. Check this article here to know how to update macOS software.
• You should disconnect all USB devices and check if Wi-Fi issue is fixed.
• You can try to open another site or app to check if the problem is with specific app or website.
• You need to ensure you are connected to correct Wi-Fi network.
• You can try another device to connect to the Wi-Fi. If other device connects to your network, then the problem is with your Mac. You need to Change DNS settings on your Mac as discussed above.
• You can reset your router and restart your Mac to check if the issue is fixed.

Conclusion

So these were detailed solutions to fix Mac connected to WiFi but no Internet issue. Try these steps to connect to the network and avoid performance issues. If you know more such steps, then feel free to share in the comments below.