Can't connect to certain Wi-Fi networks

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Level 1

8 points

Can't connect to certain Wi-Fi networks

Hi, I have two TP-Link AV600 Wi-Fi extenders at home, and I'm having problems connecting my Mac. The strange thing is, my Mac can connect to any other wireless network, and every other device connects to the repeaters.

I'm using a MacBook Pro with High Sierra 10.13.6. I wiped the hard disk and reinstalled the OS, with no results.

When connected via an ethernet cable there isn't any issue.

I've tried connecting the MacBook to the base router, and there isn't any problems. Likewise I can connect to mobile hotspots and other routers without any difficulty. As I mentioned earlier, I haven't had any issues connecting the extender with other devices, including phones, other Macs, PCs and a PlayStation.

The error I get tells me that the wireless network needs a WPA-2 key (as if I had entered the password incorrectly). I've tried connecting manually, changing the password, changing the network name, and nothing seems to work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated: throwing 'my computer hates my two wireless repeaters for some reason' into search hasn't revealed any useful information. Thank you!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jul 13, 2020 8:12 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

140,789 points

Jul 13, 2020 10:27 AM in response to Sambrom8

You probably have entered the WPA2 password incorrectly, and saved it in your keychain.

This is the easy way. Forget that Network (and its password), then add it back in later:

How to forget a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac - Apple Support

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This is more complex:

You may be able to find the saved password in your keychain by opening KeychainAccess.app, selecting passwords, and looking for the Wi-Fi password saved there. Then delete that entry.

The next time you try to connect it will demand a new password, you can enter the correct one, and it will save it.

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Answer 2

Jul 14, 2020 7:26 AM in response to Sambrom8

Sambrom8 wrote:

...

They've got different network names and passwords,

...

The beauty of having those range-extenders (or any additional Access Points) is that by giving them all the SAME Network-name & password, they act as the SAME network, and all your devices (especially Phones) can freely "roam" and adapt to the one with the strongest signal at that moment. You can even give Access Points from different vendors the same name and passwords and they will combine in a similar way.

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Answer 3

Jul 14, 2020 7:33 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I like this little inexpensive Utility called WiFi Explorer. Its "spectrum" display can show you how your various access points overlap on the Wi-Fi spectrum:

There is a free trial available as well.

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Answer 4

Sambrom8 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 14, 2020 3:50 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I just double checked the Keychain again, the network isn't in there. I also tried changing the SSID and passwords on the repeater to no avail. There are two repeaters of the same model (different parts of the house), and it can't connect to either one. They've got different network names and passwords, and the problem continues even when only one of them is on (I thought there could be some kind of interference thing going on). The problem also continued after I reformatted the drive and reinstalled the OS :(

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Can't connect to certain Wi-Fi networks

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