5GHz WiFi Connecting but not communicating

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Level 1

9 points

5GHz WiFi Connecting but not communicating

I have a Mac Pro (Mid 2010) running High Sierra 10.13.6 that I'm trying to connect to a WiFi range extender on the 5GHz band. I have my range extender configured to connect to my router via 2.4GHz and I want clients to connect to the extender via the 5.0GHz band for performance/interference reasons. Every other device connected to my extender works without issue. When I configured the extender to use the 2.4GHz band exclusively my Mac had no problem connecting (though overall network performance was not acceptable).

Now that I'm trying to connect on 5GHz my Mac will authenticate to the extender. I can see the MAC address listed in the "Connected Devices" list of my extender. However, DHCP fails to obtain an IP address and self-assigns an IP. If I manually assign an IP and configure all the relevant routing and DNS settings, I am unable to communicate to or from any of my other connected devices (can't ping my mac from my laptop, can't ping my router or extender from my mac).

I have tried resetting everything down to the NVRAM and SMC. Nothing changes. I'm confident it is not a network configuration issue considering every non-apple device I have is perfectly happy (2x android phones, 2x fire sticks, PlayStation 3 and 4, laptop running linux). I'm relatively certain it isn't a hardware issue since I can see the 5.0GHz network in the scan and can connect and authenticate on the wireless layer. As far as I know, my system is as up-to-date as possible. I'm restricted to High Sierra because I don't have an upgraded video card, but I have all the updates applied.

I can't swap the bands on my extender since it is in a different building than my router and a 5.0GHz connection between my router and extender is not reliable. Not that it should matter, but my extender is a Netgear EX3700 and my router is provided by AT&T dsl service.

I've googled and have found numerous reports of issues with just the 5.0GHz band on Macs, but no resolution. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Mac Pro, macOS 10.13

Posted on Sep 13, 2020 9:29 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 14, 2020 8:59 AM in response to justinh_tx

Hello Justin,

We know how important it is to successfully connect to the 5.0GHz Wi-Fi connection with your Mac Pro. Resetting the SMC and NVRAM are great troubleshooting steps, and the Apple Support Communities is a great place for additional assistance. You mentioned having issues when connected to the 5GHz network through your Wi-Fi extender. You mentioned using a Mac Pro, has this Mac Pro had issue connecting directly to the Wi-Fi network provided by the router, not the extender? The reason we ask is to help isolate the issue.

Also, since you're having issue with an IP address not populating we recommend trying the steps outlined in the following article.

Resolve IP address conflicts on Mac

Have a great day!

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Answer 2

CarlAVII

Community Specialist

Sep 15, 2020 5:07 PM in response to justinh_tx

Hello justinh_tx,

Our apologies for any confusion. We want to make sure all troubleshooting steps have been done. If the steps in that article didn't resolve the issue with the IP address not populating reaching out to Apple through one of the support channels available through the Get Support website is the right next step.

Have a great week!

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Answer 3

justinh_tx Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 15, 2020 4:35 PM in response to karina184

I get the feeling no one is actually *reading* my posts...

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Answer 4

justinh_tx Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 14, 2020 5:34 PM in response to melissa_m77

Unfortunately, I do not have administrative access to the router. I am a tenant and the service belongs to my landlord. The router is configured such that both the 2.4GHz and the 5.0GHz bands have the same SSID. I can connect the Mac Pro to the router SSID, and it then picks up an IP address, but I was unable to connect to the app store to check for updates. I'm not certain that issue wasn't just distance/obstacles between the Mac Pro and the router, nor am I certain that it didn't just connect on the 2.4GHz band as both bands have the same SSID. Additionally, my two Apple TV's (1x 2nd Gen, 1x 3rd Gen) also work without issue.

What concerns me is that I was unable to manually define an IP address and communicate with anything else on the extender network despite apparently successfully authenticating and connecting to the extender's SSID. When I attempt to connect and purposely provide an incorrect password, it bounces back and tells me the password is incorrect. Using the correct password, it will proceed to the DHCP configuration stage at which it apparently never receives an answer from the DHCP server. When using the correct password and manually assigned IP configuration the WiFi status display shows that it is connected. I'm a professional network admin. I know what a default gateway is. I know what a DNS server is. I know what a subnet mask is. I know what IP addresses are valid for a given subnet and how to test for ones that are not in use. Basically, I know how to manually configure a NIC. However, even with proper IP configuration and a successful connection indicated, it will not talk over TCP/IP to anything else on the network.

What I'm not certain of is why I should be able to connect and authenticate on the wireless layer, but not communicate on TCP/IP layer. My guess was that it is a software/driver issue. I just had an opportunity to try booting an Ubuntu Live USB and it acted the same way. I suppose it must either be an actual hardware issue (which is surprising), or there is an issue with Broadcom's drivers. I don't know how different the firmware blob for High Sierra is than the one they provide for Linux, but at any rate it isn't just an Apple issue.

Thanks for the reply.

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Answer 5

karina184

Community Specialist

Sep 15, 2020 8:24 AM in response to justinh_tx

Hello Justin,

We're glad you're able to connect to the routers SSID, and able to establish an IP address. Previously linked was the article Resolve IP address conflicts on Mac, did you have the opportunity to complete those steps? If not, try those steps to see if an IP address populates. If it's only occurring when attempting to connect to a Wi-Fi extender there is a possibility that you may need to consult the manufacturer of the extender.

Take care.

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5GHz WiFi Connecting but not communicating

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