Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

OS Internet recovery via ethernet (erased computer with no wifi functionality)

Hi,


I have recently purchased a second hand Macbook Air 2015 model. I erased everything off the computer and consequently went into recovery mode to reinstall MacOS.


The problem being that the computer seems to have wifi/network connection problems, as the previous user had to use a third party / external USB antenna to access internet. This might be due to the antenna within the laptop being disconnected/broken?


Nonetheless, this impedes me from being able to reinstall Mac OS in recovery mode as the computer cannot download the software from the Apple server as there is not internet connection. I have consequently bought a USB (male) to ethernet (female) adapter to give internet access to the computer. I have therefore tried two options to resolve this which you can find below. Please note that the ethernet connector (RJ45) works fine on other mac laptops (i.e. provides internet access).


  1. Power on the computer in recovery mode using the keys CMD+R (tried with and without ethernet): The computer tells me to contact apple support and the error message is identified as 1005f. Please note that I have attempted to reset the NVRAM by booting the computer with the relevant keys.
  2. Power on the computer pressing down the ALT/option key (tried with and without ethernet): The computer displays a black screen with a drop-down menu supposed to display the available networks (see photo attached). Obviously, there are no available networks as the wifi functionality of the laptop does not work. There is an option to manually enter a SSID and the relevant password, which I have attempted without success.


I am therefore left with little options, if any at all to reinstall any version of Mac OS. I was wondering is creating a Mac USB installer would be my final option, although I am worried that the computer will not recognise the external drive as when I power on pressing down the ALT key it does not show me the current hard drive on the computer.


Has this ever happened to anyone else? Would anyone know of a viable solution to be able to reinstall any version of MacOS considering the problems listed above? Why would the ethernet not be "detected" and therefore not allow me to proceed with reinstalling any form of OS?


Thanks.

Posted on Dec 23, 2020 1:42 PM

Reply
Question marked as Apple recommended

A USB to Ethernet Adapter tends to be really slow (especially if you are using the Apple adapter). A Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter does work since I use it all the time with our organization's Macs.


If you have access to another Mac which can run macOS 10.11 to 10.15 or even 11.1, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using these instructions:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372


If you have trouble booting the USB stick, then try using another brand of USB stick since Macs can be very picky with the USB sticks used for booting plus the quality of USB sticks is extremely poor.


If you can confirm the WiFi card is bad, then it is very easy to replace it since it is a separate component connected to the Logic Board. It is unlikely the Antenna is bad since you can usually see a local WiFi signal even without the antenna connected (you may not be able to use it, but usually you can see the local signal if it is strong enough).




Posted on Dec 23, 2020 6:56 PM

Similar questions

1 reply
Question marked as Apple recommended

Dec 23, 2020 6:56 PM in response to fz12345

A USB to Ethernet Adapter tends to be really slow (especially if you are using the Apple adapter). A Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter does work since I use it all the time with our organization's Macs.


If you have access to another Mac which can run macOS 10.11 to 10.15 or even 11.1, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using these instructions:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372


If you have trouble booting the USB stick, then try using another brand of USB stick since Macs can be very picky with the USB sticks used for booting plus the quality of USB sticks is extremely poor.


If you can confirm the WiFi card is bad, then it is very easy to replace it since it is a separate component connected to the Logic Board. It is unlikely the Antenna is bad since you can usually see a local WiFi signal even without the antenna connected (you may not be able to use it, but usually you can see the local signal if it is strong enough).




OS Internet recovery via ethernet (erased computer with no wifi functionality)

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.