Wifi Connections Borked on a Brand New Macbook Pro
Hello all,
Problem:
Wifi does not work reliably on my MacBook Pro 14" which was brand new in 2021. It is enrolled in AppleCare+.
Current status:
At the moment wifi does not work at all on multiple wifi routers despite other devices (Macbook Pro 2012, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, iPad, Chromecasts, ThinkPads, iPhones, a gazillion IoT devices) having zero issues connecting and using wifi on these routers. Only the Macbook has exhibited the problems detailed below.
Description of problem as of today:
Wifi sometimes shows a connection to an SSID (full bars in the menu bar) but networking says my Macbook does not have a valid IP address. Other times the wifi will try to connect and fail (question mark icon in menu bar). Up to September, 2022 if I rebooted the Macbook the wifi would usually fix itself. As of today (11/10) it does not work at all. I purchased and have been using a USB-C dongle with ethernet and that connection always works. Ethernet networking through the dongle always works and is how I now use this machine exclusively.
History of issues and of my interactions with Apple support to date:
Month of September, 2022:
1st wifi router.
Wifi began dropping randomly throughout a workday. A full reboot typically set things right again. I began interacting with Apple support via chat and phone. They recommended I backup and format the device. I spent 2 days doing so and the wifi began working again after a fresh install of OS 12.6 for a few days but then started crapping out again multiple times a day as before. Usually a reboot would resolve the wifi issues but sometimes it took multiple reboots. I started using a USB-C dongle and an ethernet cable to reliably get on the internet at this time as the issue was greatly impacting my productivity and business. It was at this time that I made note of, tested and verified that no other devices on my home network exhibited any problems with wifi -- it was solely the Macbook that was randomly dropping its connection to the router.
10/1/22 - I took the Macbook into the Genuis Bar to have the problem diagnosed as I was going to be traveling and wanted to use wifi. I was informed that the wifi problems were related to me using an incorrect power brick -- this even though I was using the one that came with the device. The one Apple gave me. It was suggested I purchase the 140W long power adapter since the one I had "may not" provide enough power for wifi. Really considered but in the end I opted not to purchase. Instead we determined that USB-C power did work and I was told to use that instead of magsafe. Alright. During my time at the apple store the wifi issues did not show itself to the tech but I did explain how it was an intermittent issue. He told me to submit another case if they returned after using the machine on USB-C power only. Alright.
10/5/22
2nd wifi router.
Wifi issues continued even while on USB-C power only. I was curious. so I also tried magsafe and noticed it had stopped working altogether (orange light and the machine stoped charging through magsafe). I reformatted the device and installed a fresh copy of 12.6 for a second time. This time I installed no other software. Wifi issues persisted with this setup of ONLY Mac OS 12.6 and no other software beyond what Apple ships with the device. I contacted Apple and was instructed to bring the machine back into Genius Bar as it would need to be examined again by a specialized technician. Alright.
I brought it in and they ran the same hardware diagnosis as before and told me the machine was fine and there were no issues. They also determined the magsafe cable I had was damaged and issued me a new one. Magsafe charging was back but I still needed to reboot multiple times a day when my wifi went down after returning home with the device.
10/29/22
3rd wifi router.
Wifi stopped working entirely on the Macbook. No amount of rebooting seemed to resolve the intermittent issues anymore. I contacted Apple again and was told to run HW diagnosis, follow the steps on a knowledge-base article about network connectivity issues and to verify all my network settings. These are the same dances I was instructed to do on 10/1 and 10/5 but I went ahead and did what I was told to do. Nothing fixed it. After a few hours on chat the tech told me they would need to escalate it to have someone phone me and that I would get a call within 24hrs. No one ever called me so I shut down the machine and wondered if I was somehow stuck in a macabre dream at this point. Went to sleep thinking hey I may wake yup and all this will have been a frustrating nightmare!
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MacBook Pro 14″, 12.6
