Macbook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) doesn't connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi network at all

Hi everyone,

It happened to me as well but I solved it.

Apparently in my case, the problem was a bad hdmi cable.

I was checking the wifi using speedtest. When I disconnected all of the cables connected to the computer and turned off bluetooth, the internet worked just fine.

After that I started a debug session to find the culprit, which was the hdmi cable. After replacing the hdmi cable to a different one it works well.

Dear Apple,

I'm having exactly the same issue, I have also tried all the above that I could find, including deleting all the other services. I've also tried the test-account and foundthe same result. My Macbook Pro 14 inch M2-pro will only connect to 2.4GHz wifi and not the 5GHz band. My iPhone 12 mini is next to it and is connecting properly.

Please advise what I can do.

Best,

Jurgen

WiFi not staying connected. If your router is using WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode "Wireless Protected Access", try changing your router to just WPA2. Not all routers play nice with Macs that are trying to use WPA2. I cannot give you exact instructions, each home router is different. Check with your router manufacture. If switching to just WPA2 does not improve the situation, then you can always switch back to WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode. Try disabling IPv6: Ventura: System Settings -> Network -> Wi-Fi -> Details -> TCP/IP (tab) -> Configure IPv6 -> Link-Local Only

I finally found a solution to my M2 Macbook not connecting to my 5g network (with no problem connecting to my 2.4g network). The problem is something with my router NOT the computer. My internet is provided through my apartment building and I am only able to use the provider they contract (CenturyLink). All my other devices (including an imac, an M1, ipad, and iphones) have no problem connecting to our 5g network. However, when I would connect my M2, it would stay connected for about 5 minutes and then get kicked off. I went to a local coffee shop I could verify uses internet provider and has 5g and was able to stay online there with no issues. So, I knew it was an internet issue not a computer issue. I recently purchased a second router (Linksys Hydra Pro 6 Mesh WiFi 6 Router - WiFi Extender Replacement - MR5500-AMZ - Mesh WiFi Router for Wireless Internet ) and pluggged it into my current router (because I can't get rid of that due to my living situation) and now my M2 Macbook is able to connect to 5g no problem!!!! This took about 3 weeks of trouble shooting to get to the source and figure out how to address the issue but now the problem is solved.

Same here, I had the same issue and believed it was just the wifi problem, but hey, all my devices connect no problem, including my PCs Android and so forth.

Funny how Apple keep surprising me all the times, overpriced/luxury product that doesn't work accordingly to their pricetag.

Same problem here. 5Ghz works fine from my M1 Macbook Pro, but not from my M2.

On the 5Ghz network, The M1 shows the correct router address (192.168.0.1) & assigns a local IP address. The M2 does not show the router address. DHCP bug?

I am using CenturyLink Calix Wifi Router Model C844G.

I just returned my M2 Max because it would not connect to other computers on my home network! It sees the computers but always fails to connect. I am not sure whether i was using 5G or 2.4 (also a TJ Router)wireless but I need to access files located on my other two macs and this M2 would not function and so I took it to the Apple "Genius bar" what a bunch of turkeys, they said they couldnt troubleshoot a network problem because their store system is a secure network with no public connections BS! I think this model has issues and to hide the Apple is instructing their tech staff to avoid any telltale network failures. I had purchased it at a Microcenter store and so I made an appointment for a consultation and if it needed fixing then fix it,instead they joyfully accepted it as a return even the Apple tech onsite agreed they couldnt troubleshoot a netork problem.And so It was returned! Not sure what I am going to get next,but I am loosing the faith in Apple and have been buying Apple computers since 1986 !

Same thing happened to my and I found out it was my hdmi cable. recently I added a 2nd monitor connected via hdmi cable and then the 5G issue happened afterwards, reading thru comments and troubleshoot, the one that I did was disconnect the hdmi cable and I am able to connect again to 5G.

Alright, after venting about the 5G issue for a while, I finally found the time for the Apple Genius Bar and got lucky. As usual, it worked fine on their network, but I explained that this is a known problem and that the laptop should work everywhere, not just at the Apple Store.

They opened the body for a quick fix, and now it seems to work on a 5G network, but here's the kicker: based on the specs, the laptop is still missing Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) support, meaning no 6GHz band. This confirms it’s a hardware issue, likely related to the chip handling Wi-Fi.

Apple needs to address this—it’s supposed to be pro-level equipment, not second-hand.

Big thanks to the Genius Bar for their honesty and professionalism. Now, I can at least connect to a 5GHz network.

Here’s a screen capture of my (and probably yours) M2 Pro (2023):

Having the same issue over here with a M2Pro 16.

I separated my two networks 2.4 and 5G, disabled IPV6, tried changing DNS, changed the router channel, and I even upgraded to Mac OS Sonoma... and now it is worse. Before it was saying "No internet connection" as if it was not able to acquire an iP address. Now it cannot even connect to the 5G.

I went to an apple store and the genius was not able to identify what was happening claiming that the network in the apple store was 5g and it was connecting fine.

Really frustrating

Hello

your issue resolved ? Because I am facing exactly the same issue.

Regards

all of the solutions here haven't worked on me, what worked was just setting my router to WPA2/WPA3 mode, turns out my mac just isn't happy with having the options chosen for it

Also having this issue. I’m using a Calix 844g router with CenturyLink. Have messed with everything I can possibly think of in the advanced modem settings and it’s still not working on 5G. Also, it’s painfully slow on 2.4G. I have a 2015 MacBook Pro that I just replaced that is reaching 10x faster d/l speeds on the 2.4G (and it connects to 5G with no issues)

I was really annoyed that my new Apple devices couldn't connect to the 5GHz network, just like everyone else. But today, I finally sorted it out. It turned out all I needed to do was update the firmware on my CenturyLink C844G Modem, and that fixed everything.

Before, all my PCs, my older Apple computer, and 13 iPhone minis connect just fine to 5GHz. However, after getting the 2023 Mac mini M2 and my iPhone 16, I noticed they only worked on the 2.4GHz band. So, on 09/24/2024, feeling pretty frustrated, I dove into the modem's admin console and saw the firmware was outdated. After the update, both my Mac mini and iPhone 16 connected to 5GHz without a hitch, and I couldn't be happier.

BTW I can now get rid of my cat5 cable that across my house my Mac mini.

I cannot remember how i fixed it now but I tried a few things that seems have fixed the issue.

1. Change the HDMI cable - I think to have a good one makes a difference
2. Add HDMI to USB-C Adapater (I use one because it works well with monitor configurations)
3. Restart your router (mine cannot even seperate channels so unable to pick 5GHz)

Haven't had any issues since