Macbook Pro M2 Max Wi-Fi Unusable

Question

Level 1

15 points

Macbook Pro M2 Max Wi-Fi Unusable

I recently purchased a Pro M2 Max and the wifi is completely unusable. Is anyone else experiencing this? Is this a hardware issue?

Access Point (AP): Netgear Wax 610 Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi Settings: Combined 2.4G-5G bands under same SSID

Devices that work fine with the same AP: Macbook Air M1, iPad 6, iPhone 14 Max

Bluetooth: Works

Ethernet: Works

OS: Ventura 13.2

Similar Thread: Mac Mini M2 wifi issues - Apple Community

Symptoms

Connection drops completely every 1-10 minutes randomly or completely stops
Signal strength drops to almost zero randomly
Varying packet loss up to 100%
Pinging 1.1.1.1 shows this bizarre pattern in the animation bellow

Tried and Failed

Restarting many times
Starting MacOS in safe mode
Diagnostics (both in normal and safe mode)
Disabling AWDL with `sudo ifconfig awdl0 down`

Screencast

Posted on Feb 11, 2023 11:01 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 19, 2023 9:06 PM in response to BeverageJoe

It is interesting that you found splitting the network helped. I have mine split and seems that the issue persists.

Also Apple recommends exactly the opposite for some strange reason...

Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points – Apple Support (UK)

Doesn't seem to matter in my case though. Both have issues.

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Answer 2

BeverageJoe Author

Level 1

15 points

Feb 11, 2023 11:44 AM in response to BeverageJoe

Temporary Workaround:

This is definitely a real issue that Apple needs to fix. Here's a workaround until Apple provides an update 🤞

Split your combined SSID into 2 SSIDs: e.g.: my-wifi to my-wifi2G and my-wifi5G
Connect to my-wifi5G: This fixes the package dropping issue, but the internet speed is still 25% of what it should be)
Run `sudo ifconfig awdl0 down` in a terminal. This fixes the speed issue, but kills Airdrop, Airplay, ..., etc.

Hope this helps so you don't have to waste hours like I did.

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Answer 3

Feb 11, 2023 11:35 AM in response to BeverageJoe

Ping is a very a blunt instrument, it is not very useful for problem determination.

What can be useful is holding the Option key while clicking on the Wi-Fi icon on the menubar, and posting a screenshot or transcript of the snapshot of what appears. Looks like this older one:

.

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Answer 4

Feb 19, 2023 8:52 PM in response to BeverageJoe

I have this issue for ages. It is present on a 2017 MacBook Pro, M1 Air and M2 Max. I also use the terminal to kill AWDL.

It affects anything streaming related, conference calls (Skype, zoom, meet, etc) and also game streaming.

As far as I know there is no permanent solution. But disabling AirDrop & Handoff helps. (you just get a super expensive machine with half the nice features)

Some information around the web:

https://github.com/jamestut/awdlkiller

https://www.meter.com/mac-osx-awdl-psa

(definitely not fixed on 13.2.1 contrary to what they state here)

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Answer 5

TheLittles

Level 10

192,841 points

Feb 19, 2023 9:13 PM in response to BeverageJoe

BeverageJoe Said:

"Macbook Pro M2 Max Wi-Fi Unusable: I recently purchased a Pro M2 Max and the wifi is completely unusable. Is anyone else experiencing this? Is this a hardware issue?"

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Return This:

What risk a faulty Mac? Yo have 14 days to return this. So, if it has been less than 14 days, then I'd say return this. It seems to be a faulty device.

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