2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch Wi-Fi disconnects in 30s

My 2019 MacBook Pro 16” will connect to WiFi for 30 seconds and then disconnect. This happens with every network, and every other device is fine. Date and time are good. Tried restarting it.

MacBook Pro 13″

Posted on Feb 3, 2026 5:10 PM

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5 replies

Feb 3, 2026 5:26 PM in response to Kaysips

Wi-Fi Radio Signals from your Router fall off as the cube of the distance. Provided you are close to your Router and have clear line of sight and no competition from neighbors' Routers or known interference producers like microwave ovens, you should not be having issues.


All others need to do a more careful analysis to find out what is happening.


Wireless diagnostics:


Hold down the Option key while you click on the Wi-Fi icon on the menubar to open up the tools for investigating and fixing Wi-Fi issues


Choose "Open Wireless diagnostics", which opens the wireless diagnostics Assistant, but does not proceed.

NB> Wireless Diagnostics is an App that puts up its own MenuBar.


Using its Window menu, there are about eight different things you can do from here, but the top-level is to choose Diagnostics off the Window menu, or simply click (Continue) to do a quick check for Gross misconfiguration or operating problems. Your Admin password will be required. If any recommendations are shown, you should consider then seriously.


Next is to hold down the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon as before. The screen that opens shows operating parameters of your Wi-Fi network. There is a great deal, of valuable information in those numbers.


Readers are eager to interpret what is going on from the values there. Screenshot, transcribe, or photograph the results and post back in a reply on the forums. Looks like this older one.




Feb 4, 2026 8:09 AM in response to Kaysips

Your Router has offered, and you have accepted a 20 MHz wide connection in the 5 MHz band centered at channel 153. This is unusual, because in most settings, Routers are set up with FAR wider channels. The standard tables show 40, 80 and 160 MHz wide channels. (I think that is a mis-configuration in your Router, unless this is one Router of a multi-Router Institutional Network, not controlled by you.)


You have a reasonably strong signal (RSSI) at -54 dB, where -40 is typical right next to your Router, and -75 in unusably bad.


Noise at a very low -98 dB suggests there is no interference from other devices nearby.


You have connected using 802.11ac rules, and using three antennas and 256 patterns per signaling interval, (MCS index 9 at NSS 3) your Transmit speed is the maximum that can be obtained, because the Router set for 20 MHz wide channels.


You do not appear to have any Hardware issues in your computer.



Feb 4, 2026 8:10 AM in response to Kaysips

That speed is fast enough for most uses, and should NOT by itself be causing disconnects.


AI suggests:


For effective video conferencing, a minimum download speed of 1.5 Mbps and an upload speed of 1 Mbps is recommended. However, for better quality, especially with multiple participants, speeds of 3-5 Mbps for download and 2 Mbps for upload are ideal.




2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch Wi-Fi disconnects in 30s

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