My iMac keeps turning WiFi on by itself

HI Izzy877, this thread is not about a wifi connection dropping out. We are talking about when the user manually turns OFF the wifi connection for our MacMini computers in order to use a wired ethernet connection to our network router instead. Our wifi connection tries to randomly turn itself back ON. Different issue than what you are describing but glad your issue was resolved by updating your router firmware.

I've been having this issue with my mid 2011 Mac Mini for well over a year now. I've posted on the Apple communities and got a few replies with suggestions to reinstall the OS, etc which I find to be a pretty drastic measure to take for something Apple should be fixing. I've completely deleted the wifi settings from system preferences and it still continues to try and connect to wifi randomly. It doesn't happen every time I turn my computer on but most of the time. My question at this point is if anybody knows if the Sierra OS upgrade resolves this issue.

I have had the same issue with wifi dropping connection after updating my iMac to Mac OS Sierra. I've done everything that I could in troubleshooting this problem and it has not fixed it. Anyways, I did find a SOLUTION to my problem, and that was locating the router network site, and update the firmware of the router. I did see that it needed an update, and after the firmware updated, it created a whole new wifi network, then selecting the new network name, entering the same network password, it resolved my problem. It works perfectly now, and wifi connection stays connected. Keep in mind, this solution might not work for everyone, but I thought it may help a few. Let me know if you need more instruction on to fix this problem, reply. Thankyou.

It might be trying to find your location. You can disable that under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Location Services.

See the comments on this question for details: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/171389/wifi-turning-on-when-i-have-it- turned-off

I'm having the exact same problem on my 24" late 2007 iMac running 10.7.3.

Did you figure out how to stop it from trying to enable the WiFi?

Are you turning wifi off by going to the WiFi menu in the main menu bar and selecting Turn Wi-Fi Off?

Is the account you are using an administrator account?

Best of luck.

Yes, I'm turning off WiFi by going to the WiFi menu and selecting "TurnWi-Fi Off?". And yes, the account I'm logged in as when I do that is an administrator account.

Can you look in system preferences, users and groups, your user account, login items tab?

See what programs are loading at startup and list it here so we can see if there is anything suspicious.

Also, if you do not need wi-fi at all, you can delete the wi-fi settings in the system preferences, network pane.

Select the wi-fi settings and click on the minus sign.

Warning: If you need wi-fi later, you will need to set it up from scratch. But it's not very hard to do.

Jason Scott5 wrote:

I have an iMac running osx 10.7.2 and I want WiFi disabled because it's connected directly to a home ethernet. The **** things keeps turning Wifi back on by itself. If I disable wifi, sometimes within about an hour its back on and sometimes its a day or two but it always happens and annoys the **** out of me.

I've tried enabling it so you need the system password to change the wifi settings but it still tries to turn it on by showing a password dialog all the time now.

Anyone else having this issue or no a way to stop it and "permanently" turn off wifi..?

Thx,

Jason.

I'm running 10.8.5 and I just noticed my 2007 iMac was doing the same thing. actually it's not turning the Wi-Fi back on, it is trying to turn it on/it is searching for Wi-Fi sometimes after I wake it from sleep. We don't need the extra radiation or whatever that it produces when it's doing that. wonder if it's got something to do with the fact that I use speakable items? Any ideas appreciated , thanks

I've been having this issue for Months as well on a 2010 iMAC. I thought it was Mavericks issue as it started about the time of the upgrade. But since upgrading to Yosemite about a week ago it is now happening more frequently.

I've checked Activity Monitor while it is trying to turn on the Wi Fi but see no operations out of the norm?

Just want to chime in and mention that my 2014 Mac Mini running 10.9.5 has started turning its wifi on all by itself. It's done this twice in the past week.....both times after leaving it on overnight.

For what it's worth, I have never turned wifi on on this Mac as I have no need or desire to do so.

The only items I have running at login are 1) Garmin Express 2)iTunes Helper 3)Digital Power Station (Bongiovi)

I will try Mr. Fauque's suggestion of deleting my wifi settings.....but this wifi "auto on" after sleep does seem like odd and worrisome behavior.

One possible cause could be you permitted an app to do this and even if this app was on your phone or a tablet that does not conenct to the cloud any more the app will try to update your stuff (and inform the nsa about the website info filled in) every once in a while.

I have this same issue. It'd be great for Apple to do something about this!

Same issue with my Yosemite. I have recently noticed (for 3 consecutive days) that in the early morning (let's say around 2:00 a.m.) it turns on without my noticing. I am the only person using this computer. Using "system preferences" I have gone into "networks" selected "Wi-Fi" and then selected "turn Wi-Fi off." Then I chose "advanced" and while there I have selected "Require administrator authorization to" and then I selected the option "turn Wi-Fi on or off." I have also changed my administrator password.

As for the items that "open automatically when you log in" the programs are "ituneshelper", "fitbit" (which I have deleted from my computer), and "realplayer downloader agent."

Please note, I have undergone 72 minutes of full body radiation prior to a bone marrow transplant (because of leukemia). I was told that because of all this radiation I would get other cancers (and I have had one other which I for the time being have beaten). As a result of my "delicate" situation I do not wish to have the Wi-Fi on in my house. (For the record I only used my fitbit once once I realized it gives off low level radiation.)

I have deleted the "Wi-Fi" option as you have suggested. I would have preferred not to have done this because there might be future occasions where I might want the Wi-Fi on for short periods of time.

Thank you for your time.