Unable to connect to wireless in OS X Utilities

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Level 1

4 points

Unable to connect to wireless in OS X Utilities

I have imaged a 12" MacBook using a MacBook Pro image and now get the 'No Entry' symbol on starting up - that is usually not a problem as I can just boot to OS X Utilities and reinstall the OS, which then allows the machine to start up normally but retains all the software, user accounts etc. in the image.

However... this being a MacBook, there is no Ethernet socket and nowhere to plug in a USB Ethernet adapter, so I'm trying to connect to my institution's wireless network, and just getting the message "The Wi-Fi network x could not be joined. Try moving closer to your wireless router". The machine connected to the wireless network just fine before I imaged it (when booted into El Capitan), and I have ruled out problems with the network itself or my wireless credentials.

So... Can anyone please suggest why the MacBook could connect to my wireless network when booted into El Capitan but will not connect to the same network with the same credentials when booted into OS X Utilities?

Many thanks!

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Jun 14, 2016 5:22 AM

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Answer 1

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Top-ranking reply

Tesserax

Level 10

155,246 points

Jun 17, 2016 10:32 AM in response to Squiggley

I have just read something which said that Macs cannot connect to WPA Enterprise networks when booted into OS X Utilities or Internet Recovery, and our wireless network is WPA2 Enterprise, so I suspect that is the reason for the inability to connect.

Good catch!

That is correct, WPA Enterprise is on the list of wireless security types that you will not be able to connect to a Wi-Fi network with under Internet Recovery Mode.

The others are:

WEP
Certificate-based authentication / 802.1x
Proxies (where specific proxy servers must be configured in network preferences)
Captive Wi-Fi networks (where you click an "Agree" button to access the Internet)
PPPoE (where there is no router handling the PPPoE connection)

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Answer 2

Squiggley Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 17, 2016 8:13 AM in response to Tesserax

I have just read something which said that Macs cannot connect to WPA Enterprise networks when booted into OS X Utilities or Internet Recovery, and our wireless network is WPA2 Enterprise, so I suspect that is the reason for the inability to connect. I've ordered a USB-C to Ethernet adapter, so hopefully that will solve the problem.

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Answer 3

Squiggley Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 14, 2016 5:52 AM in response to Squiggley

Incidentally I've tested it on a MacBook Pro now, and it has the same behaviour - i.e. it will connect to the wireless network when booted into El Capitan but won't connect to the same network with the same credentials when booted into OS X Utilities.

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Answer 4

Tesserax

Level 10

155,246 points

Jun 14, 2016 10:02 AM in response to Squiggley

I have imaged a 12" MacBook using a MacBook Pro image and now get the 'No Entry' symbol on starting up - that is usually not a problem as I can just boot to OS X Utilities and reinstall the OS, which then allows the machine to start up normally but retains all the software, user accounts etc. in the image.

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused about your statement.

By "I have imaged a 12" MacBook using a MacBook Pro image" do you mean you used the MacBook's OS X Utilities' Recovery System to restore your MacBook with a Time Machine backup of a MacBook Pro? ... and not a Time Machine backup of this specific MacBook?

... or did you use OS X Utilities' Recovery System to reinstall a "fresh" copy of OS X on the MacBook?

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Answer 5

Squiggley Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 16, 2016 2:46 AM in response to Tesserax

Thanks Tesserax.

I partitioned the hard drive into two equal parts and downloaded a disk image onto the second (blank) partition. I then booted into OS X Utilities and used the 'asr restore' command in Terminal to restore the disk image to the OS partition.

Normally I would then be able to boot from the OS partition and carry on setting up the machine. In this case though, it won't boot from the applied image. With other machines I have fixed this problem by going back into OS X Utilities and using the 'Reinstall OS X' option, which gives me a bootable, working system without removing any of the software, user accounts etc. from the disk image.

The problem is that I cannot connect to our wireless network to use the 'Reinstall OS X' option... and the MacBook has no Ethernet or USB port for me to connect to the wired network.

All I really need to know is why I can connect to the wireless network when booted normally into El Capitan but not when booted into OS X Utilities, despite using the same credentials on the same network.

Cheers!

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Answer 6

Tesserax

Level 10

155,246 points

Jun 16, 2016 10:06 AM in response to Squiggley

Thanks for the clarifying details. I understand now what you had done using asr to restore the disk image.

My only thought at this point is that the issue with wireless is not directly related to Apple networking, but instead, to the OS X Recovery process. Specifically, what it supports or doesn't. Since this is more OS X related, I would suggest that you re-post to the Mac area of the Apple Support Communities (ASC) or directly to OS X Support to potentially get more attention and a possible solution from folks more knowledgeable on OS X.

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Answer 7

Squiggley Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 16, 2016 10:11 AM in response to Tesserax

OK, thank you for your time Tesserax.

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