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Wi-Fi : No Hardware Installed in Macbook Pro 2015. Need help from Mac Experts/Devs

This question is from a experienced mac user (me) who has literally searched the entire web and still hasn't got the answer. So to start I got a MacBook Pro 2015 on Sierra. Two weeks earlier, one moment the Wi-Fi was working and four hours later there was the no hardware installed problem. I can assure you that no one was near that Mac during those 4-5 hours but maybe it went through an an auto OS update. Here are the things I tried :

1) Basic PRAM/NVRAM/SMC Reset.... like around a hundred times.

2) Safe Mode
3) Running that disk check in disk utility

4) Disk Check in Single User Mode with the terminal code fsck -fy Result : Disk appears OK

Here are the things I'm working on but can't get it to be done :

1) Kext utility to replace the IO80211Family.kext

I plan to replace my current kext with the one in my other 2012 Mac on the same OS version. But I can't get it to delete. I tried going root user mode and deleting it via terminal commands + single user mode. But it still does not allow me to delete it.


Problem 2:

Currently I've been using a TP-Link Wi-Fi USB stick as a temporary solution.
Side Effects : Cannot use iMessage, Facetime or download apps from the Mac App Store.

To counter this, I've tried Layman's kext solution in Tonymacx86 which allows the USB stick to pose as an internal Wi-Fi and allow me access to iMessage, FaceTime and the Mac App Store. But due to my poor technical knowledge about gits, kext etc etc, I could not get past patching something in the MaciASL. Here's the link, if you want to know what I am talking about : https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/laymans-guide-to-access-mac-app-store-with-nu llethernet-kext.127059/


The only thing I have not given a try is restoring the Mac due to lack of Wi-Fi and a 6 GB Pen Drive. So I still gotta wait a few days until that arrives.

I know that hardware damage is unlikely unless some hardware was damaged magically on its own when I was alone at my home. But still, after looking at some old forums, which suggested to look whether the Wi-Fi ribbons are connected and to clean the area near the Airport card, I decided to open my Mac up. I didn't go as near to removing the airport card due to my inexperience in hardware issues but the Wi-Fi ribbon and all the connections appeared alright from the outside.

Finally, to conclude please don't advise me to go to the Apple Store or give me links for solving router issues or other unrelated sites. Any good advice regarding something I may have missed will be greatly appreciated. I have multiple Airport Expresses and two Time Capsules over two internet connections. The warranty is over and they wanted to charge me 50$ for just "diagnosing" it. I'm probably sure that even if I gave them the money, they would charge me 600$ to replace the motherboard or may even ask me to pay the whole sum for replacing the entire Mac itself since I live in a place which lacks original Apple Stores. We have authorized ones here which means they do more replacements here than actual service.


Regards,

Bikram.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), macOS Sierra (10.12.3)

Posted on Jan 31, 2017 9:54 AM

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Posted on Jan 31, 2017 11:38 PM

Thanks, but I opened up my Mac last night to find corrosion in the Airport Card, All I had to do was clean it and place it back. Although it was still not working yesterday night, I tried running a diagnostic today morning by pressing the D key after powering the device on. The diagnostic completed with zero errors which I really found absurd. I restarted and Voila! Wi-Fi was back just like magic.

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Question marked as Best reply

Jan 31, 2017 11:38 PM in response to S.U.

Thanks, but I opened up my Mac last night to find corrosion in the Airport Card, All I had to do was clean it and place it back. Although it was still not working yesterday night, I tried running a diagnostic today morning by pressing the D key after powering the device on. The diagnostic completed with zero errors which I really found absurd. I restarted and Voila! Wi-Fi was back just like magic.

Jan 31, 2017 11:34 PM in response to Ratchet99

It sounds like you have tried all the usual solutions. I didn't see the solution mentioned here where you can check in System Preferences>Network to make your AirPort card active with the gear at the bottom:


http://www.macworld.com/article/3011052/networking/what-to-do-when-os-x-says-wi- fi-hardware-isnt-installed.html


If there was a software update while you were away from your Mac, maybe it could have made your card inactive.


Hope this works. Good luck!

Wi-Fi : No Hardware Installed in Macbook Pro 2015. Need help from Mac Experts/Devs

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