How to figure out if it is hardware or settings

If your MacBook suddenly stops seeing Wi-Fi or drops the connection every few minutes, it is an annoying situation, but it does not always require repair. Sometimes the issue can be solved in five minutes right at home, and sometimes an antenna replacement is needed. Let's break it down step by step.

Why this actually happens

Causes can be either software or hardware related. Software causes include corrupted settings, a buggy macOS update, or conflicts with VPNs or corporate profiles. Hardware causes include a damaged Wi-Fi antenna, a poor flex cable contact, or, more rarely, a faulty Wi-Fi chip directly on the board.

Most commonly, clients bring us MacBook Air 13 models from 2017–2019 and MacBook Pros with Touch Bar — their antennas are located in the lid, and after drops or screen replacements, the flex cable is frequently damaged. There was a case where we were brought a Pro 13 2020 that could not see any networks at all. The owner thought it was a virus or a system crash. It turned out the antenna flex cable connector was torn off, apparently during a previous repair at another service shop.

What to try yourself

1. Reboot and NVRAM reset

It sounds cliché, but it works. Turn off your MacBook, turn it on, and immediately hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds. This resets some hardware settings, including wireless network parameters.

2. Delete saved networks

Go to System Settings → Wi-Fi → click "Details" next to the desired network → "Forget This Network". Then connect again. Sometimes a saved profile with an outdated password silently interferes with a normal connection.

3. Delete Wi-Fi configuration files

Open Finder, press Shift + Command + G, and go to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/. Delete the files com.apple.network.identification.plist, com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist, and NetworkInterfaces.plist. Reboot — macOS will recreate them with clean settings.

4. Check VPN and profiles

If a corporate VPN or MDM profile is installed on your MacBook, try temporarily disabling it. We often see this: a client complains about constant dropouts, and the cause is a conflict between the VPN client and the system Wi-Fi manager.

5. SMC Reset

On MacBooks without the T2 chip (up to 2018): shut down, wait 15 seconds, press and hold the left Shift + Control + Option and the power button for 10 seconds, release, and turn on normally. On models with T2 and M-chips, just shut down for 30 seconds and turn back on.

When it is time for a technician

If none of the steps helped, the problem is most likely hardware. Three signs point directly to this: the MacBook does not show the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar at all, the Wi-Fi interface disappears from the list of devices in "System Report", or the signal is only present when the lid is opened at a specific angle.

The latter is a classic symptom of a torn antenna flex cable. We often see this in MacBook Airs that have been carried in a bag without a case for a long time: the flex cable in the lid hinge wears out over time. Replacing the flex cable or antenna module takes anywhere from half an hour to a couple of hours depending on the model, and prices start at around 1,500 rubles.

Things can be worse — a faulty Wi-Fi chip or damaged traces on the board after liquid damage. This requires soldering or chip replacement, which takes longer and costs more, but is fixable. The main thing is not to wait: the longer the MacBook runs with damaged traces, the harder it is to restore later.

If nothing helped — come visit us

Diagnostics at iClub on Kommunisticheskaya 35 in Novosibirsk are free. We will figure out what happened and quote the exact cost before starting any work. No extra words.