How do I force Mac to use Ethernet connection when both WiFi and Ethernet are active?

[petrucci666]

I live in a 2-story apartment, with the router downstairs.

WiFi is weak upstairs but I have an ethernet cable running to my Cinema Display. When I connect my Mac to the display, both WiFi and Ethernet (through the Cinema Display) are connected but I think the Mac using the WiFi as its primary source, making it slow. How do I force it to use the Ethernet connection over WiFi without turning off WiFi?

 

[PsyOpWarlord]

I believe what your asking is located here in this tutorial:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10971

 

[petrucci666]

I believe what your asking is located here in this tutorial:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10971

Thanks a lot! This was exactly what I was looking for!

 

[TheCreech]

I believe what your asking is located here in this tutorial:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10971

that link is now disconnected - what was that answer?

 

[chrfr]

that link is now disconnected - what was that answer?

https://web.archive.org/web/20150221165428/http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10971

A newer version of the document is here: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21578
The summary is that it gives information on how to set network service order:

• Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Network.

• Click the Action pop-up menu
  
  , then choose Set Service Order.

• Drag a service, such as Ethernet, to the top of the list.

• Click OK, then click Apply to make the new settings active.

 

[marvin_h]

https://web.archive.org/web/20150221165428/http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10971

A newer version of the document is here: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21578
The summary is that it gives information on how to set network service order:

• Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Network.

• Click the Action pop-up menu
  
  , then choose Set Service Order.

• Drag a service, such as Ethernet, to the top of the list.

• Click OK, then click Apply to make the new settings active.

Would be so cool if this worked. None of my macs, 2016 MacBook Pro and 2017 iMac honor this. The only way to workaround it is to turn WiFi off. Otherwise they refuse to use the Ethernet connection.

 

[Avenged110]

Would be so cool if this worked. None of my Macs, 2016 MacBook Pro and 2017 iMac, honor this. The only workaround it is to turn Wi-Fi off. Otherwise, they refuse to use the Ethernet connection.

Yea, I've noticed that. After prioritizing Ethernet, when I'm transferring files to my headless mini with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connected, turning off Wi-Fi doubles the transfer speed. Never could figure out why.

 

[Ifti]

Was a solution ever found to this? I'm getting the same - with both on it seems to prioritise WiFi over Ethernet even though I have set the Service Order.

I notice that if I turn WiFi off, then turn it back on again, Ethernet will continue to be used. But as soon as the system is restarted, or is woken from sleep, it seems to prioritise WiFi again, and I have to switch WiFi off and on again......

I like to keep WiFi on as well so as I sometimes take images or scan docs with my phone, which needs WiFi to be enabled......

 

[corwinlegendre]

Was a solution ever found to this? I'm getting the same - with both on it seems to prioritise WiFi over Ethernet even though I have set the Service Order.

I notice that if I turn WiFi off, then turn it back on again, Ethernet will continue to be used. But as soon as the system is restarted, or is woken from sleep, it seems to prioritise WiFi again, and I have to switch WiFi off and on again......

I like to keep WiFi on as well so as I sometimes take images or scan docs with my phone, which needs WiFi to be enabled......

Yup, I'm here for the same sort of reason. Turn wifi off and I lose AirDrop as well as a couple other connectivity things I use heavily, but I absolutely must use ethernet as my main connection. In fact, with my iMacs, I'm happy if it doesn't know any "online" networks exist over WiFi, because everything seems to work as long as wifi is on (airdrop etc) as long as WiFi is on, regardless of being connected...but since everything is always "synced" - if I delete the wifi networks or turn off autoconnect on the Macs it seems to want to do the same thing on our iPad and iPhones.....sync is somethings good, sometimes annoying as hell!

 

[Ifti]

Ive resorted to this : whenever you wake or switch on the computer, disable wifi for a few seconds, then re-enable wifi. This is enough to prioritise the ethernet connection.....well at least for the remainder of your session before you next sleep or shut down!

 

[Ifti]

This is still an issue even with Big Sur - WiFi is still favoured over Ethernet.
I don't want to disable wifi completely as it stops unlocking with Apple Watch, and also taking images with my iPhone or AirDrop etc.
At the moment I disable WiFi manually whenever Im transferring large amounts of data (over 10GB ethernet) and then re-enable WiFi after the transfer......

 

[lo_fye]

This is still an issue even with Big Sur - WiFi is still favoured over Ethernet.
I don't want to disable wifi completely as it stops unlocking with Apple Watch, and also taking images with my iPhone or AirDrop etc.
At the moment I disable WiFi manually whenever Im transferring large amounts of data (over 10GB ethernet) and then re-enable WiFi after the transfer......

Exact same issue here.

 

[Ifti]

Does this exist with the iMAC etc as well, or is it just with MacBooks?

 

[Jim Lahey]

This is currently bugging me also. I want to leave WiFi enabled for Apple Watch unlocking, but my Mac always seems to prefer WiFi irrespective of the selected service order. Unbelievably irritating.

 

[Ifti]

I'm still having to disable and re-enable wifi when I need to use ethernet, as this seems to then use ethernet for the remainder of that session, while leaving wifi active.

I wonder if this is an issue on iMAC's also?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

I'm still having to disable and re-enable wifi when I need to use ethernet, as this seems to then use ethernet for the remainder of that session, while leaving wifi active.

I wonder if this is an issue on iMAC's also?

Not an issue on my iMacs. I leave Wifi on all the time.

 

[Ifti]

Not an issue on my iMacs. I leave Wifi on all the time.

Are you sure its using Ethernet and not WiFi though, after a restart or wake from sleep etc?
I want to keep WiFi switched on for unlocking via Apple Watch or for Airdropping photos from my iPhone etc, but otherwise want to use Ethernet for all data transfer.......

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Are you sure its using Ethernet and not WiFi though, after a restart or wake from sleep etc?
I want to keep WiFi switched on for unlocking via Apple Watch or for Airdropping photos from my iPhone etc, but otherwise want to use Ethernet for all data transfer.......

As a habit, I usually touch the mouse or keyboard to wake up my iMac.
I don't want to spend money on a watch that I have to take-off from my wrist everyday.

 

[haralds]

Still an issue on Ventura. Very annoying.

 

[macOSSlawHotelaw]

Still an issue on Ventura. Very annoying.

Same. I miss the features that require Wi-Fi, but I use a Mac mini as a Plex server, and even if I set ethernet to the top priority, playback on other devices cuts out and lags till I actually disable Wi-Fi.

 

[MrDoh]

I have a related problem on Ventura...when I have both ethernet and wifi on with my M2-based mac mini I get pauses on the internet, maybe about 15 - 30 seconds, once a day or so. Not a big deal, but nothing else in my house has this problem. No problems with streaming devices using wifi or ethernet. So it seems that it's the mac's problem. I disabled wifi on the mac to test my theory, and no more pauses. Haven't turned the wifi back on, but this seems to be a problem with the macOS network software somehow. My wifi is strong, so it isn't that the wifi is slower than the ethernet (the mac is about 6' away from my wireless router) that's the problem. I can only guess, though.

Very odd.

 

[macOSSlawHotelaw]

I have a related problem on Ventura...when I have both ethernet and wifi on with my M2-based mac mini I get pauses on the internet, maybe about 15 - 30 seconds, once a day or so. Not a big deal, but nothing else in my house has this problem. No problems with streaming devices using wifi or ethernet. So it seems that it's the mac's problem. I disabled wifi on the mac to test my theory, and no more pauses. Haven't turned the wifi back on, but this seems to be a problem with the macOS network software somehow. My wifi is strong, so it isn't that the wifi is slower than the ethernet (the mac is about 6' away from my wireless router) that's the problem. I can only guess, though.

Very odd.

Does it happen if you disconnect ethernet and keep only Wi-Fi?

 

[mkiiim]

i've found that key to making it work is to make sure that auto-connect to wifi access point (note that this is not a global system option but instead a per access point toggle) needs to be turned off...

networks:
- wifi access point(s)
- 10Gbe hardwired network

setup:
- connect to hardwired network
- setup all desired wifi connections to NOT automatically connect (in network settings, this is available as a toggle for each wifi network that you're already connected to)
- prioritize the 10Gbe network as described in previous posts above
- turn off wifi on mac (to disconnect from any currently/previously automatically connected wifi networks)
- turn on wifi on mac

result:
- connected only to hardwired network
- disconnected from wifi access points
- still able to use services that require wifi to be turned on/available (e.g. airdrop)

hope that helps.

 

[macOSSlawHotelaw]

i've found that key to making it work is to make sure that auto-connect to wifi access point (note that this is not a global system option but instead a per access point toggle) needs to be turned off...

networks:
- wifi access point(s)
- 10Gbe hardwired network

setup:
- connect to hardwired network
- setup all desired wifi connections to NOT automatically connect (in network settings, this is available as a toggle for each wifi network that you're already connected to)
- prioritize the 10Gbe network as described in previous posts above
- turn off wifi on mac (to disconnect from any currently/previously automatically connected wifi networks)
- turn on wifi on mac

result:
- connected only to hardwired network
- disconnected from wifi access points
- still able to use services that require wifi to be turned on/available (e.g. airdrop)

hope that helps.

Thanks for taking the time to follow up on this issue that seems to persist across so many macOS versions! It's bewildering this is still a problem, because back when I had Windows laptops, this was never a problem, and they seamlessly reverted to Wi-Fi only when ethernet wasn't connected. Does your solution work even after a restart? One of my worries about doing that is that if network settings sync to my other Apple devices, they wouldn't automatically connect to Wi-Fi.

At any rate, I completely gave up on Ethernet for my Mac mini and Apple TV (in my setup, I host a Plex server on my Mac and watch on Apple TV) and a lot of the issues I had with both devices and Plex completely went away once I went exclusively with Wi-Fi.

Thankfully Wi-Fi has evolved to the point where it works perfectly for my needs, but I understand it'd be unacceptable for other people, so hopefully your solution works for them!

 

[mkiiim]

Thanks for taking the time to follow up on this issue that seems to persist across so many macOS versions! It's bewildering this is still a problem, because back when I had Windows laptops, this was never a problem, and they seamlessly reverted to Wi-Fi only when ethernet wasn't connected. Does your solution work even after a restart? One of my worries about doing that is that if network settings sync to my other Apple devices, they wouldn't automatically connect to Wi-Fi.

At any rate, I completely gave up on Ethernet for my Mac mini and Apple TV (in my setup, I host a Plex server on my Mac and watch on Apple TV) and a lot of the issues I had with both devices and Plex completely went away once I went exclusively with Wi-Fi.

Thankfully Wi-Fi has evolved to the point where it works perfectly for my needs, but I understand it'd be unacceptable for other people, so hopefully your solution works for them!

yes, this will survive reboots. (on M's with Sonoma and intel's with Ventura)

agree, wi-fi6+ is mostly stable and fast enough to address most home consumer needs.

i still have a small farm of airport extreme wifi5 base stations (each serving separate vlans) that work for most of my family and smarthome/automation needs.

the primary workstations utilize the 10gbe for fast data access to shared storage - it's a little overkill for now. :/