My WIFI doesn't work after I turn on my Big Sur Mac from sleep.. how to fix?

[shankar2]

Hi so on Big Sur mac (latest update) whenever I open my mac from sleep, the WIFI connects but doesn't work!

The only fix for me is to turn off/turn on the WIFI. Does anyone have a permanent fix for this and is this a well known bug? Thanks!

 

[buckrock]

Hi so on Big Sur mac (latest update) whenever I open my mac from sleep, the WIFI connects but doesn't work!

The only fix for me is to turn off/turn on the WIFI. Does anyone have a permanent fix for this and is this a well known bug? Thanks!

You didn't mention your device parameters; also are you using BSur 11.2.3 or the new 11.3beta6? In either case you could just reapply the updater again right over your existing OS. This often fixes problems.

Also, this has worked for some: Navigate to System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> Wi-Fi and locate Preferred Networks. If you do not see your home network or whatever network you are on listed on here, go ahead and press the little + button below the list and add the network name and password. Click Ok. And then click apply. After manually adding your network, the computer should connect back to your network just fine.

 

[buckrock]

Edited

 

[shankar2]

Thanks @buckrock yes I'm using 11.2.3 Big Sur.. are you saying I should re-apply the latest MacOS update? If so, how? Thanks!

 

[buckrock]

Thanks @buckrock yes I'm using 11.2.3 Big Sur.. are you saying I should re-apply the latest MacOS update? If so, how? Thanks!

You can go to the App Store. Search for “Big Sur.” The installer is about 12GB. Download it. Then I’d recommend making a bootable USB install drive. Just Google “createinstallmedia Big Sur” — follow instructions.

The google result at support.apple.com will tell you what to do with your bootable installer. This installation will take about 45 minutes and will not harm any of your settings and/or data. It requires use of Terminal, but the instructions for doing this make this easy and safe even if you don’t like using command line.

Lastly, keep your bootable USB installer around — I make one for every MacOS. They are wonderful at fixing problems with MacOS.

 

[shankar2]

So, you are recommending I re-install the latest OS software again to fix this WIFI problem? Would you know if there is any Big Sur update due this month too? Thanks again!

 

[buckrock]

That is correct — just start your mac using the option key to bring up the system picker and select your bootable USB installer. When the installer loads you simply choose to install the MacOS on your existing MacOS 11.2.3 drive.

As I said, this is a long time “trick” to fix little problems that crop up from time to time. I suspect your WiFi problem is small; especially since it sounds like you are saying that it just cropped up some time after you updated to 11.2.3. Is this correct?

As for MacOS 11.3 release date: yes, a lot of folks believe release will happen sometime in April 2021. We are now in the sixth beta release.

However, even if the release were available, I’d strongly suggest your run the MacOS 11.2.3 installer first.

Another question: did you do your 11.2.3 install as an “incremental update” from the System Update, or did you do it from a full installer? For your information, the incremental updates are usually 2 to 4GB download; whereas, the full installers are just over 12GB.

As a rule, I never use an incremental updater. I stopped doing that several years ago!

 

[gilby101]

The only fix for me is to turn off/turn on the WIFI. Does anyone have a permanent fix for this and is this a well known bug? Thanks!

Follow buckrock's first reply about Network Preferences. But as well as making sure that you wifi is in the preferred networks, tick the 'auto-join' box.

 

[fisherking]

you could try:

in network prefs, click on 'location' (top center), and, under 'edit locations', create a new one. add your network to it. make that the default. reboot.

or.. remove your wifi network from the main window, then click the plus button, and add it back.

and google this a bit if you still need help; there are other things to try before you need to reinstall the OS.

EDIT: fwiw, you could also try unplugging your modem & router, then replugging, just to reboot them, see if that helps.

 

[shankar2]

Hi fisherking yes it seems your suggestion works most of the time! I'll wait for the macos update too. Thanks!