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Yes, some Mac users and software vendors have reported connectivity problems after upgrading to macOS Sequoia, but there is no single confirmed Sequoia Wi‑Fi bug or universal fix. A Mac can lose its Wi‑Fi connection, fail to get a DHCP address, lose DNS, or remain connected while a VPN or security filter blocks traffic. Start by checking what is failing, then test the Mac on another network before changing settings.
Apple’s Wi‑Fi troubleshooting guidance recommends basic checks such as restarting, updating macOS, checking VPN and security software, restarting the router, and testing another network. The steps below follow that low-risk order.
First identify what is dropping
“The internet keeps dropping” can mean several different things. Before changing settings, note what happens when the problem occurs:
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- Wi‑Fi disconnects: Does the Wi‑Fi icon show that the Mac has left the network?
- Wi‑Fi stays connected, but nothing loads: The Mac may have lost its IP address, DNS may be failing, or a filter may be blocking traffic.
- Only one app fails: A browser, work app, proxy, VPN, certificate, or content filter may be responsible rather than Wi‑Fi itself.
- It happens after sleep or VPN use: Check whether the Mac reconnects, gets a valid address, and behaves differently after a full restart.
- Other devices also lose access: The router, modem, access point, or ISP is a stronger suspect.
Also note whether Ethernet fails, whether the problem happens on more than one network, and whether the Mac’s IP address changes to one beginning with 169.254..
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Use another network to separate Mac trouble from router trouble
- Connect the Mac to a phone hotspot or another unrelated Wi‑Fi network.
- Try the same websites and applications that failed on the original network.
- If possible, test another device on the original network and test the Mac over Ethernet.
- The Mac works on the hotspot, but not at home: Focus on the home router, access point, ISP, DHCP, signal, or Wi‑Fi configuration.
- Other devices also fail at home: Restart the modem and router, check for an ISP outage, and contact the ISP or network administrator if needed.
- The Mac fails on several unrelated networks, including Ethernet: Focus on macOS settings, VPNs, network filters, security software, or potentially hardware.
Apple also recommends testing another network. If the Mac connects there, Apple advises contacting the administrator of the original network or the ISP as appropriate (Apple’s troubleshooting steps).
Try the low-risk fixes first
- Restart the Mac. A restart can clear a transient issue and renew the address assigned through DHCP.
- Check date and time. Incorrect time can interfere with authentication and secure connections. Open System Settings > General > Date & Time and check the settings.
- Install the latest Sequoia update available for your Mac. Open System Settings > General > Software Update. Check the exact version under Apple menu > About This Mac; do not assume an earlier point release is still current or that a particular update fixes every reported problem.
- Restart and update the router. Follow the router maker’s instructions for firmware updates and check Apple’s recommended Wi‑Fi router settings.
- Check Wi‑Fi Recommendations. Open the Wi‑Fi menu or Control Center and follow any recommendation shown for the network.
- Run Wireless Diagnostics. Hold Option while clicking the Wi‑Fi icon, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics. Follow the prompts; the report can help when contacting Apple or an administrator.
Check VPNs, security software, and network filters
Sequoia-related reports include VPNs, endpoint-security products, firewalls, and content filters—not just the Wi‑Fi radio. Apple’s guidance includes checking VPN and security software. Look in System Settings > Network > VPN & Filters, and check the apps or management profile installed on the Mac.
Examples include ESET, Sophos, Microsoft Defender, GlobalProtect, CrowdStrike, Cisco or Fortinet clients, Little Snitch, DNS filters, and parental-control tools. A product can affect traffic even when its main app is not open.
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- Write down the product name and version.
- Check the vendor’s Sequoia compatibility guidance and install its supported update.
- If policy allows, disconnect the VPN or temporarily disable the relevant network filter for a controlled test. Restart and check whether the connection stabilizes.
- Restore protection after testing. If the filter is implicated, use the vendor’s documented removal, update, or reinstall procedure rather than deleting files manually.
On a work or managed Mac, do not remove or disable VPN, firewall, endpoint protection, or a management profile without IT approval. The fix may require an approved vendor update or configuration change.
ESET documented one specific macOS 15 case in which connectivity could be lost. Its instructions involved removing ESET Network under System Settings > Network > Filters, restarting, and using a supported ESET version. That procedure applies to the affected ESET products described in its advisory; do not apply it to unrelated filters. Apple Community users have also reported changes after updating or disabling other network tools, but those experiences are anecdotes, not proof of a universal cause or remedy (Apple Support Community discussion).
If Wi‑Fi is connected, check DHCP and DNS
Renew the DHCP lease
A Mac showing an address starting with 169.254. generally has not received a usable address from the network’s DHCP server. That points toward a DHCP, router, access-point, cable, or network-configuration problem—not automatically DNS.
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To request a fresh address, open System Settings > Network, select Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, choose Details > TCP/IP > Renew DHCP Lease. Labels or placement can vary slightly by Sequoia point release. If the Mac still has a self-assigned address, restart the router or contact the network administrator rather than changing DNS first.
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Check whether name lookup is failing
If Wi‑Fi remains connected, try to distinguish an internet-path problem from DNS. Open Terminal and run these tests, replacing 192.168.1.1 with your router’s actual gateway address if it is different:
ping -c 5 192.168.1.1
ping -c 5 1.1.1.1
ping -c 5 apple.com- The router does not reply: Check the local Wi‑Fi or Ethernet connection, gateway address, and router.
- The router replies but
1.1.1.1does not: The upstream internet connection or routing may be failing. 1.1.1.1replies butapple.comdoes not: DNS is a likely problem.- All three work but one app does not: Check that app, its proxy, VPN, firewall rules, certificates, or content filter.
Ping results are clues, not a definitive diagnosis: a network may block ping traffic even when other traffic works. If evidence points to stale resolver state, you can try flushing the DNS cache in Terminal:
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sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponderEnter your Mac password if prompted. This command is a community-reported troubleshooting step, not an Apple-confirmed general fix (reported example). It cannot repair a broken Wi‑Fi connection, DHCP failure, incompatible filter, or router fault. Avoid switching to public DNS until you have evidence that DNS is the issue; changing resolvers cannot fix a disconnected Mac.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Forget and rejoin one affected Wi‑Fi network
If the problem occurs only on one saved network—especially after its password or router settings changed—remove that saved connection and join again:
- Open System Settings > Wi‑Fi.
- Find the network and select Details.
- Choose Forget This Network, then confirm.
- Restart the Mac, reconnect, and enter the Wi‑Fi password.
Forgetting the network removes its saved credentials. You may also need the organization’s network instructions or captive-portal details to reconnect.
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If the Mac works on a hotspot, investigate the router
When the hotspot test isolates the problem to the home or office network, avoid changing several router settings at once. Try these checks in sequence:
- Restart the modem, router, and mesh access points; install current firmware from the router maker.
- Test near the router to rule out weak signal or interference.
- If available, test the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands separately. For diagnosis, temporarily separating the SSIDs or disabling band steering or mesh roaming may help reveal a roaming issue; restore the original setup if it makes no difference.
- Check whether DHCP addresses are exhausted or duplicated, and whether other devices have the same problem.
- If troubleshooting a specific 5 GHz channel, follow the router maker’s guidance and change one setting at a time. Channel performance depends on location, interference, and router behavior; no channel is a universal Sequoia fix.
Apple recommends restarting the router, checking firmware, and using its recommended router settings. A Community report about a high DFS channel describes one user’s environment, not a system-wide channel defect (report).
Treat privacy settings as controlled tests
Some users have reported changes after altering Private Wi‑Fi Address or Limit IP Address Tracking, but these are not established Sequoia fixes. A router or enterprise network may bind access or reservations to a device identity; changing that identity can have consequences. Disabling Limit IP Address Tracking can also affect iCloud Private Relay and privacy behavior.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteIf your network administrator or router setup gives you a reason to test either setting, note its original value, change only one setting, forget and rejoin the network if needed, and test long enough to compare. Restore the original setting if it does not help. Do not change privacy settings on a managed network without approval. User observations are collected in the Apple Support Community discussion; they do not establish a general remedy.
What not to do
- Do not permanently disable the macOS firewall or endpoint protection to make the connection work. That can reduce security while hiding the actual compatibility problem.
- Do not install a VPN as a Wi‑Fi fix. A VPN adds another network component and can make a filter conflict harder to diagnose.
- Do not delete networking preference files as a first step. This can remove configuration and is not an Apple-recommended first-line remedy.
- Do not change DNS, privacy settings, router channels, and security software all at once. If the connection improves, you will not know why; if it worsens, recovery is harder.
When to contact Apple, your ISP, or IT
- Contact your ISP or router maker if other devices fail too, or if the Mac works on a hotspot but not the original network.
- Contact your network administrator for a corporate, school, or managed network, or before changing its VPN, filters, address settings, or security software.
- Contact the VPN or security-software vendor if its filter is implicated or it has a Sequoia compatibility advisory.
- Contact Apple Support if the Mac fails across multiple unrelated networks and Ethernet after updates and permitted filter checks, or if you suspect a hardware problem. Use Apple’s support site.
Before asking for help, collect:
- macOS version and Mac model from Apple menu > About This Mac.
- Whether Wi‑Fi or Ethernet is affected, and whether another network or device works.
- Whether the failure begins after sleep, reboot, or VPN connection/disconnection.
- The time of a failure, whether the Wi‑Fi icon changes, and whether the IP address becomes
169.254.x.x. - Which apps fail, whether DNS tests differ from IP-address tests, and the names and versions of VPN or security products.
- A Wireless Diagnostics report, if you ran one.
Reports have associated connection problems with several Sequoia point releases, but user reports do not establish that each release caused a widespread defect. The practical approach is to identify whether the failure is Wi‑Fi, DHCP, DNS, filtering, or the network itself, then apply the fix that fits that evidence.
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