macOS Sequoia 15.5 Wi-Fi Keeps Disconnecting? 9 Fixes That Work

If you’re searching for a reliable macOS Sequoia Wi-Fi disconnecting fix, you’re not alone — thousands of Mac users have reported random Wi-Fi drops, sluggish connections, and complete network failures after updating to macOS Sequoia 15.5. The issue affects everything from MacBook Air M2 models to the latest M4 Pro machines, and it tends to strike at the worst possible moments: during video calls, file transfers, or right in the middle of a deadline. The good news? Most cases can be resolved without a Genius Bar visit. Below are nine field-tested fixes that have worked for real users dealing with persistent Wi-Fi issues in 2026.

Why macOS Sequoia 15.5 Wi-Fi Keeps Dropping

Before diving into fixes, it helps to understand why mac wifi drops have become so common with this particular version. Apple introduced several under-the-hood changes to the Wi-Fi stack in Sequoia, including tighter integration with iCloud Private Relay, revised handling of the 6 GHz band on Wi-Fi 6E hardware, and a new background scanning behavior intended to improve roaming between access points.

Unfortunately, these changes have created friction with older routers, mesh systems, and certain ISP-provided gateways. The most common symptom is a Wi-Fi icon that shows full bars but no internet, or a connection that drops every 5–10 minutes and reconnects on its own.

Some users also report that the issue worsens after waking the Mac from sleep — a clear sign that power management and the Wi-Fi driver aren’t playing nicely together. These are well-documented macos sequoia bugs that Apple has acknowledged in developer release notes, though a full fix hasn’t shipped at the time of writing.

Symptoms to Watch For

• Wi-Fi disconnects randomly even with a strong signal
• Internet stops working after wake-from-sleep
• Slow speeds compared to other devices on the same network
• “Self-assigned IP address” error in Network settings
• Wi-Fi menu shows connected, but browsers can’t load pages

Fix 1: Forget and Rejoin Your Wi-Fi Network

This is the simplest fix and resolves a surprising number of cases. macOS sometimes holds onto stale authentication tokens after an OS update, which causes the system to silently fail to reauthenticate with your router.

1. Open System Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. Click the three-dot icon next to your network name.
3. Select Forget This Network and confirm.
4. Wait 15 seconds, then rejoin by entering your password.

Pro tip: After rejoining, toggle Wi-Fi off and on once. This forces macOS to negotiate a fresh DHCP lease, which often clears lingering DNS issues.

Fix 2: Delete Wi-Fi Preference Files (The Power-User Fix)

If your wifi keeps dropping macbook issue persists, corrupted preference files are likely the culprit. macOS stores Wi-Fi configuration in several .plist files inside the SystemConfiguration folder. Removing them forces macOS to regenerate clean copies on the next boot.

1. Turn Wi-Fi off from the menu bar.
2. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and paste: /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
3. Move these files to your Desktop (as a backup): com.apple.airport.preferences.plist, com.apple.network.identification.plist, com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist, NetworkInterfaces.plist, and preferences.plist.
4. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
5. Turn Wi-Fi back on and reconnect to your network.

Warning: You’ll need administrator privileges and may be prompted for your password. If anything goes wrong, drag the backup files back into the folder and restart.

Fix 3: Reset Network Settings on macOS

Unlike iOS, there’s no single “Reset Network Settings” button on a Mac — but you can achieve the same result by removing the Wi-Fi service entirely and recreating it. This is one of the most effective ways to reset network settings mac users can perform without third-party tools.

1. Open System Settings > Network.
2. Select Wi-Fi from the sidebar.
3. Click the three-dot menu and choose Make Service Inactive.
4. Click the same menu again and select Remove Service.
5. Click the three-dot menu at the top of the sidebar and choose Add Service > Wi-Fi.
6. Name it (e.g., “Wi-Fi”) and click Create.
7. Reconnect to your network.

This rebuilds the entire network interface from scratch and clears any leftover configuration ghosts.

Fix 4: Change DNS Servers to Cloudflare or Google

Many Sequoia macbook internet issues aren’t actually Wi-Fi problems — they’re DNS resolution failures masquerading as connection drops. Switching to a faster, more reliable DNS provider often resolves the “connected but no internet” symptom instantly.

1. Open System Settings > Network > Wi-Fi.
2. Click Details next to your active network.
3. Select the DNS tab.
4. Click the + button and add: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google).
5. Click OK, then Apply.

If you ever want to revert, simply remove the custom entries and macOS will fall back to your router’s DNS.

Fix 5: Disable Wi-Fi 6E or 6 GHz Band Temporarily

If you own a Wi-Fi 6E-capable Mac (M3 Pro/Max, M4 series) and your router broadcasts a 6 GHz network, Sequoia 15.5 has a known incompatibility with several mesh systems. Forcing your Mac to use the 5 GHz band can stabilize the connection until Apple patches the firmware.

You can’t disable 6 GHz directly in macOS, but you can either disable the 6 GHz radio in your router’s admin panel or create a separate 5 GHz-only SSID and connect your Mac to that. Most modern routers allow you to split bands under their wireless settings page.

How to Verify Which Band You’re On

Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi menu bar icon. You’ll see detailed info including the channel and PHY mode. If you see “6 GHz” or PHY mode “802.11ax” on channels above 100, you’re on 6E.

Fix 6: Turn Off Wi-Fi Power Management Quirks

macOS includes several power-saving features that can aggressively cut Wi-Fi during low activity, especially on battery. Disabling these one at a time can pinpoint the culprit.

• Go to System Settings > Battery > Options and disable Wake for network access.
• In the same menu, set Low Power Mode to Never while plugged in.
• Open Terminal and run: sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 1 to keep network sockets alive during sleep.

If your Mac is also running hot during these disconnects, it could be a related thermal throttling issue. Our guide on Apple devices overheating during heavy use covers cooling fixes that often help with adjacent Wi-Fi instability.

Fix 7: Reset the SMC and NVRAM (Intel Macs Only)

If you’re still on an Intel-based Mac running Sequoia 15.5, resetting the System Management Controller and NVRAM can resolve hardware-level Wi-Fi glitches. Apple Silicon Macs handle this automatically on each restart, so this step doesn’t apply to M1/M2/M3/M4 users.

1. Shut down your Mac completely.
2. Press and hold Shift + Control + Option on the left side of the keyboard plus the Power button for 10 seconds.
3. Release all keys, then press the power button to boot.
4. To reset NVRAM, restart and immediately hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds.

Fix 8: Run Wireless Diagnostics

Apple’s built-in Wireless Diagnostics tool is criminally underused. It scans your environment, detects interference, and even captures logs that pinpoint exactly when and why drops occur.

1. Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
2. Choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.
3. Follow the assistant and choose Monitor my Wi-Fi connection when prompted.
4. Leave it running in the background. When a drop occurs, it will save a diagnostic report to /var/tmp.

The report includes channel utilization, signal-to-noise ratio, and a recommendation summary. Often it’ll suggest switching channels, which you can do from your router’s admin page.

Fix 9: Boot in Safe Mode to Rule Out Third-Party Conflicts

VPN clients, antivirus tools, and network extensions can hijack Wi-Fi behavior in subtle ways. Safe Mode loads only essential drivers, helping you confirm whether the problem is system-level or caused by software.

On Apple Silicon Macs: shut down, then hold the power button until you see startup options. Select your disk while holding Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. On Intel Macs: restart and hold Shift until the login screen appears.

If Wi-Fi is rock solid in Safe Mode, uninstall recent network utilities one by one until you find the offender. Common culprits include older versions of Little Snitch, certain corporate VPNs, and outdated Cisco AnyConnect builds.

When to Suspect a Hardware or Firmware Issue

If none of the above resolves the disconnections, the issue may extend beyond software. Try connecting your Mac to a different Wi-Fi network — a phone hotspot works perfectly for this test. If the problem disappears, your router or ISP equipment is involved. If it persists across networks, you’re likely looking at either a firmware regression Apple needs to patch or, rarely, a failing wireless module.

Keep an eye on macOS updates via System Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has been pushing rapid security responses and point updates throughout 2026, and several of them have addressed networking regressions. For broader troubleshooting context across Apple’s ecosystem, the team at Hawkdive regularly tracks update-related issues affecting Macs, iPhones, and iPads.

Key Takeaways

• Start with the simplest fixes (forget network, restart) before deleting system files.
• DNS changes solve more “Wi-Fi” problems than people realize.
• Wireless Diagnostics is your best friend for repeat drops.
• Always back up preference files before deleting them.
• Test on a phone hotspot to isolate Mac-side vs. router-side issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Mac keep losing Wi-Fi on Sequoia 15.5?

The most common causes are corrupted Wi-Fi preference files left over from the update, conflicts between Sequoia’s new 6 GHz band handling and certain routers, and aggressive power management cutting the connection during low activity. Deleting Wi-Fi .plist files and switching to a 5 GHz-only SSID resolves the majority of cases reported in 2026.

How do I reset network settings on macOS?

macOS doesn’t have a single reset button like iOS. Instead, open System Settings > Network, remove the Wi-Fi service via the three-dot menu, and then re-add it. Combine this with deleting the SystemConfiguration .plist files for a complete reset that mirrors what iOS does in one tap.

Does deleting Wi-Fi preferences help fix dropouts?

Yes — this is one of the most effective fixes for post-update Wi-Fi problems. Removing files like com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and preferences.plist from /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ forces macOS to regenerate clean network configurations. Always back up the files before deleting in case you need to revert.

Is the Sequoia 15.5 Wi-Fi bug fixed yet?

Apple has addressed some of the regressions in incremental updates, but as of May 2026, certain users — particularly those on Wi-Fi 6E mesh networks — still report drops. Keep your Mac updated and watch release notes for mentions of “Wi-Fi reliability” or “network stack” improvements, which usually indicate a relevant fix.

Final Thoughts

A reliable macOS Sequoia Wi-Fi disconnecting fix rarely requires drastic measures — in most cases, deleting preference files, changing DNS, or resetting the Wi-Fi service does the trick. Work through the nine fixes above in order, and you’ll almost certainly land on the one that stabilizes your connection. Don’t forget to run Wireless Diagnostics if drops continue, since it can reveal interference and channel issues that aren’t obvious from the menu bar.

If your Mac is also struggling with other post-update behaviors, you may find our guide on Apple Intelligence not working after iOS update helpful, especially since several networking and AI-related issues share the same underlying causes. Developers running into related slowdowns should also check out our breakdown of AI coding tools slowing down Mac development for performance tuning tips that complement these network fixes.