Whitepaper
The different forms of Wi-Fi and your Mac
For most people, Wi-Fi is simply “the internet at home”, but there is more going on than the single light on the router. There are several generations of Wi-Fi, three different frequency bands, and the Mac has its own tools to show exactly what is happening with a connection. This whitepaper lays that out, with the Mac as the starting point.
The Wi-Fi generations: from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 7
For a few years now, Wi-Fi standards have simply gotten a number, similar to 4G and 5G for mobile networks. The higher the number, the newer the technology.
Wi-Fi 4
The oldest standard still in use, only on the 2.4 GHz band. Long range but slow, and by now mostly found in older equipment.
Wi-Fi 5
Added the 5 GHz band for more speed. Still in use in older routers and mobile hotspots, but no longer the best choice for new equipment.
Wi-Fi 6
Focuses less on top speed and more on efficiency: multiple devices can send data at the same time without getting in each other’s way. Noticeably better in a home with many connected devices.
Wi-Fi 6E
The same technology as Wi-Fi 6, with the big difference being access to the 6 GHz band. That band is much less crowded than 2.4 and 5 GHz, which leads to more stable speeds, especially with a lot of nearby Wi-Fi networks such as in an apartment building.
Wi-Fi 7
The newest generation, with wider channels and the ability to use multiple frequency bands at the same time for a single connection. That last part is called Multi-Link Operation and mainly delivers lower latency, which is noticeable when gaming or video calling.
Which Mac supports which generation
Not every Mac has the newest Wi-Fi chip on board, even when the model is recent.
Wi-Fi 6E
The MacBook Air from 2024 onward and the MacBook Pro from 2023 onward support Wi-Fi 6E, as do the newer Mac Studio and Mac mini models.
Wi-Fi 7
So far Apple has only built in Wi-Fi 7 on MacBook Pro models with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip. The regular M5 MacBook Pro and the rest of the Mac lineup stay on Wi-Fi 6E, even when they are new.
Checking your Mac’s Wi-Fi information
On request, the Mac shows exactly which network, channel, and signal it is connected to, without installing any extra app.
- Hold down the Option key.
- While holding Option, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
- A detailed overview appears, including the channel, security type, BSSID, and RSSI (signal strength).
- For RSSI: the closer to 0, the stronger the signal. A value around -40 dBm is excellent, around -80 dBm is weak.
Fixing Wi-Fi problems with Wireless Diagnostics
For a flaky connection, macOS has a built-in tool that looks beyond just the signal.
- Hold down Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
- Choose “Open Wireless Diagnostics”.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and choose “Monitor my Wi-Fi connection” to have the issue tracked for a few minutes.
- Afterward the tool produces a report that can be shared with an internet provider or IT support if needed.
Security: WPA2 versus WPA3
WPA2
The standard on home routers for years, and still secure enough for most situations, but the older of the two.
WPA3
The newest security standard, required for devices with Wi-Fi 6 or newer. Harder to crack than WPA2 and the recommended setting on a router, or the transitional WPA2/WPA3 mode if older devices are still in use at home.
Preferred networks and automatic joining
A Mac remembers every network it has ever joined, and decides on its own which network gets priority when several are within range.
Changing the order
Under Settings, Wi-Fi, Known Networks is a list of every past network. Moving a network to the top gives it priority the next time there is a choice.
Turning off auto-join
Click the info button next to a network and turn off “Auto-Join” to stop the Mac from switching back to it on its own, for example for a guest network that is no longer in use.
Private Wi-Fi address
For each network, the Mac uses a different, fixed decoy address instead of its real hardware address by default, as soon as the network uses WPA2 or WPA3. On networks with weak or no security, this address rotates every two weeks. This makes it harder to track a Mac across multiple networks.
Connecting through the iPhone: Instant Hotspot
Without any Wi-Fi nearby, a Mac can connect directly to an iPhone’s Personal Hotspot, without entering a password.
- Make sure the Mac and iPhone are signed in with the same Apple Account, and that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both.
- Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, or open Control Center.
- Choose the iPhone’s name under the available networks to connect instantly through its Personal Hotspot.