How to connect your OS X Mac to a wireless network

by Ross McKillop on April 17, 2007

Mac

Much like everything else about OS X, connecting to a wireless network is painfully easy. But if you’re not familiar w/ OS X, and need to walk someone else through it, the following steps might prove helpful.

  1. When connecting your Mac to a wireless network, one of the first things you’ll want to do is make sure that the AirPort icon is enabled in your Menu bar. If it’s already there, please skip down to Step 5.
  2. Select the Apple Button (very upper left corner of your screen) and choose System Preferences… from the drop-down list. From there, select Network.

  3. click to enlarge

  4. Select you AirPort entry, and click the Configure… button.

  5. click to enlarge

  6. Make sure the Airport tab is selected from the top menu, and then place a check in the box labelled Show AirPort status in menu bar

  7. click to enlarge

  8. Click the AirPort icon in your menu bar, and you should be presented with a list of visible wireless networks. Select the network you want to join.
  9. If the network requires a password, you’ll be prompted to enter it now. If it doesn’t, you should automatically connect.
  10. When you’re connected, the AirPort icon will change from a ‘light grey’ color to a solid black. The number of solid black lines indicates the signal strength (more black bars = stronger signal). That’s it!
Related Posts:
  • How to enable WiFi in EeeDora
  • Home Networking 101
  • How to find the best available wireless connection using OS X
  • How to secure your wireless home network
  • How to resolve the menu bar AirPort icon always showing as “not connected” on your MacBook Air
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    { 3 comments… read them below or add one }

    1 Haylon 06.26.07 at 2:55 pm

    This is a really helpful page. I do tech support, but I’m not very Mac-literate. I’ve used this page a few times. Thanks.

    2 MARLA 11.02.08 at 1:52 pm

    THANKS. I WAS VERY HELPFUL. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MACS! I DREAD THEM, BUT IT WAS EASY, I MUST SAY.

    3 joel 11.05.08 at 8:38 am

    hi, we just got a new laptop and we need help on first connecting with the internet, but, we do not know what to type in the password box because we do not know our password what should we type in thankyou.

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