How to Connect Your Mac to a Wireless Network

August 4, 2020 / By

Much like everything else about macOS, connecting to a wireless network is painfully easy. But if you’re not familiar w/ macOS yet or need to walk someone else through it, the following steps will help you connect a Mac to a wireless network.

  1. When connecting your Mac to a wireless network, one of the first things you’ll want to do is make sure that the Wi-Fi icon is enabled in your Menu bar. If it’s already there, please skip down to Step #4

    2. the macOS menu bar with an arrow pointed at the wi-fi icon

  2. Select the Apple Button (very upper left corner of your screen) from the Menu Bar and choose System Preferences… from the drop-down list. From there, select Network.

    3. the macOS System Preferences with an arrow pointing at the Network icon

  3. Select Wi-Fi from the list of choices in the column on the left side of the window, and then place a check in the box labelled Show Wi-Fi status in menu bar

    4. the Network section of the System Preferences in macOS

  4. Click the Wi-Fi icon in your menu bar, and you should be presented with a list of visible wireless networks. Select the network you want to join.

    5. a list of Wireless Networks in macOS

  5. If the network requires a password, you’ll be prompted to enter it now. If you wish to save the password so you don’t have to type it each time you want to connect to this specific wireless network, place a check in the box labelled Remember this network. This will also set your Mac to automatically connect to this network if it’s in range.

    If a password isn’t required, you’ll automatically connect to the network as soon as you select it from the list.

    6. enter password to connect a mac to a wireless network

  6. When you’re connected, the WiFi icon will change from a a blank ‘radar’ to one with lines inside of it. The number of lines indicates the signal strength (more lines = stronger signal). That’s it!

    7. a mac connected to a wireless network

If this guide helped you, be sure to check out the Mac section of our site for more useful macOS content! :)

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10 thoughts on “How to Connect Your Mac to a Wireless Network”

  8. Anonymous

    Thanks for the article, I needed a step-by-step tutorial to e-mail to our CEO to show him how to connect to a wireless network (he is VERY computer illiterate). Your article and included screenshots were very helpful.

  9. MARLA

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

  10. Haylon

    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.

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