If you've followed the steps to connect your Mac to a Wi-Fi network, but the connection to your network or the Internet isn't reliable, the steps in this article might help.
- In Mac OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.4 and later, Apple provides the Wireless Diagnostics tool that's more than just a stumbler: it can help detect and fix Wi-Fi issues as well.
- Ralink Wireless Utility is a self-explanatory Mac OS X driver installed that comes with support for different Ralink models. Consequently, you can use Ralink Wireless Utility to install one of the following models: RT2870, RT2770, RT3X7X, RT537X, and RT5572.
Check for Wi-Fi recommendations
Nov 15, 2016 Question: Q: Finding Network Utility in macOS Sierra The app Network Utility used to be in the Utilities folder, and then was moved to CoreServices in Library. However, it has moved again.
When your Mac tries to connect to a Wi-Fi network, it checks for issues that affect its ability to create a fast, stable, and secure connection. If an issue is detected, the Wi-Fi status menu in the menu bar shows a new item: Wi-Fi Recommendations. Choose it to see recommended solutions.
Wi-Fi recommendations are available in macOS Sierra or later.
Analyze your wireless environment
Your Mac can use Wireless Diagnostics to perform additional analysis.
- Quit any apps that are open, and connect to your Wi-Fi network, if possible.
- Press and hold Option (Alt) ⌥ key, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics from the Wi-Fi status menu .
- Enter your administrator name and password when prompted.
Wireless Diagnostics begins analyzing your wireless environment:
If the issue is intermittent, you can choose to monitor your Wi-Fi connection:
When you're ready to see recommendations, continue to the summary. Wireless Diagnostics asks for optional information about your base station or other router, so that it can include that in the report it saves to your Mac.
Click the info button next to each item in the summary to see details about that item. Wi-Fi best practices are tips that apply to most Wi-Fi networks.
Back up or make note of your network or router settings before changing them based on these recommendations—in case you need to use those settings again.
![Wifi network utility Wifi network utility](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126420951/843407429.png)
Monitor your Wi-Fi connection
Your Mac can monitor your Wi-Fi connection for intermittent issues, such as dropped connections. Follow the steps to analyze your wireless environment, but choose ”Monitor my Wi-Fi connection” when prompted.
During monitoring, a window shows that monitoring is in progress. Monitoring continues as long as this window is open and you're on the same Wi-Fi network, even when your Mac is asleep.
If Wireless Diagnostics finds an issue, it stops monitoring and shows a brief description of the issue. You can then resume monitoring or continue to the summary for details and recommendations.
Create a diagnostics report
Wireless Diagnostics automatically saves a diagnostics report before it displays its summary. You can create the same report at any time: press and hold the Option key, then choose Create Diagnostics Report from the Wi-Fi status menu . It can take your Mac several minutes to create the report.
- macOS Sierra and later saves the report to the /var/tmp folder of your startup drive, then opens that folder for you.
To open the folder manually, choose Go > Go to Folder from the Finder menu bar, then enter /var/tmp. - OS X El Capitan or earlier saves the report to your desktop.
The report is a compressed file with a name that begins “WirelessDiagnostics.” It contains many files that describe your wireless environment in detail. A network specialist can examine them for further analysis.
Use other diagnostics utilities
Wireless Diagnostics includes additional utilities for network specialists. Open them from the Window menu in the Wireless Diagnostics menu bar:
- Info gathers key details about your current network connections.
- Logs enables background logging for Wi-Fi and other system components. The result is saved to a .log file in the diagnostics report location on your Mac. Logging continues even when you quit the app or restart your Mac, so remember to disable logging when you're done.
- Scan finds Wi-Fi routers in your environment and gathers key details about them.
- Performance uses live graphs to show the performance of your Wi-Fi connection:
- Rate shows the transmit rate over time in megabits per second.
- Quality shows the signal-to-noise ratio over time. When the quality is too low, your device disconnects from the Wi-Fi router. Factors that affect quality include the distance between your device and the router, and objects such as walls that impede the signal from your router. Learn more.
- Signal shows both signal (RSSI) and noise measurements over time. You want RSSI to be high and noise to be low, so the bigger the gap between RSSI and noise, the better.
- Sniffer captures traffic on your Wi-Fi connection, which can be useful when diagnosing a reproducible issue. Select a channel and width, then click Start to begin capturing traffic on that channel. When you click Stop, a .wcap file is saved to the diagnostics report location on your Mac.
Learn more
Additional recommendations for best Wi-Fi performance:
- Keep your router up to date. For AirPort Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, or AirPort Express Base Station, check for the latest firmware using AirPort Utility. For non-Apple routers, check the manufacturer's website.
- Set up your router using Apple's recommended settings, and make sure that all Wi–Fi routers on the same network use similar settings. If you're using a dual-band Wi-Fi router, make sure that both bands use the same network name.
- Learn about potential sources of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference.
Learn about other ways to connect to the Internet.
Every MacBook and iMac come with an application called Network Utility, which is convenient for every Apple customer because they don’t have to buy or download this app on their own.
This app is more of a necessary tool than anything else. It can be used for multiple reasons, such as troubleshooting an issue on your device or learning about your device, websites, and internet users.
How to Open Network Utility on Your Mac
The shortcut for opening this app is:
/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications
You can either follow the steps on your Mac that are listed in this shortcut, or you can open Finder, click Go, click Go to Folder, enter the shortcut, click Go, and then click on Network Utility.
How to Open Network Utility with an Old Mac
For those using older Mac versions called OS X Mountain Lion, Lion, and Snow Leopard, follow the shortcut: /Finder/Applications/Utilities.
Tools within Network Utility
Once you finally open the Network Utility app, you will find numerous tools that serve different purposes.
How to Use Info
The first tab in this app is Info, which provides information about networks, interfaces, and transfer statistics.
How to Use Netstat
This is the second tab in the Network Utility app, which means network statistics, which is exactly what it sounds like: it provides information about network connections and statistics on the device.
There are four choices here to click on, each providing different information. They are:
- Display routing table information
- Display comprehensive network statistics for each protocol
- Display multicast information
- Display the state of all current socket connections
Pick one and then click the Netstat button for more information on whichever you chose.
Wireless Network Utility App Mac Download
How to Use Ping
This is the third tab under the Network Utility app. This allows a Mac user to discover the effectiveness of an Internet network. For this tool, it’s necessary to type an IP number or a website address. After that, you have the option of sending an unlimited number of Pings or sending a specific number (whichever number you want or need). Then click Ping.
How to Use Lookup
The fourth tab in the Network Utility app allows a user to verify how well a Mac’s DNS Server operates. A DNS Server is a database of IP addresses and their hostnames. All you have to do here is enter a website address and click Lookup.
How to Use Traceroute
The fifth tab in Network Utility allows you to diagnose connectivity issues on your Mac, because it is a tool for connectivity diagnostics. To do this, enter any website address and click Trace.
How to Use Whois
Wireless Network Utility App Mac Os
The sixth tab in the Network Utility is where a Mac user goes to learn information about the owner of a specific website or domain name and how you can contact this owner. To do this, enter a website address and click Whois.
How to Use Finger
The seventh tab in the Network Utility app is used for discovering information about various website and computer users. Enter a username or a website address to gain this information.
How to Use Port Scan
Mac Wireless Settings
Finally, the last tab in the Network Utility app allows a Mac user to search for available TCP and IP ports. Essentially, these ports are numbers assigned to various users and sessions within an IP network. To learn this information, type in any website address.
Realtek Wireless Network Utility Mac
Whether you’re using your Mac for games, creativity, or business matters, it is essential to check your tool apps such as Network Utility to keep your computer free from viruses, cookies, and more by learning about the websites and users you’re interacting with. Doing this will keep your Mac healthy, fast, and long-lasting for years to come.