No Wifi, before and after upgrade

I have a 1-1/2 year old Mac, AIO, which worked fine on my old WiFi setup. It has been a year since I moved and my Mac and Mac Pro both have been out of service since then.
I fired up the Mac and everything works but the wifi connection. It sees all the local wifi in my apt building and I can connect to them and the password option pops up, but not on my Mac and MacPro. I can click on my wifi and it sits there and spins, then it want to run diagnostics then has no mention of a good fix. Only the Mac and the MacPro are giving me the problem, two ipads and two iphones work no problem. I am using the Spectrum router. I have not hooked it up direct yet. So others in my building are using the same router, and I can connect to theirs. But I cannot connect to mine. So it is my network and only these two mac's
I did install Mohave last night using the ipad hot spot through WiFi, but after the install, nothing has changed.

TK

Welcome to our forums.

We're trying to understand your setup? Is your apartment building equipped with free WiFi or do you have a separate connection that you're paying for? The reason we ask is because you mentioned that you have a Spectrum router and others in your building are using the same router, or do you mean that they have separate routers?. Spectrum setup usually consists of a modem and router but sometimes they can be encased in the same unit.

Why don't you try to connect your Macs via ethernet direct to the Spectrum router to see if that works?

Also... you may have to clear out all old connection information and network options on your Macs before trying to access the new WiFi from your Spectrum router. Since you haven't used those machines for a long time, all the old options and connections are likely still in memory. You will have to set them up as new connections. You probably need to access the internal menu of the Spectrum router to assign a SSID and password. Check your Spectrum manual or give them a call to learn how to access the internal menus on the router-modem. The router-modem will have a userid and password assigned to it. Normally the userid is "Admin" and the password is the same. But you need to check with Spectrum to make sure.

chscag said:

Welcome to our forums.


Also... you may have to clear out all old connection information and network options on your Macs before trying to access the new WiFi from your Spectrum router. Since you haven't used those machines for a long time, all the old options and connections are likely still in memory.

Click to expand...

As a followup, I did clear out old wifi beforehand, I have not hooked up direct and this is a new network and my windows based and "I" based computer/devices work fine, the Mac and Mac Pro do not.
This afternoon, I defaulted the router to new. I had no problem with the windows and I units, but the mac and MacPro still do not connect.
On the Mac, the airport icon is faded, but it can still see all the networks in my building, and each tenant has their own router, when I click on my network WiFi, it searches for it and then goes back to diagnostic testing.

Maybe start with the resets?

NVRAM, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063.
SMC, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295.

when I click on my network WiFi, it searches for it and then goes back to diagnostic testing.

Click to expand...

I don't know if it's the same thing, or if Mohave still uses Wireless Diagnostics.app, but I would give it a try if it's still there. Just hold down the option key then click the airport Wi-Fi Icon in the menu to access it. Then just follow directions.

It may come up with something.





- Patrick
======

thanks will try these sometime this weekend

part 2 followup..
tried the above items, no changes.
I connected with Ethernet cable and it works just fine.
So only on my network, Spectrum Arris wifi model, iphone and ipads have no problems nor does windows computers.
I can connect to other wifi access points.

tkenny53 said:

part 2 followup..
tried the above items, no changes.
I connected with Ethernet cable and it works just fine.
So only on my network, Spectrum Arris wifi model, iphone and ipads have no problems nor does windows computers.
I can connect to other wifi access points.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but after reading this over several times, I really don't know or understand if you still have your original problem or not.
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding something quite simple.

From post #1:

I fired up the Mac and everything works but the wifi connection.

Click to expand...

I'm guessing that your Mac (model unknown) still cannot connect to your Spectrum Arris vis Wi-Fi???

From your last post:

I can connect to other wifi access points.

Click to expand...

What did the Wireless Diagnostics.app have to report??

I'd say some more info is needed.







- Patrick
======

tkenny53 said:

part 2 followup..
tried the above items, no changes.
I connected with Ethernet cable and it works just fine.
So only on my network, Spectrum Arris wifi model, iphone and ipads have no problems nor does windows computers.
I can connect to other wifi access points.

Click to expand...

This tells me that your Spectrum Arris router-modem is not recognizing the Macs for WiFi. Since ethernet works, it has to be some setting that your Macs are using that is keeping you from connecting WiFi to the Arris. If other WiFi access points can be reached and connected to by your Macs, you've pretty much narrowed the problem down. Now, like a good detective you need to find the culprit.

One thing.... Make sure both of your Macs are using WPA-2 and not WEP for WiFi encryption. There is no way that the Arris will recognize or use WEP. You can test the Arris by going into its internal firmware menu and turn off all encryption to see if your Macs will then connect. Of course, do not do any computing with no encryption.

Considering, as you say:

It has been a year since I moved and my Mac and Mac Pro both have been out of service since then.

Click to expand...

Are you sure that your Spectrum Arris router-modem is compatible as I understand that system needs according to their site:
Authorized Devices on the Spectrum Network
https://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/compliant-modems-charter-network/

It may only be 1/2 working.





- Patrick
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Just for troubleshooting purposes, can you use your phone as a hotspot and test if your Mac's can connect to the hotspot ?

Are you sure that your Spectrum Arris router-modem is compatible as I understand that system needs according to their site:

Click to expand...

The Arris modem-router should be compatible as it works with his iPads and iPhones. So I do not think that's the problem. Also, Spectrum is talking about supplying your own modem. (Some older modems are not able to keep up with faster speeds.)

He should access the Spectrum Arris internal menu/firmware and turn off all encryption to see if it then works. The iPads and iPhones will automatically use WPA-2 encryption. But, I have no idea what his Macs are setup to use. If the Macs are trying to use WEP, they will not connect.

The Arris modem-router should be compatible as it works with his iPads and iPhones.

Click to expand...

Quite correct Charlie, and I guess I was just charging at some windmills.

I guess at this point if it were me, I'd be checking to see if the Mac's actual AirPort Wi-Fi is actually even On and working or if it would
even work locally using wi-fi over the sharing pref pane with any of the other wi-fi devices. But I would have thought that the Wireless Diagnostics.app would have confirmed that everything was working or not.





- Patrick
======