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April 9, 20242 min read

macOS Network Reset

The file-deletion trick that fixes stubborn Wi-Fi issues on a Mac when toggling Wi-Fi off and on doesn't help.

#macos#networking

Newer macOS: prefer these first

Try the officially-supported routes before deleting anything:

  • Forget This Network — System Settings → Wi-Fi → click Details… next to the network → Forget This Network.
  • Delete and re-create the Wi-Fi service — System Settings → Network.
  • From the command line:
networksetup -removepreferredwirelessnetwork en0 "<SSID>"

Reset a Mac's network settings

  1. Turn off Wi-Fi.
  2. Open Finder → from the top menu, Go → Go to Folder…
  3. Type /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration.
  4. Delete as many of the following as you find:
    • com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
    • com.apple.network.identification.plist / com.apple.network.eapoclient.configuration.plist
    • com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
    • NetworkInterfaces.plist
    • preferences.plist
  5. Move them to the trash and restart.

What you're actually resetting

Deleting those plists rebuilds the network stack, but the method is community guidance — Apple has never officially recommended it. It resets the network service definitions: BSD device names, service order and locations, and every saved known network. You'll have to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords afterwards, and VPN/proxy configurations can be wiped too — back the plists up first (copy them to a folder before trashing) so you can restore if anything breaks.

Two caveats on newer releases:

  • On Big Sur and later, the known-networks list moved to /Library/Preferences/com.apple.wifi.known-networks.plist.
  • On recent Sonoma builds, com.apple.airport.preferences.plist is reportedly no longer updated.

Reference