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How do I force Migration Assistant to use Ethernet

I turn off WiFi on both Macs, but MA turns it back on for both. How can I force an Ethernet transfer?

iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Apr 4, 2023 3:32 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 4, 2023 4:09 PM

Boot both Macs into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and turn of WiFi on each in System/Network/WiFi settings pane and under Details uncheck "Automatically join this network". Move the Ethernet connection to the top of the list in that pane if


Note:  if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode.  This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will assure a successful boot into Safe Mode.


Then start Migration Assistant on the destination Mac and see if it will work.


You could also turn off the router/modem to assure no WiFi;


9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 4, 2023 4:09 PM in response to vonlost

Boot both Macs into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and turn of WiFi on each in System/Network/WiFi settings pane and under Details uncheck "Automatically join this network". Move the Ethernet connection to the top of the list in that pane if


Note:  if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode.  This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will assure a successful boot into Safe Mode.


Then start Migration Assistant on the destination Mac and see if it will work.


You could also turn off the router/modem to assure no WiFi;


Apr 5, 2023 9:13 AM in response to den.thed

Well, after 14 hours of the new Mac “checking” the old Mac via Ethernet I gave up. I’ll load the latest USB Time Machine from the old onto the new.


My story might be amusing. I’m an iOS developer. I updated my iPhone to the lastest iOS. Plugging the iPhone into the “old” iMac I got a message that I needed to update to the latest MacOS, but my dear iMac is Late 2015 and can’t take Ventura. Hence finally a new iMac.

Apr 5, 2023 9:36 AM in response to vonlost

Yeah' Apple needs to update that article and/or move folks with over 100GB away from network migration. While it's not totally useless for those with 40GB to 60GB of data, but it should not even be considered for 200GB and up. Let along other issues like network speed, other traffic and general fussiness. Sadly they would also like you to pay for additional Cloud Storage.


Personally I keep Time Machine backups on an HDD and a CarbonCopyClones on an SSD. I used the SSD Clones for the last three big moves and it took less than an hour to migrate over 250+ GB to the new Mac's.

How do I force Migration Assistant to use Ethernet

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