Why won't my iMac connect to Wi-Fi while other Apple devices do?

Was your iMac able to connect to you local network Wi-Fi before and this just started to happen, or has it never been able to successfully connect to your network?

Also, by "connect" are you saying that your Mac cannot connect to your local Wi-Fi network, or that it can, but it cannot access anything on the Internet?

Regardless, here are some simple things to try:

If your Mac cannot connect to the local network

Turn Wi-Fi Off and On

1. Open System Settings > Wi-Fi.
2. Toggle the Wi-Fi switch at the top off, wait 5–10 seconds, and turn it back on.
3. Try reconnecting to your network.

Forget and Rejoin Your Network

1. Go to System Settings > Wi-Fi > click Details next to your connected network.
2. Scroll down and click Forget This Network.
3. Reconnect from the main Wi-Fi menu by selecting the network and entering your password again.

Create a New Network Location

1. Open System Settings > Network.
2. Click the drop-down next to Location at the top and choose Edit Locations.
3. Click the + button to create a new location (call it “Test” or something easy).
4. Select that new location and connect to your Wi-Fi again.

If your Mac can access the local network, BUT cannot access the Internet

Confirm No VPN or Profiles Are Interfering

• In System Settings, check VPN or Profiles to make sure nothing is blocking your Wi-Fi connection.

Check DNS Settings

1. Still in System Settings > Network > click Wi-Fi on the left.
2. Scroll down and click Details, then go to DNS.
3. Click + and manually add: 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1

• • These are public Cloudflare DNS servers and can help avoid DNS resolution issues. By default, your ISP provides you with their servers.

That can be caused by a number of different factors. To start, please update the firmware in both your modem and router (yes, we know other devices are working fine) you will look in their manuals to learn how to update the firmware in the modem and router.

Then after you have updated that firmware restart the Mac in Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

and then restart normally.

Also, if you have ANY of the following types of third party apps installed, they should be all uninstalled per the developers instructions as they are worthless and tend to damage Mac OS and cause Mac OS to appear unstable, buggy, slow and other problems and do NOTHING beneficial in return! In short they are worthless!

• Antivirus
• Cleaning
• Security
• VPN
• Maintenance

Open the back and connect a wifi card, IIRC its A+E. use another airport card. If that dosent work connect over ethernet, and if you are using android, install TetherFi and select RNDIS

If your Mac isn't connecting to the internet over Wi-Fi - Apple Support offers a number of suggestions.

scutoid wrote:

Open the back and connect a wifi card, IIRC its A+E. use another airport card.

Are you advising the OP to open up their M-series iMac to replace the AirPort card inside? If so, the M-series Macs do not use an AirPort card. Instead, both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are incorporated on a single Murata 339S00763 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. It is not a M.2 A+E connector type/slot layout. AFAIK, Apple never used these slots on any of the iMac models.

Sorry, but your post is assuming that the OP is fully knowledgeable on the meanings of the various acronyms that you are using.