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In the method of troubleshooting intermittent Wi-Fi connections on an remoted community utilizing an Apple Silicon M1-powered MacGuide Pro, I got here throughout wi-fi community configuration and settings suggestions Apple maintains to help iPhone, iPad and Mac customers in implementing and sustaining dependable, sturdy Wi-Fi networks.
Here are 10 ideas collected from steering Apple maintains recommending settings customers apply to their Wi-Fi routers, base stations and entry factors.
Apple’s 10 ideas to enhance your Wi-Fi
1. Set safety to WPA3 Personal
The Wi-Fi Alliance started certifying merchandise for WPA3 use again in 2018, so it’s time to improve if you happen to’re nonetheless working the older WPA2 normal, if you happen to can. The most present wi-fi encryption protocol, WPA3 Personal affords a safer connection however might show incompatible with some older gear that may solely work with the older WPA2 protocol.
Check to verify your smartphones, tablets and laptops are suitable with Wi-Fi 6, also referred to as 802.11ax, then allow the improve in your Wi-Fi router and entry factors to enhance the safety of your wi-fi community.
If it’s essential to proceed utilizing WPA2 for compatibility with older units which you can’t at present substitute or improve, verify to see in case your Wi-Fi router can run WPA2/WPA3 Transitional — generally referred to as WPA3 Transitional or WPA3 Transition Mode — a combined radio mode that assists connecting legacy gear whereas not less than allowing newer units to profit from the newer, safer know-how.
2. Avoid disabling safety settings
Apple warns in opposition to accepting safety settings — reminiscent of None, Open or Unsecured — that disable Wi-Fi safety and encryption. Further, Apple confirms WPA/WPA2 combined modes and WPA Personal, amongst different Wi-Fi safety protocols, are now not safe applied sciences and ought to be changed with newer, safer alternate options, as described above.

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3. Assign the identical SSID for every band
Different wi-fi applied sciences broadcast utilizing totally different bands. For instance, the two.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz frequencies are the generally used bands.
Apple recommends assigning the identical community title, or SSID, for every band, versus creating totally different community names for every band. The firm warns failure to observe this conference may lead to units proving unable to reliably hook up with all out there bands, thereby doubtlessly impeding and slowing wi-fi efficiency.
4. Do not allow hidden networks
Even when a Wi-Fi router or entry level is about to cover its community title, the SSID stays simply discoverable and doesn’t successfully stop detection or really discourage unauthorized entry. In reality, hidden networks are sometimes extra intriguing to hackers as they doubtlessly point out one thing of worth exists on that community.
You may also obtain privateness warnings on account of connecting to a hidden community, so Apple recommends setting Hidden Network values to disabled and utilizing WPA3 Personal, as a substitute, to help securing Wi-Fi connectivity.
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5. Disable MAC filtering
Apple discourages allowing units to attach solely by accepting particular media entry management addresses which can be distinctive to every machine.
There are a number of causes, together with the very fact authorizing solely recognized MAC addresses doesn’t stop others from detecting, monitoring or attacking visitors on the community and the very fact MAC addresses are simply impersonated by malicious customers. The firm once more recommends utilizing correct safety settings — WPA3 Personal, if doable — as a substitute.
6. Enable automated updates
As an IT guide, there have been beforehand events wherein I or my consulting agency needed to manage when varied community elements and computer systems downloaded and put in new safety updates and efficiency patches. Those days are over.
Now, putting in firmware and software program updates as quickly as they turn out to be out there is the perfect recommendation, and that’s precisely what Apple recommends customers do: Configure their Wi-Fi routers and entry factors to mechanically course of updates. The step is a finest observe that ensures Wi-Fi gear operates utilizing essentially the most present software program and allows extra dependable and safe wi-fi networking.
7. Set Channel to Auto
Don’t attempt to outsmart your Wi-Fi router. Neighbors — each residences and companies — regularly come and go and alter their very own gear and configurations. Don’t attempt to keep a step forward of surrounding networks by manually deciding on the channels your Wi-Fi gear makes use of to broadcast its communications.
Trust Wi-Fi routers and entry factors to do a greater job and place the setting on Auto. Wi-Fi routers are more and more utilizing synthetic intelligence to enhance efficiency, and that is yet one more instance of how technological advances are higher positioning gear to clever changes reasonably than wait so that you can catch a problem and replace settings correspondingly.
8. Set DHCP to Enabled
Unless there’s a server in your native space community that’s managing community addressing obligations — the method by which units ship a request for and subsequently obtain important community tackle, Domain Name Service and default gateway data — let the Wi-Fi router carry out that job.
Don’t strive setting guide IP addresses or allowing a number of units to function Dynamic Host Control Protocol community addressing authorities. Such efforts is not going to finish effectively, as you’re more likely to encounter conflicts and an lack of ability to make use of your machine correctly when connecting to different networks. There ought to solely be a single DHCP server in your community, and typically, the perform ought to be fulfilled by your Wi-Fi router.
9. Enable Location Services
Apple recommends confirming Location Services is enabled for Wi-Fi networking as a result of the characteristic helps units reliably join, together with in several areas the place totally different Wi-Fi channels and sign strengths are normal. Location Services additionally assists options, reminiscent of AirPlay, that use Wi-Fi for a part of their operation to carry out effectively.
While the method varies on totally different units, on macOS Ventura, you possibly can verify the setting by opening System Settings, clicking Privacy & Security, clicking Location Services, clicking the System Services Details button and guaranteeing the Networking and Wireless radio button is about to on, as proven in Figure A.
Figure A
Enabling Location Services on Apple gear can help enhancing Wi-Fi connectivity and wi-fi networking efficiency.
When utilizing an iPhone and iOS 16, you possibly can verify Location Services are enabled for wi-fi networking by opening Settings, tapping Privacy & Security, urgent Location Services, scrolling to the underside and tapping System Services and guaranteeing Networking & Wireless is about to on, as proven in Figure B.
Figure B
Users may allow Location Services on an iPhone to boost wi-fi communications reliability.
10. Set Wi-Fi Multimedia to Enabled
Wi-Fi multimedia assists prioritizing community communications. The know-how helps preserve video and voice high quality, for instance, by prioritizing these communications on a wi-fi community. Any Wi-Fi router supporting Wi-Fi 4 and later ought to allow enabling the characteristic, which Apple notes ought to be used to boost wi-fi efficiency and reliability.
But wait, there’s extra
Wi-Fi connections are literally extremely advanced communications that, for essentially the most half, we’ve come to take without any consideration. The know-how is ever evolving and, fortunately, enhancing. As a outcome, count on new requirements and options to show the rule, reasonably than the exception. As such, Apple maintains these suggestions which, although topic to vary, aren’t exhaustive.
Other steering the corporate gives simply inside its Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and entry factors article embody enabling all radio mode settings and bands, configuring particular channel widths (20MHz for the two.4GHz band and Auto for the 5GHz and 6GHz bands) and configuring DHCP lease instances to eight hours, amongst others. You may want to verify the web page a pair instances a 12 months, although, as suggestions may change as new requirements and finest practices come up.