Unable to connect to WPA2 Enterprise networks and some WPA3 Personal networks at University

A problem has occurred with my new MacBook Pro (14" M2 2023.) Where it is unable to hold a connection to the Student and Eduroam WIFI networks on Campus. It's able to initially connect to the networks but then after 3~ seconds it disconnects. The WIFI settings page says that there is "No IP Address" as it attempts to connect. Its able to find these networks on the WIFI settings page, but remains unable to connect for more than 3 seconds.


Noting the issues where there was WIFI instability caused by the AWDL interface (that were addressed by an update) I've followed online guides steps to turn of that function, restart the computer in safe mode and then connect to the network, however these efforts have not worked.


Our University IT team says its an issue with the M1 and M2 MacBooks and Mac's and that its not a university sided issue, rather an issue on 'apples side.'


Looking for any further suggestions to help fix the issue.

Thanks,

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 13.2

Posted on Feb 21, 2023 03:34 PM

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6 replies

Feb 22, 2023 05:26 PM in response to Reda_22

Hey there Reda_22,


Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities.


To get started, do you experience any issues with connecting to Wi-Fi networks outside of your universities campus? If not, that would mean the Wi-Fi on your MacBook Pro is working as expected.


Additionally, it can be expected behavior for Wi-Fi to not work as expected while in safe mode. This can be found in the following resource under the "Learn more" section: How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support


Some features might not work in safe mode, such as movie playback in DVD Player, video capture, file sharing, Wi-Fi, some accessibility features, some audio devices, and some devices that connect via USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire. Accelerated graphics are disabled, which could cause blinking or distortion onscreen during startup.


For help with troubleshooting and isolating issues with connecting to a Wi-Fi network on your MacBook, check out this link here: If your Mac isn't connecting to the internet over Wi-Fi - Apple Support


Update your Mac
Update the software on your Mac, and make sure that the date and time are set correctly.

Check VPN or other security software
If you installed VPN or other software that monitors or interacts with your network connections, that software could be affecting access to the internet. Learn about network issues related to VPN and other software

Use the built-in diagnostic tools
Wi-Fi Recommendations. Click Wi-Fi  in Control Center or the menu bar and check for a menu item named Wi-Fi Recommendations. If you see it, your Mac has detected an issue and has recommendations. Choose Wi-Fi Recommendations to learn more.*

Wireless Diagnostics. Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard while clicking Wi-Fi  in Control Center or the menu bar, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics from the menu. Learn more about using Wireless Diagnostics to analyze your wireless environment.


Keep us updated on what you find.


Have a great day!

Feb 27, 2023 07:28 PM in response to Reda_22

Do you have this issue at multiple locations on the university's campus?


Do you need to authenticate to their WiFi network?


Does the university require you to provide hardware information about your laptop before it can access their network? Does the university require the use of any anti-virus software or any other software to connect to their network?


Do you have any anti-virus apps, cleaning/optimizer apps, or third party security software installed which may interfere with the normal operation of macOS? These types of apps are not needed on a Mac unless required by a school or employer. These types of apps usually cause more problems than they solve.


Does booting into Safe Mode make any difference? Or using another macOS user account (create a new user, logout of current user, then log into the new user & test)?


If the only WiFi network you have problems with is the university's, then you will need the assistance of the university's networking techs. Sometimes a WiFi access point just needs to be rebooted. There is always a chance the WiFi signal is too weak or there is too much signal noise in the area. The university should try to work with you to figure this out especially if their WiFi network is the only one you are having issues with. I know our organization had issues with some very specific model Chromebooks where we had to configure our WiFi access points a bit differently for them...actually had to create a special SSID for them to use until the issue was resolved by an update to the access points I believe.


FYI, I am not aware of any widespread issues with Apple Silicon Macs and WiFi access points either on these forums or with any of our organizations Apple Silicon Macs. Keep in mind schools & businesses typically have a tightly locked down network especially for guest users bringing their own devices. It would not surprise me if a configuration change is needed, but of course if you are the only Mac user with issues, the university may not be convinced of a problem. Of course macOS 13.x Ventura has introduced some more changes as well, so there is always a possibility that their could be some sort of macOS bug or compatibility issue.

Feb 27, 2023 08:57 PM in response to HWTech

G'day


This issue has occurred all over campus in multiple buildings/rooms e.c.t so it doesn't seem like it's isolated to one router. It's a WPA2 Enterprise secure network so it requires a Username and Password, my other apple devices (iPhone, iPad) connect without issue using these credentials.


I don't have any anti-malware /anti-virus software beyond the firewall MacOS provides. (ive tried with the apple firewall both on and off to see if that makes a difference, as of now it hasn't)


So far the University IT Department has attributed the issue to a issue found by UCLA-

https://systemstatus.ucla.edu/status?id=status_record&service=a8226ec01b1651509ca4a602b24bcb20

however that issue was resolved with Ventura 13.1, but our University IT Department says its still on-going. I will note when I attended the IT Department, a person with the same type of MacBook Pro was seeking help for the same issue.

What's new for enterprise in macOS Ventura - Apple Support

"Resolves an issue in which the network intermittently became unresponsive in dense Wi-Fi environments."


(edit: currently my MacBook is on 13.2, so I would assume the fix continued over)


Ive booted in safe mode and then returned back to the standard mode and so far nothing has changed.


Feb 23, 2023 12:10 AM in response to Chris_V89

G'day, so the MacBook is about a week old and functions normally outside the University Campus. The problem has occurred over multiple days and doesn't seem to be a one-off occurrence.


I'll take a look into the Wireless Diagnostic tool when I'm on Campus next and hopefully that produces some answers! Here is some additional information regarding the other inquiries.


My understanding is that the latest MacOS version is Ventura 13.2.1 (22D68) so I believe that the device is fully up to date.


No VPN Configurations have been added and using the WIFI diagnostic tool has produced no results.


The MacBook is able to connect to my Personal Hotspots while on campus (and is currently my work around to the issue,) but is unable to resolve WPA2 Enterprise networks (ones that require a login in order to use the internet) that the University provides to its students.


Ive provided a video showing that occurs when attempting to connect to the University Network (issue occurs to the 'UC-Student' and 'Eduroam' Networks.)

https://youtu.be/mva5D7549p4


(not shown in the video) While briefly connected to the network the details says "No IP Address" and the coloured indicator is Yellow. (normally this would be a Green indicator saying connected.)


Im also aware that a lot of students with the 2022/3 M2 MacBooks (Air and Pro) are having similar issues and have contacted the Universities IT Department.


Thank you



Feb 27, 2023 05:38 PM in response to Chris_V89

I’ve run the wireless diagnostic, all it recommends is stuff I can’t address such as restarting the router. It mentions that it’s a poor wireless environment with a lot of interference which makes sense as it’s a University full of computers, phones and a lot of wifi emitters for the networks scattered across the campus.


It also obviously created the diagnostic file.


Any further suggestions from here?

Thanks,

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Unable to connect to WPA2 Enterprise networks and some WPA3 Personal networks at University

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