How to Fix Slow Wi-Fi Problems in macOS Sierra‎ Update

I have never cover any macOS topics or even Mac in general on this blog. Simply because it’s not my expertise.

It’s true that I use my Macbook Air on a daily basis, but I don’t mess around with it to find new shortcuts, tips, and tricks like I do with my iPhone. Nonetheless, it’s my job to share some personal experience on the new macOS Sierra update.

What did I do?

Just like most people, I signed up to be part of the Apple Beta program. Once you’re in, whenever the company releases a beta firmware to public testers, you’ll get a chance to download a copy of it.

And that’s what I did with my Macbook. I redeemed the macOS Sierra code in the App Store and then decided to get the upgrade.

I have nothing to complaint about the updating process. It’s always been identical to other OS X upgrade.

The problem…

However, after upgrading to macOS Sierra, I ran into a little trouble.

No, not the one you usually sees such as My Mac wouldn’t turn on, missing apps, etc. The issue I had to deal with related to Wi-Fi and internet speed.

It was evident that my Wi-Fi was slower than usual. Even some static pages take forever to load.

How to troubleshoot this problem

After doing some research, I found a solution to the slowness of my Wi-Fi. If this happens to you in macOS Sierra, try the following.

1. Turn off your Wi-Fi completely
2. Create a new folder on your desktop and name it
3. Open your Finder (the smiley face icon on the dock) and press Command + Shift + G. All three keys at the same time
4. This will pull up Go To Folder. From there type in: /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
5. Look for the following files: com.apple.airport.preferences.plist, com.apple.network.identification.plist, com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist, NetworkInterfaces.plist, preferences.plist
6. Copy and paste them to the folder you created in Step 2
7. Then delete those .plist from the SystemConfiguration

One more step before you’re done. Restart your Mac computer. Once it’s rebooted, connect to your Wi-Fi again. My connection went back smoothly. I can feel it’s much faster than before.

If you continue to encounter slow Wi-Fi connection, visit a nearby Apple Store for further assistant.

Update #1: The major update for macOS Sierra is now available to everyone. If you continue to see this problem, follow the instructions above.

How to Disable Automatic Download in macOS Sierra

Did you know that Apple will automatically download and install macOS Sierra on your Mac computer? Well, now you know, and it will be executed starting today (Oct. 3).

Luckily, users are allowed to turn this feature off.

Here are a few reasons why:

• Background downloading can effect overall internet speed
• It’s at least a few GBs in storage space

To disable macOS Sierra automatic download, go to System Preferences > App Store. Uncheck the option for “Download newly available updates in the background.” From now on, if you want to check for new updates or get the update just go to the App Store and perform it manually.