How to Set Up and Start Using WiFi on Your Mac

If you’re using an Apple product for the first time, feeling perplexed should come as no surprise to you. Androids and ios devices have very different interfaces, and Macbooks top the list of confusing UIs. When you switch from laptops to mac, the transition is drastic and takes a while to get used to.

WiFi is the need of the hour for any working professional. The first thing anyone does on a new device is to set the WiFi up. Apps, texts, and calls in these times are dormant without WiFi, and thus you must know how to set up WiFi on your mac.

Setting Up The WiFi

To normally set the WiFi up, you just need to follow four simple steps.

1. Go to the Apple menu on your Macbook, and you will see the WiFi button.
2. If you can’t find it, go to the Apple Menu and click on System Preferences. There you will see the Network option, which will navigate to the WiFi networks.
   (To avoid doing this every time you connect, select WiFi on the sidebar and choose the “Show WiFi status in menu bar” option
3. You will find a list of available WiFi networks you can connect to. If your network is hidden, go to the “Join Other Networks” option.
4. Once you click on your network, it will ask for authentication and a password. Enter the details, and voila, you are done.

Connecting To A Network Using An External Modem

If you are connecting to the internet using the Macbook’s external modem, it might look complicated at first. However, it can be set up within 5 minutes by following the instructions below.

1. Select the System Preferences option and click on Network.
2. Now choose the network you want to connect to using from the sidebar on the left.
3. The next step depends on the type of ISP connection you’re using:
   a. For PPP, click on the Configure IPv4 pop-up and select Using PPP
   b. For AOL, click on the Configure IPv4 pop-up and select AOL Dialup.
   c. For a manual connection, click on the Configure IPv4 pop-up and select Manually.
4. Now enter the DNS Server or Search Domain address provided by your ISP.
5. Go ahead to fill in your account details, password, etc.
6. Exit System Preferences and save your settings.

Setting Up An Ethernet Connection

With an Ethernet connection, you can forget wifi network as it can directly connect your mac to Ethernet. Setting up an Ethernet connection is quite similar to setting up a connection using an external modem.

1. Select System preferences from the Apple menu and go to Network
2. There you will see a list of options on the left side. Select Ethernet
3. According to your ISP connection, fill in the settings on the right side. Your connection will either be DHCP or manual. If it’s manual, you will have to enter the IP address, router, and Subnet Mask details.
4. For a PPPoE connection, identify your service name and enter the password.
5. Exit and save changes. That’s it!

Using Your Macbook Internet as WiFi

Desperate times require desperate measures. If ever you don’t have access to the internet on other devices or need to help a friend in need, your mac will surely come in handy. Keep in mind you can only share the network with devices that run OS X Lion (or updated versions).

1. Click on the Apple Menu bar and go to System Preferences.
2. Select “Sharing” and proceed to “Internet Sharing”
3. On the right, you will see a “To computers using” drop-down menu. Choose the WiFi option.
4. A pop-up will appear, asking you to confirm Internet Sharing, which once you Start will start sharing the computer’s internet connection.

In Conclusion

Setting up a WiFi connection is a cakewalk on macs once you get it right. If you are ever in a fix and forget the intricate step details, just remember it’s all in the System Preferences option under the Apple Menu. Operating ios is not as difficult as it seems, so don’t get intimidated by it. Follow a few simple steps as given above, and you are good to go.