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rylan175
User level: Level 1 (20 points)

MacBook Air M2 wifi randomly stops working on school wifi network

I have a macbook air M2 and I also need to use it it at school, the school managed network requires you to connect by first connecting, then a username and password screen shows up (Not in a browser), after entering a successful school account you must trust the certificate and then you're online.

However mine seems to randomly stop working while it works for everyone else, here's the troubleshooting steps:

  1. Disabling iCloud private relay
  2. Disabling rotating mac addresses
  3. Forgetting network then restarting
  4. Disabling "Limit IP address tracking'
  5. Attempting to connect from recovery mode
  6. Asking the office for help (They said that it's been finecky)
  7. Asking the IT department (They printed instructions that said to enter your student # and password then accept the certificate or use a school device)
  8. Changing physical locations in the school

9. Sometimes I get an error that the local hostname is already present on the network and when i get that specific error instead of a generic one I can change my hostname and connect, then it works for a bit.

My iPhone works fine on the school network.

My only solution has been to hotspot myself but that's not possible everywhere due to the nature of the building structure (Some areas have no cell coverage)

Posted on Sep 22, 2026 3:04 PM

2 replies

MrHoffman
User level: Level 10 (169,253 points)

Sep 22, 2026 3:22 PM in response to rylan175

TL;DR: this is a network IT discussion.


The authentication referenced is probably 802.1X RADIUS authentication.


The host name collisions imply the network either has hosts with the same host name, or has a network loop.


Issues with signal interference and insufficient density of (lower-powered) access points are also distinctly possible. In high-density environments, denser and lower-powered access points are necessary, and preferably with more 5 GHz and 6 GHz channels available, and little use of 2.4 GHz channels.


But this is a discussion necessarily had with whoever is managing this network. Yeah, they’re busy. They’re still the folks that know this network and the rules and requirements and configuration best.


The network administrator can block iCloud+ Private Relay, if they need that:


If you want to have a look at some of the configuration details of the Wi-Fi network including channel layout and conflicting networks, the app WiFi Explorer is handy.

rylan175 Author
User level: Level 1 (20 points)

Sep 22, 2026 7:13 PM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you for this detailed answer, I will try to get the situation through to IT.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256363009