Skip to main content

Fix Wired issues on a Mac

Updated

If you're using an Ethernet cable to connect your Mac and the internet isn't working, follow the steps below to troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Step 1 - Check the physical connection

  • Ensure the Ethernet cable is securely connected to both your Mac and the wall port

  • If your Mac doesn’t have a built-in Ethernet port, ensure your USB-C or Thunderbolt adapter is properly connected

  • Try a different Ethernet cable or adapter if possible

  • Test another Ethernet port in the room

Step 2 - Restart your Mac

  • Save your work

  • Click the Apple menu  and choose Restart

  • After rebooting, test your connection again

Step 3 - Disable VPN

  • Temporarily turn off any VPNs

  • These can block ASK4 registration or redirect pages

Step 4 - Check your network preferences

  • Go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)

  • Select Network

  • Choose Ethernet from the list on the left

  • If Ethernet isn’t listed, click +, choose Ethernet, and add it

  • Ensure the status says Connected

  • Click Details or Advanced, go to the TCP/IP tab

  • Set Configure IPv4 to Using DHCP

  • Click OK and Apply

Step 5 - Make sure your device is registered

Sometimes a device won’t register automatically. Here’s how to do it yourself:

  • Log in to https://signup.ask4.com 

  • Choose Manage My Devices and click on Add New Device

  • Enter your device’s Device Name and MAC address

  • Click Add New Device

Step 6 - Test another device

To rule out the Mac as the issue, try connecting another device (like a laptop or console) using the same cable and port.

Step 7 – Advanced Mac Diagnostics

If you’re comfortable using Terminal, these commands can help identify where the problem lies:

Check your IP address 
ifconfig en0 | grep inet

Look for a valid IP address (e.g. 10.x.x.x, 100.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x).
If you only see 169.254.x.x, your Mac isn’t getting an IP from our network (likely a DHCP issue).

Renew your IP address 
sudo ipconfig set en0 DHCP

Enter your Mac password when prompted, then re-check with ifconfig en0 | grep inet to confirm you now have a valid IP.

Test connectivity to your gateway 
ping -c 5 10.0.0.1

Replace 10.0.0.1 with the Router IP shown in Network preferences.
You should see replies with low ms times. If you get Request timeout, your Mac can’t reach the local network.

Test external connectivity 
ping -c 5 8.8.8.8

If this works but websites don’t load, it’s likely a DNS issue.

Test DNS resolution 
nslookup ask4.com

This should return an IP address. If it fails, your Mac isn’t resolving domain names properly.

Flush DNS cache 
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

This clears macOS's DNS cache. Try loading websites again afterwards.

Run a traceroute 
traceroute ask4.com

Shows the network path your Mac takes to reach ASK4. Useful if connection is slow or dropping.

Check network quality (macOS Monterey+) 
networkQuality

Runs Apple’s built-in speed and responsiveness test. Copy the results if you contact Support.

Still having issues?

If none of the above resolves the issue:

  • Contact Support

  • Include your device type, what you’ve already tried, and any error messages you’ve seen

Related articles