How to Stop Mac From Connecting to the Unwanted Wireless Network – Guide
Living and working in a densely populated area can be great for Wi-Fi access, but it can also lead to problems. Your Mac may try to connect to a distant, weak network when a faster and stronger one is much closer.
You can take charge of your Mac’s network connections with a simple solution.
Why your Mac has the problem in the first place
Connecting to a new wireless network? Be sure to uncheck the “Remember this network” option. Doing so will prevent your Mac from automatically connecting to the network again, which could be dangerous if it’s not secure.
For those who don’t plan to use a wireless network regularly, it’s best not to save the network name and password. Hackers can create a fake network with the same name as the real one, and unsuspecting users may connect to it. As an example, I never remember the details of a café’s Wi-Fi when I’m only there for a short time.
Removing a previously remembered wireless network
Mac users should take care to remove the standard, password-free Linksys router from their wireless connection each time. To do so, open Network Preferences from the wireless icon in the menu bar.
Discover a list of all the wireless networks your Mac has ever connected to by clicking Advanced. To remove one, select it and click the minus symbol at the bottom of the screen. Be aware that this will delete its settings from all synced devices. Select Remove to complete the process.
Connect to your preferred wireless networks
Macs prioritize weaker wireless networks, connecting to them in the order they’re encountered rather than by force. This means that if your Mac detects a weaker network first, it will attempt to connect to it before any stronger ones.
If you need to change the order of your wireless connections, you can do so in the Network pane of System Preferences. Simply drag and drop the networks into the desired order. For example, if you want to connect to a public Wi-Fi network before going to an airport with Gogoinflight, drag Gogoinflight above Ft.Laud-Hlwd_Airport-Public. This is useful as it allows you to still connect from public wireless even if Gogoinflight is turned off. You can keep Gogoinflight at the bottom of your list as it is rarely used.
Final note
If you’re having trouble connecting to the right wireless network on your Mac, this guide can help. Got questions? Reach out to us. And don’t forget to share the love and pass it along to your friends.
