Network Utility Deprecated in macOS Big Sur

[MacRumors]

Apple has deprecated its long-standing Network Utility app in macOS Big Sur, with the app no longer functioning in the first developer beta.

Network Utility provided information and troubleshooting tools to help users check their network connection, view routing tables, trace network traffic paths, check for open TCP ports, and more. Since the release of macOS Mojave, the app had been rather hidden under System > Library > CoreServices > Applications.

Network Utility's functionality can still be replicated with Terminal commands, and for Wi-Fi issues, Apple says to use the Wireless Diagnostics app.

Article Link: Network Utility Deprecated in macOS Big Sur

 

[ThinkDifferentPodcast]

Really doesn’t make any sense to remove this feature!

 

[eharley]

Why not open source these things to GitHub (or whatever) and allow the community to sustain the features in their own apps.

 

[lunarworks]

I didn't even know it exists. I've mostly used terminal for stuff like that.

 

[FaustsHausUK]

`curl` and `ping` are your friends! I had totally forgotten this utility existed to be fair.

 

[typecase]

Really doesn’t make any sense to remove this feature!

Yeah. I don't know why they would stop this. It was so useful.

 

[phalseHUD]

Disappointing. Always found this handy to help diagnose network issues...

I still find the former Disk Utility much better than the current version too.

Perhaps I’m just an old fart now.

 

[Picard J.L.]

Used it probably 4 times in last 16 years.

 

[VictorTango777]

Probably because most people didn't even know it existed. In older versions of MacOS, Network Utility was located in the Utilities folder. Then it was eventually buried somewhere in system folders that were not easy to manually browse to. Since it was no longer in the Utilities folder, people might have assumed it was no longer available.

The best solution was to add "Open Network Utility" and "Wireless Diagnostics" buttons in the network preferences. If you need to use these tools, chances are that:
1. You already have network preferences open
2. You are already frustrated and don't want to spend additional time hunting around for these applications.

I also wish Apple would make the IPv6 link local address visible in the network preferences where it displays your IPv6 address, instead of having to dig around in terminal. Just because someone may work with technical networking stuff on the job doesn't mean they want to deal with it at home, off the job. There really seems to be 2 factions inside Apple: One faction that wants to keep dumbing down MacOS to make it resemble iOS. And another faction consisting of Linuxheads who think that everyone should do everything in the command line. Leaving the rest of Mac users caught in the middle.

 

[jlocker]

It was handy back in the old days when network were still new. I used this tool the first time when I was in Cisco PIX Firewall training, 17 years ago when I had my MacBook in class. It was a quicker way of doing the command line commands.

 

[profcutter]

This is a frustrating omission. I used it extensively while troubleshooting my home networks. I hope they come up with a replacement.

 

[apparatchik]

I use it almost daily when switching from WiFi to Ethernet to ensure the link runs at 1GBps, I use the Geforce Now cloud gaming service to play AAA titles on my MBA, and the usb c -> ethernet adapter sometimes fall to 100 Mbps, In this cases I disconnect and reconnect the ethernet cable and check on this utility the link is negotiated at 1Gbps, so I can reduce latency to a minimum. Now I’ll have to type and remember a terminal command for basic information that should be available in the GUI.

 

[eatrains]

Why not open source these things to GitHub (or whatever) and allow the community to sustain the features in their own apps.

There's nothing to open source. It's just a visual wrapper around Terminal commands, which are still available.

 

[JimmyBanks6]

Useless tool that never works for me, and regularly get's stuck trying to send info to Apple.

Slightly bizarre they are suggesting the use of Terminal, for many of us on here that isn't a challenge, but I would think the majority of mac users have never used a command line before.

The Windows equivalent of which it's name I can no longer remember, always worked better for me, but in that case I think it was because the driver crashed on my old laptop and needed restarting, ymmv.

 

[apparatchik]

Can anyone care to share the terminal command to get the link speed for a specific interface without seeing a full page of all sorts of details for the virtual and physical adapters (around 5) that ifconfig outputs?
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This utility might have been buried in the FS but was always a cmd+space away with spotlight.

 

[munpip214]

Wait, I thought all apps would just work in Big Sur, even on Apple silicon...

 

[laz232]

Really doesn’t make any sense to remove this feature!

I'm guessing the original programmers are long gone, the code probably still uses calls to NextStep classes, the the API calls are obsolete...

 

[justperry]

Apple "There's an App for that" Me..

 

[Zen_Arcade]

I think this is just part of the ongoing dumbing down of macOS . . .

 

[jwdsail]

Disappointing .. the GUI tool/Utility is easier to walk family/customers through over the phone to be sure.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I didn't even know it exists. I've mostly used terminal for stuff like that.

Me neither. It's not in El Cap, OSX 11. *shrug* (I found it!)
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I think this is just part of the ongoing dumbing down of macOS . . .

This isn't this on the iPhones or iPads. Maybe you're right. Sad...

 

[Picard J.L.]

I think this is just part of the ongoing dumbing down of macOS . . .

When they remove command line then it will be, but now it’s just cleaning up.

 

[zorinlynx]

Even though this application isn't too useful and you can do everything better from the command line, it's still a little sad because this was something that's been around since the NeXTStep days.

Another little piece of MacOS/NeXTStep history bites the dust.

 

[UltimateSyn]

This was extremely helpful to quickly assess where the hangup in my network connection was. Wish they would bring it back.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Can anyone care to share the terminal command to get the link speed for a specific interface without seeing a full page of all sorts of details for the virtual and physical adapters (around 5) that ifconfig outputs?
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This utility might have been buried in the FS but was always a cmd+space away with spotlight.

If you know what your interface is, this works: 'ifconfig en0 | grep media' but only if your interface is en0. For en1, obviously, use 'ifconfig en1 | grep media', etc...