Sonoma Wireless solutions that do not require OCLP

[deeveedee]

This thread is for people who have older Macs for which Sonoma (and thus Wi-Fi) support was dropped by Apple. This thread is relevant to those who want to run Sonoma on their unsupported Mac without root-patching the macOS Wi-Fi framework.

The purpose of this thread is to allow contributors to suggest and nominate proven/tested, Sonoma-compatible Wi-Fi solutions that replace the factory-installed Mac Wi-Fi and that do not require any root patches (e.g., solutions that do not require Open Core Legacy Patcher - OCLP) or other macOS root patches. Posts with proven/tested Sonoma-compatible Wi-Fi solutions should include device manufacturer, model number, additional software (if necessary) and suggested sources (for purchase). Also comment on the approximate cost of the solution (if known).

Nominated solutions can be any Sonoma-compatible Wi-Fi that replaces the Mac's factory-installed Wi-Fi and does not require root patches. A Wi-Fi solution that connects to a Mac's USB port or one that connects to a Mac's Ethernet port (if the Mac has one) are perfectly acceptable. As long as the proposed Wi-Fi solution is compatible with Sonoma, there are no chipset restrictions (e.g., Intel chipset is acceptable if the solution works with Sonoma).

A Sonoma-compatible Wi-Fi alternative that is portable is desirable, with a cost less than buying a new Mac.

If you are aware of any limitations of your proposed solution (e.g., no Airdrop), please include in your post.

*** At the time of this post, users who do not need macOS Sonoma may choose to stay with Monterey or Ventura where OCLP Wi-Fi root patches are not required. Monterey and Ventura are still supported by Apple and are still receiving updates from Apple. ***

 

[deeveedee]

This is the obvious solution, so I'll post it first. While probably not the least-cost solution, purchase a new Mac with Sonoma-compatible Wi-Fi that is fully supported by macOS Sonoma.

EDIT: another obvious solution that is worth mentioning
At the time of this post, users who do not need macOS Sonoma may choose to stay with Monterey or Ventura where OCLP Wi-Fi root patches are not required. Monterey and Ventura are still supported by Apple and are still receiving updates from Apple.

 

[deeveedee]

There are multiple "Ethernet over Power" solutions available like TP-Link Powerline available from multiple sellers. These solutions plug into an existing electrical power outlet and extend a home or office Ethernet over power lines. I have a TP-Link Powerline plugged into an outlet near my router with CAT-5 from the Powerline adapter to my router. I have another TP-Link Powerline plugged into an electrical outlet near my Mac. With CAT-5 from my Mac to the nearby Powerlilne adapter, I have a "wired Ethernet" connection to my router.

My Powerline adapter is old, so I "only" get 200Mbps, but that's plenty for most of my applications. There are newer gigabit-rated Ethernet-Over-Power solutions.

EDIT: Conveniently, many Ethernet-Over-Power adapters have "power pass-through" so that you can plug them into an outlet without losing the outlet. For example, I have my Powerline adapter plugged into the outlet and my laptop is plugged into the Powerline adapter's "pass through power." I don't lose any power outlets with the solution.

 

[deeveedee]

** This Wi-Fi solution does not provide native support for AirDrop, AirPlay and other features that require natively working Wi-Fi. It provides a Mac with a Wi-Fi wireless data connection. **

I found an old D-Link DWL-G730AP portable Wi-Fi AP/Router. It is able to operate in Client Mode (its default mode) in addition to being able to operate as a portable AP. I am currently using this D-Link adapter to connect to MacRumors to type this in macOS Sonoma and it does not require any root patches.

The D-Link adapter connects to my laptop's Ethernet port via CAT-5. The D-Link adapter is powered by a cable that connects the D-Link adapter to my laptop's USB port. After a brief power-up, the D-Link adapter is configured via a browser-based wizard. Since the DWL-G730AP is 2.4GHz only, I am connected to an 802.11G Wi-Fi network. There are similar adapters that are dual-band Wi-Fi.

This solution requires a Mac with an Ethernet port and no drivers.

Complete configuration details for this D-Link DWL-G730AP are as follows:

• Connect power and CAT-5 cables between laptop and D-Link adapter
• Reset the D-Link adapter by pressing and holding the reset button. Resetting the D-Link adapter places it in Wi-Fi Client mode (able to connect to a Wi-Fi AP).
• Set Mac's Ethernet IP to static with IP address in the D-Link adapter's subnet
• Browse to the D-Link adapter's browser-based wizard, scan for available Wi-Fi SSID, specify security (e.g., WPA2-PSK) and passphrase. Connect Wi-Fi.
• Change Mac Ethernet port to DHCP and allow the Mac's Ethernet port to acquire an IP Lease

With only an Ethernet port, no extra drivers/software and no root patches, my Mac running macOS Sonoma is connected to Wi-Fi.

EDIT: This very old D-Link DWL-G730AP was having LAN link issues with my Mac. I found that the autonegotiate wasn't reliable. Manually configuring my Mac's Ethernet port to a link speed of 10BaseT/Full-Duplex resolved this.

 

[Rorg]

I found an old D-Link DWL-G730AP portable Wi-Fi AP/Router. It is able to operate in Client Mode (its default mode) in addition to being able to operate as a portable AP. I am currently using this D-Link adapter to connect to MacRumors to type this in macOS Sonoma and it does not require any root patches.

The D-Link adapter connects to my laptop's Ethernet port via CAT-5. The D-Link adapter is powered by a cable that connects the D-Link adapter to my laptop's USB port. After a brief power-up, the D-Link adapter is configured via a browser-based wizard. Since the DWL-G730AP is 2.4GHz only, I am connected to an 802.11G Wi-Fi network. There are similar adapters that are dual-band Wi-Fi.

This solution requires a Mac with an Ethernet port and no drivers.

Complete configuration details for this D-Link DWL-G730AP are as follows:

• Connect power and CAT-5 cables between laptop and D-Link adapter
• Reset the D-Link adapter by pressing and holding the reset button. Resetting the D-Link adapter places it in Wi-Fi Client mode (able to connect to a Wi-Fi AP).
• Set Mac's Ethernet IP to static with IP address in the D-Link adapter's subnet
• Browse to the D-Link adapter's browser-based wizard, scan for available Wi-Fi SSID, specify security (e.g., WPA2-PSK) and passphrase. Connect Wi-Fi.
• Change Mac Ethernet port to DHCP and allow the Mac's Ethernet port to acquire an IP Lease

With only an Ethernet port, no extra drivers/software and no root patches, my Mac running macOS Sonoma is connected to Wi-Fi.

EDIT: This very old D-Link DWL-G730AP was having LAN link issues with my Mac. I found that the autonegotiate wasn't reliable. Manually configuring my Mac's Ethernet port to a link speed of 10BaseT/Full-Duplex resolved this.

But, in this case, you have lost AirDrop, AirPlay, and other 'features' that require a working WiFi, haven't you? (To be honest, I don't know if they will work with a USB WiFi dongle.)

 

[deeveedee]

But, in this case, you have lost AirDrop, AirPlay, and other 'features' that require a working WiFi, haven't you? (To be honest, I don't know if they will work with a USB WiFi dongle.)

You are correct that this ethernet-connected wi-fi is limited to what is available for a wired Ethernet connection. My Mac 'sees' this D-Link adapter as wired Ethernet and not Wi-Fi.

 

[deeveedee]

At the time of this post, users who do not need macOS Sonoma may choose to stay with Monterey or Ventura where OCLP Wi-Fi root patches are not required. Monterey and Ventura are still supported by Apple and are still receiving updates from Apple.

 

[visusest]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only wifi chipsets with support in Sonoma are Apple designed surface mount modules. No drop in m.2/PCI-e card exists.

The 2018 Macbook Air is on the support list for Sonoma and its Murata 339S00446 surface mount wifi module is available from suppliers in China. More importantly, the schematic and boardview are available with some searching (820-01521). It may be possible to design an m.2 or mini PCI-e card to house the wifi/bt module along with the supporting ROM IC's, a header with USB 2.0 and u.FL antenna connectors. I'm considering designing and fabricating a breakout board to evaluate but don't have much time to devote to it right now. I'd likely also have to acquire a MBA and disassemble to dump the ROMs. When searching for 339S00446, most of the modules say they are for the iPad Pro. It isn't clear to me if there is a difference between the MBA and iPad modules. I've also come across some evaluation m.2 modules which use similar Cypress chipsets to what Apple has been using for the past 5 years. These could also be a workable solution but I have yet to find a resource correlating module part numbers to the actual chipsets used inside.

Edit: found some yet unsuccessful experimentation but may have some promise tonymacx86.com: Attempting to Hack macOS Ventura and Sonoma to Support Broadcom Wi-Fi 6 Cards

 

[Sven G]

TP-LINK has an interesting dongle, but it only seems to support macOS up to Catalina (?!?):

https://www.tp-link.com/en/home-networking/adapter/archer-t3u-nano

Don’t know if the drivers also support macOS 11-14 (probably not…?):

Operating Systems​

Supported operating systems include Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, Mac OS 10.15 and earlier

 

[deeveedee]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only wifi chipsets with support in Sonoma are Apple designed surface mount modules. No drop in m.2/PCI-e card exists.

Some have developed solutions to enable Intel (non-Apple) chipsets in Sonoma. These solutions are maturing in other forums and will hopefully make their way to this thread.

I think it's going to be helpful if the only posts in this thread are by those who have proven, tested and are using their solutions with Sonoma.

 

[visusest]

Some have developed solutions to enable Intel (non-Apple) chipsets in Sonoma. These solutions are maturing in other forums and will hopefully make their way to this thread.

Intel WiFi support is reverse engineered from the Linux drivers and doesn’t support AirDrop (see https://github.com/OpenIntelWireless/itlwm). I personally use AirDrop quite a bit and want a Sonoma native card with support.

 

[deeveedee]

Intel WiFi support is reverse engineered from the Linux drivers and doesn’t support AirDrop (see https://github.com/OpenIntelWireless/itlwm). I personally use AirDrop quite a bit and want a Sonoma native card with support.

Agreed. It will be best for those looking for Sonoma Wi-Fi alternatives to accept the fact that there may be compromises with each proposed solution. Hopefully we develop a list of proven, tested solutions here so that users can choose an option that most closely satisfies their requirements.

At this time, staying with Ventura (where Wi-Fi still works perfectly) is a great option.

EDIT: ... and it may be true for some that they need to purchase a new Mac.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Sorry if this question was already answered, but what model MacBook and what WiFi kit are you using?

I have 3 enterprise class WiFi 6 access points and haven’t has a single issue running Sonoma on my ‘20 M1, have over 50 WiFi devices of various types, manufacturers, years.

 

[deeveedee]

Sorry if this question was already answered, but what model MacBook and what WiFi kit are you using?

I have 3 enterprise class WiFi 6 access points and haven’t has a single issue running Sonoma on my ‘20 M1, have over 50 WiFi devices of various types, manufacturers, years.

This thread is for people who have older Macs for which Sonoma (and thus Wi-Fi) support was dropped by Apple. You have a Mac that is fully supported by Sonoma, so you are not the intended audience of this thread.

This thread is relevant to those who want to run Sonoma on their unsupported Mac without root-patching the macOS Wi-Fi framework.

@elvisimprsntr thank you for your question. I have modified the first post so that the intended audience is clear.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Got it. You are trying run Sonoma on unsupported HW. GL.

I guess a USB to wired Ethernet adapter is not an option.

 

[Sven G]

^^^ BTW, it’s curious that Apple doesn’t even make an USB-C to Ethernet adapter, anymore (while they made an Ethernet adapter for the old Thunderbolt 2 standard): on the Apple Store, now they just sell a third party one, made by Belkin…

 

[cyberdevs]

For anyone who needs an AirDrop like feature which will be lost on any other adapters other than Broadcom you can use localsend.
A free and open source project which works pretty well on almost any wireless adapter:

LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices

LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file sharing tool that allows you to share files to nearby devices.

localsend.org

This can be a replacement for AirDrop until someone finds a working Broadcom adapter that works natively in macOS Sonoma.

 

[perez987]

Wi-Fi 6 Intel AX210 on macOS Sonoma

macOS Sonoma removed drivers for Broadcom Wi-Fi cards found in Mac models prior to 2017. OCLP developers published a fix that allows these Wi-Fi to work in Sonoma, adding this feature to the root patches that OCLP can apply. In order to apply root patches, OCLP requires macOS to run with some relaxed security features: SecureBootModel disabled and SIP partially disabled. This represents a certain loss of security in macOS, as discussed in this thread.

Here I propose a model of Intel Wi-Fi card that by default lacks support but can be used in Sonoma thanks to the work of the OpenIntelWireless site. This is the WiFi 6E Intel AX210 NGW Bluetooth card for laptop with M.2/NGFF connector. This card can work with regular macOS security conditions without needing to relax Apple Secure Boot or SIP. It may be interesting for those who lack Wi-Fi in Sonoma or for those who want to keep the security of their system without resorting to OCLP patches.

Hardware

WiFi 6E Intel AX210 NGW Bluetooth card for laptop with M.2/NGFF connector.



Revert OCLP patch and config.plist changes

In config.plist:

• disable kexts (IOSkywalk.kext, IO80211FamilyLegacy.kext and AirPortBrcmNIC.kext)
• disable IOSkywalk.kext blocking
• change csr-active-config to 00000000
• change Secure Boot Model to a value other than Disabled.

From OpenCore-Patcher >> Post-Install Root Patch >> Revert Root Patches.

Installing wifi module

The 2 kexts are available on the OpenIntelWireless site.
There are 2 ways to install Wi-Fi:

• itlwm.kext: uses IOEthernetController instead of IO80211Family so the connection spoofs as Ethernet even though it works as wifi. It does not use the macOS Wi-Fi menu, instead you have to use the HeliPort application.
• AirportItlwm.kext: uses IO80211Family so it works like the rest of the system's Wi-Fi connections. It provides minimal Continuity features (Handoff and Universal Clipboard) but appears to have lower stability than itlwm.kext and cannot connect to hidden networks. No HeliPort needed.

Both kexts should not be used at the same time, only one of them. I have tried both and they seem to have worked well, in my opinion the stability is very similar although with AirportItlwm.kext Photos app sometimes displays the "poor network with synchronization paused" message. The card is well detected, as you can see in Hackintool.

Spoiler: Hackintool

I am using HeliPort from dieterpeterpan, it is a fork of the original but has performance and interface improvements. From the HeliPort icon in the menu bar you can connect and disconnect Wi-Fi networks as well as set it to be added to the startup items.

Spoiler: HeliPort

Installing Bluetooth module

On Monterey and newer you have to install 3 extensions:

• IntelBTPatcher.kext (available in OpenIntelWireless), requires Lilu 1.6.2 >> fixes a bug in bluetoothd by correctly initializing the bluetooth module
• IntelBluetoothFirmware.kext (available on OpenIntelWireless), at least version 2.2.0 >> load the firmware to the device and set the device name in USB Host Controller to Bluetooth USB Host Controller
• BlueToolFixup.kext (available in Acidanthera's BrcmPatchRAM package) >> on macOS Monterey IntelBluetoothInjector.kext stopped working due to changes made by Apple to the Bluetooth stack.

Performance

The Intel wifi card performance not so diferent from the Broadcom BCM94360. As for the 2 ways to install it, AirportItlwm.kext gives better score especially on upload.

Spoiler: Netowork

Summary

This hardware is a valid option for those who do not have Wi-Fi in Sonoma or do not want to apply OCLP patches. It is not expensive and is easy to install. As a main drawback, the features of the Apple ecosystem are lost (all with itlwm.kext and most with AirportItlwm.kext). Airdrop does not work in any way and this is the feature that I miss the most.

 

[perez987]

@deeveedee
@cyberdevs
Fixing my post to be related only to real Macs.

 

[deeveedee]

@perez987 The Intel solution looks very promising. I'm using itlwm.kext v2.2.0 (stable) with Heliport 1.4.1 in Sonoma 14.1.1 (Release) on my MBP15,2 (HP Envy hackintosh). Easy install. Very clever the way itlwm uses an Ethernet interface so that it does not need the macOS 802.11 framework.

I only need basic Wi-Fi capability, so this is perfect for me. No need to break the APFS seal, no need to inject uncertified root patches, no need to partially disable SIP. This Intel solution has come a long way since I last looked at it.

EDIT: Intel Bluetooth working (in my limited testing so far) in Sonoma 14.1.1 with

• IntelBTPatcher.kext 2.3.0
• IntelBluetoothFirmware.kext 2.3.0
• BlueToolFixup.kext 2.6.8

 

[deeveedee]

I was able to add Heliport 1.4.1 (stable branch here) to my Sonoma 14.1.1 login items via System Preferences > General > Login Items.



I was not able to add HeliPort 1.4.1 to Login Items via the Heliport "Option" menu. Once added to Login Items, Heliport does launch automatically after login, albeit with a slight delay.

EDIT: I have renamed this thread from "Sonoma Wi-Fi solutions that do not require OCLP" to "Sonoma Wireless solutions that do not require OCLP" (changing Wi-Fi to Wireless) to accommodate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions.