If Apple hasn’t yet made the Ethernet network port on your Mac obsolete by not including it, as is the case with most Macs sold today, then it may have accidentally broke the port last week in an OS X kernel extension update. Many users complained about the issue online: they had randomly found their Macs no longer connecting to the Internet and their Ethernet port simply not working. Apple has now officially acknowledged the problem on its support pages. Luckily, the software problem isn’t permanent and the bug can, usually, be easily resolved.
Apple has already fixed the Ethernet software problem for users going forward. Here’s the fix if you were affected …
If your Ethernet port has stopped working on your Mac, check System Information to find the version number of the Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration file installed. If the number reads 3.28.1, you’ll need to update the configuration to get the Ethernet port working properly. It seems that Apple accidentally blacklisted its own networking kext, which is the cause of the issue.
To check your Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration version number, hold the Option key and click the Apple menu. Then open System Information. Find the Software section and select Installations. Look for rows labelled ‘Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data’ and find the most recent version installed. If the number is 3.28.1, you need to update the profile.
If you can connect to WiFi, then luckily updating the file to restore the functionality of the Ethernet cable is easy. Open Terminal. Type the following command into the command line; it will ask for your admin password:
sudo softwareupdate --background
Quit Terminal and restart the Mac. After rebooting, the Ethernet port should work again. If you can’t connect to WiFi, the steps are a bit more involved. You’ll have to restart the Mac in Recovery mode and manually delete the offending files through Disk Utility and Terminal.
rm -rf “/Volumes/Macintosh HD/System/Library/Extensions/AppleKextExcludeList.kext”
Read the full steps on Apple’s Support Site and take care not to delete anything but the file in question. If you don’t mind losing data, it may be simpler to use Recovery Mode to just Reinstall OS X. This will fix the problem when OS X is started afresh, but obviously has the big downside of deleting other data. Make sure you have recent backups in any case.
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If ever there was an indication that apple software standards are slipping, it’s this.
You say that as if there has never been a software bug in OS X before now.
It’s hardly some obscure fringe case error though is it? This should have been spotted by QA after around 3 seconds of testing.
A lot of them have been corner cases or race conditions — this one is blatantly obvious with anyone who uses ethernet.
not working for me….why Ethernet Status Cable Unplugged ( which is!) ? macOS Sierra 10.12.5 iMac (Mid2011) i5 2.5GHz . Appreciate any information about
Maybe the “GovtOS” team needed some of the OS X team? ;)
“If you don’t mind losing data, it may be simpler to use Recovery Mode to just Reinstall OS X.”
Why do you say this? I have reinstalled OS X many times in the past without having lost data.
Have to hand it to Apple, they are getting really sloppy with their updates. It’s about time some one got their ass kicked out the door at Apple
Apple already fixed mine. In one day. And I never even knew about it.
3.28.1 was installed on 2/26/16
3.28.2 was installed on 2/27/16
Broken and fixed, and I never knew it. Ha!!
Good, super fast work, Apple !
Same thing here. My update was a day later. Really smooth.
Same here… Damn, Apple was fast with the fix!
First of all, thanks, it helped.
Second of all, yes, I found it outrageous and amusing the fact that the same ethernet port was working just perfect on Windows10 via bootcamp and not on the ‘latest and greatest’ from Apple. How horrible and stupid is that? It even works perfect via the recovery interface.
I hope next time Craig goes up at WWDC he creates a couple of slides about “How we wanted to fix Yosemite with El Capitan but made it worse”. Ruin AU in Logic Pro X and make it unusable for a month? Check. Ruin Airdrop? Check. Accidentally ruin someones perfectly working ethernet? Check.
I am afraid 10.12 will be problematic too. Oh I wish developers did not abandon 10.9.
How is 10.11 “worse” then 10.10?
I never had a problem with 10.11, and this is someone thats always using the command line.
It even breathed some life into my mid 2010 macbook, and thats a computer that has an hdd and 2gb of ram.
So, I don’t know how its more problematic then 10.10.
Thanks – this fixed my USB to Ethernet adapters as well. I bought a new one and had to reinstall the drivers everytime I used it. I got the new one because I thought the old one was broken
Ha, I never had a problem with os X.
Oh man I just ordered a Thunderbold->Ethernet converter because I thought my Ethernet was broken. I’m a hafta cancel that now.
I was on the verge of doing exactly the same thing. I was just about to head off the the Apple Store to buy a new Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter and came across the Apple support article. By the time I checked for the update, it had already been applied. All I had to do was to renew the DHCP lease and everything was fine again. I had actually been in contact with Apple earlier today, as my Mac is still covered by AppleCare, and they came to the conclusion that the adapter was faulty and that I should go and buy a new one. What a waste of money the would have been!
In my case I booted to the Recovery volume. I had the update, but it was in the disabled Kext list too! So I booted into Recover deleted that whole folder of black-list .kext files. On reboot I ran software update from command line. As soon as it updated Whammo! It got the updated .kext and I could see my Ethernet again. My imac is a refurbished 2012 model so I wasn’t positive whether or not this was legitimate. I’ve never seen nor heard of an Ethernet just failing like that. Good to know it was software and not hardware.
“it may be simpler to use Recovery Mode to just Reinstall OS X”
Reinstalling the OS to remove one file is like using a nuclear bomb to kill a rat
Let’s not be to hasty…. how big is the rat?
I cannot thank 9to5 enough for getting the word out on this. I almost never reboot or shutdown my imac. But I did so Friday night and didn’t get back on the computer until late in the morning on Saturday. And that’s when my Ethernet disappeared. You just saved me spending $29 on an unnecessary Thunderbolt->Ethernet dongle!
seriously, thanks for this, on the phone to apple senior support and they did not have a clue what was going on. Fixed my port in seconds and I thought my Logic board was on the way out..
The ethernet port still works, just not via the corrupted OS X. So IF you have a time machine backup you can restore the system from a 1-2 day earlier backup.
I had two Macs effected, I did a full time machine restore via Recovery Mode on one Mac (took 2+ hours) and the ethernet port worked fine while in Recovery mode. I found the faster way for the second Mac was to (again via Recovery Mode) reinstall OS X which downloads from Apple over the internet. This was much faster and preserved all my OS X settings, apps and data (it is an in-place update not a reformat install).
My suggestion to anyone that will need to provide phone support to friends and family: talking them through a Recovery Mode full (1-2 days old) time machine restore or reinstalling OS X is much simpler and less prone to confusion than the Apple instructions.
Your mileage may vary…
Thanks for this article. My ethernet port suddenly quit working on my late 2013 iMac and some of my MAS apps would not open as they were unable to be verified as well. All is good now. Love it when the fix is easy.
I’m in Europe: ‘sudo softwareupdate –background’ doesn’t give me the update 3.28.2 (So I cannot use ethernet…)
sudo softwareupdate –background-critical
works for me (or the european apple server just got the updated)
“it may have accidentally broke the port” – I presume this is just a typo since I’m sure you’re aware that the past participle of “break” is “broken,” not “broke.”
Oh man. i thought it was just me. lol. i just had my imac repaired by apple due to a messed up display bulb.
I am just out of warranty and already had the wifi replaced (they replaced the whole motherboard cause of the wifi). But when I tried ethernet in bootcamp it was fine. Hmmm, apple broke my mac. But all good this morning. Thanks for the heads up.
Easy fix – get out of the stone ages and step your WiFi game up.
I didn’t know about this issue but I fixed it doing a NVRAM reset….. (turn off, restart pressing Alt+Command+R+P, and lease after two “start melodies”)
@carpetbomberz: You wrote: “I had the update, but it was in the disabled Kext list too! So I booted into Recover deleted that whole folder of black-list .kext files. ..”. How did you do that (please give me short step-by-step guide). Softwareupdate didn’t worked for me. Ethernetport is still vanished. In recovery mode ethernet port is still working, so I believe things will be the same for my imac 27” late 2012. How can I check and maybe delete the folder of black-list .kext files? Thanks in advance.
Weird. I always update to the latest version, but my Eth still works. Both ports, actually.
This latest May 2016 update EL Capitan (version 5) has rendered my Macbook useless, on 3 different browser’s, it’s the same, intermittent “You are not connected to the internet”, I’m using the ethernet cable. I had not had a problem, or any other problems…and also, when I use Safari, every time I hit the home button, an annoying as hell pop-out shows up on the left hand-side for no reason. It’s sad they are too dim to feel as embarrassed as they should about such a gaffe at Apple, my laptop has been turned into an essential boat-anchor. I checked , and the latest update is 3.30.1 in the system information, as it says to do in the article, don’t see anyone else complaining of this, I’m screwed?
Nathan, I bought a new Mac and facing the same issue. Even I have a 3.30.1 update of the installation that the article mentions.
I bought a new mac and no ethernet port – Even I have the updated 3.30.1
My last update to “Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data” is ” Version: 3.30.1″ and my ethernet still doesn’t work. Also when i try the type the password to save to terminal I can’t type in my password.
Please Help
I thought that it might be my Ethernet cable or something. Thanks for this guide. I would have had a head ache trying to figure what the heck happened my Ethernet port. I did assume that it was the latest software because of how many Macs don’t have Ethernet any more, but it’s still really annoying that they did something like this. The average person would have no idea how to fix something like this.
My ethernet hasn’t worked for nearly a year and I’ve tried all tips/tricks with no success. Just moments ago I used the following 2 commands, Disable network command: sudo ifconfig en0 down and Activate network command:sudo ifconfig en0 up and now my ethernet port is working – go figure!
Oops, spoke to soon I guess! Ethernet was working, went to the store, came back, computer was asleep, awoke it and ethernet connection gone – says “cables unplugged”. Back to old reliable WiFi!
Now ethernet is working again – what a pain in the butt and obviously it’s not fixed yet. At least I believe it’s software and not hardware but I don’t freakin’ know, just guessing!
not working for me….why Ethernet Status Cable Unplugged ( which is!) ? macOS Sierra 10.12.5 iMac (Mid2011) i5 2.5GHz . Appreciate any information about
This worked for me on my iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), macOS Sierra Ver. 10.12.5 on 7/7/2017. Thanks!
“If Apple hasn’t yet made the Ethernet network port on your Mac obsolete by not including it…”
Not having an Ethernet port does NOT make it obsolete … rather, such a grievous omission helps make the Mac itself obsolete!
sudo softwareupdate —background
Look carefully at that command. See the thing right before the word “background?” As it is rendered here and in most applications, it is what is called a “dash.” Some publications call it an “en-dash,” and some an “em-dash.” Doesn’t matter–Terminal doesn’t like any kind of dash. The command as rendered brought up a list of permitted commands to use with “sudo softwareupdate.” Terminal wants two hyphens, – not a dash –. If you type two hyphens into most applications, OS X “helpfully” converts them to the dash, and Terminal refuses to work. You can launch TextEdit, go to Preferences, and stop this behavior–in TextEdit. Find a way to type two -s, and the command will work