When you close the lid of your MacBook or let your desktop Mac fall asleep, macOS attempts to save as much power as possible. To do this, it will often completely cut power to the Wi-Fi card, severing your connection to the internet.
For most users, this is perfectly fine. But if you rely on your Mac to act as a Plex media server, to download massive software updates overnight, or to allow SSH remote access while you are away from the office, losing the Wi-Fi connection the moment the screen goes black is a severe problem.
You can configure macOS to maintain its network connection even while the display and processor are technically sleeping using a feature called “Power Nap.”
How to Keep Wi-Fi Active During Sleep
The method for preventing network disconnection depends entirely on whether you are using a modern Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3) or an older Intel-based Mac.
For Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3)
Apple Silicon Macs handle sleep states much like an iPhone; they are designed to always stay partially connected. If your Wi-Fi is still dropping, you need to check a specific battery setting:
- Click the Apple Logo > System Settings.
- Click on Displays in the left sidebar.
- Click the Advanced… button at the bottom right.
- Turn on the toggle for Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off.
This prevents the Mac from entering a deep sleep state that would sever the Wi-Fi connection.
For Intel-Based Macs
Older Macs rely on a specific feature called “Wake for network access” and “Power Nap.”
- Click the Apple Logo > System Settings (or System Preferences).
- Click on Battery (or Energy Saver on desktop Macs).
- Click on the Options button.
- Check the box labeled Wake for network access (this ensures the Wi-Fi card stays active to listen for remote commands).
- Check the box for Enable Power Nap. This allows the Mac to periodically check for emails, calendar updates, and iCloud syncs while asleep, which forces the Wi-Fi to remain connected.