Can't switch on Wi Fi after internet sharing stops due to VPN dropout

We use a VPN to get around geoblocking because we now live in a different country to our native homeland. We do this by using an iMac to connect to the internet via an ethernet cable. I then connect to the VPN service and share that connection with internet sharing from the iMac. How this works is I use internet sharing to share the VPN connection via the iMac's Wi Fi antenna.

This all works fine and has done for over a year. The only problem we've ever had is that the VPN connection does drop out sometimes. I'm used to this, and its always been a simple case of reconnecting to the VPN from the iMac and all is swell again. But for about a month now, whenever the iMac disconnects from the VPN the Wi Fi antenna is switched off and I can't switch it back on. I've tried everything I know such as Safe Mode, resetting PRAM and resetting SMC.

Nothing works except totally restarting the iMac. This is a pain because we have multiple users logged in and the VPN typically disconnects a couple of times a day.

How do I fix this?

Solution 1:

I've seen this issue before. I'm not sure why this happens, but have found that totally removing your Wi-Fi service, restarting your Mac, and adding your Wi-Fi service back again will resolve the issue.

While you don't specify your version of macOS, the steps below should work:

• Go to Apple > System Preferences > Network
• Select the Wi-Fi service on the left-hand side
• Click on the cog icon at bottom-left and select Make Service Inactive
• Now delete the service by clicking on the minus sign (i.e. the - button) at left of the cog
• Click on the Apply button
• Exit Network preferences
• Restart your iMac
• Go to Apple > System Preferences > Network
• Click on the plus sign (i.e. the + button) at left of the cog
• In the pop-up window, ensure that Wi-Fi is selected from the drop-down menu
• Click on the Create button
• Make sure Wi-Fi is on

Let me know if this resolves the issue.