Mac has no network until someone logs in

After a restart, some Macs stay off the network until a user logs in. Remote access then fails. FileVault, the network type and how a profile sets up 802.1X all change what happens before login.

Fix this with your agentCopies a prompt for Claude Code, Codex or any agent that can use Terminal.

My Mac has this problem: Mac has no network until someone logs in. Read https://kilobat.app/guides/mac-no-network-before-login.md and work through it with me. Install the Kilobat CLI if it’s missing: brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat. Run the guide’s Terminal and kilobat checks yourself and tell me what you find. List the steps only I can do. Ask before you change any setting.

Applies to: macOS 14 Sonoma and later. Unlocking FileVault over SSH needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later.Checked: 7 November 2026

Symptoms

After a restart or a power cut, SSH, Screen Sharing and file sharing to the Mac fail.
The router does not show the Mac until someone logs in at the Mac.
A headless Mac mini comes back online only after you connect a display and log in.
The Mac connects to Ethernet before login, but not to Wi-Fi.
On a company network, the Mac authenticates with 802.1X only after login.

Likely causes

FileVault is on. The Mac waits at the FileVault unlock screen after a restart. Apple says that automatic login is not available when FileVault is on.
An 802.1X profile for the user, not the system. Apple's Ethernet settings for device management can start the connection after users log in. They can also make it a system setting that is active at all times.
Login Window Mode needs a directory. Apple says that 802.1X at the login window needs a bind to Active Directory or Open Directory and a profile from device management.
Wi-Fi before login is not documented. Users report that some Macs join Wi-Fi before login and others do not. Apple does not document when a personal Wi-Fi network joins before login.
A network with a sign-in page. A network that needs a browser sign-in cannot work until someone signs in.

How to check

Restart the Mac. Do not log in.
From another computer, ping the Mac by its IP address. No reply means that the Mac is not on the network.
```
ping -c 5 192.168.1.20
```
Log in on the Mac. Make sure that FileVault is on or off in System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault.
Show which connection the Mac uses. Note if it is Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
```
route -n get default
```
Output The interface: line, for example en0.
Match the interface with its hardware port.
```
networksetup -listallhardwareports
```
Show the configuration profiles on the Mac. Look for Wi-Fi or Ethernet payloads with 802.1X.
```
sudo profiles show -type configuration
```
Needs an administrator password.

How to fix it

For a Mac that must be on the network after each restart, connect it with Ethernet if you can.
On a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later, turn on Remote Login. Then you can unlock FileVault over SSH after a restart.
To turn on Remote Login, choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Sharing. Turn on Remote Login.
After a restart, connect to the Mac with SSH to unlock FileVault.
If you turn FileVault off, you can set automatic login. Choose System Settings > Users & Groups > Automatically log in as.
Know the risk of automatic login. Apple says that it lets anyone use the Mac after a restart.
On a managed Mac, ask your administrator for a device profile. The profile must make 802.1X a system setting, not a user setting.
For 802.1X at the login window, the Mac needs a directory bind and a Login Window Mode profile.

With Kilobat

The Kilobat app starts after you log in, so it cannot see the time before login.
The drop history shows when the app lost and got back the connection while it ran.
```
kilobat outages
```
A gap in the history means that the app did not run. After a restart, a gap until login is normal.
After you log in over SSH, find where traffic leaves the Mac.
```
kilobat ip
```
Check the router, internet and DNS from the same SSH session.
```
kilobat diagnose
```

Questions

Does FileVault turn off the network before login?

Apple does not say this in general. Apple says that you can unlock FileVault over SSH when a network connection is available. That applies to Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later.

Is Ethernet better than Wi-Fi for a headless Mac?

Apple does not document a difference before login. Users report that Ethernet connects before login more often than Wi-Fi. Ethernet also does not need a saved password.

Can I set Wi-Fi to join before login on an unmanaged Mac?

Apple documents the System and Login Window modes only for profiles from device management. There is no documented setting in System Settings for this.

Sources

Apple Platform Security: Managing FileVault in macOS
Apple Support: How to log in automatically to a Mac user account
Apple Support: Allow a remote computer to access your Mac
Apple Platform Deployment: Ethernet device management settings for Apple devices
Apple Support: Use Login Window Mode for 802.1X authentication to a network
Apple Developer: WiFi (Device Management), SetupModes
profiles(1), route(8) and networksetup(8), man pages installed with macOS 27.2

Checked on 7 November 2026.