---
title: "The network connection was lost (-1005) on Mac: causes and fixes · Kilobat Guides"
url: "https://kilobat.app/guides/network-connection-was-lost.html"
description: "An app or Safari says The network connection was lost. Find whether Wi-Fi, sleep, a VPN or the server closed the connection, then stop it."
---

Error messages

# “The network connection was lost.” on Mac

This is the macOS text for error -1005. A connection closed while a page or file was loading. The cause can be the Mac, the network or the server.

Applies to: All current macOS versions. The text was checked on macOS 27.2. · Checked: 29 October 2026

## Symptoms

- An app or Safari shows “The network connection was lost.”
- A download stops in the middle.
- It happens after the Mac wakes, or when you move between rooms.

## Likely causes

- **Wi-Fi dropped or roamed.** A short drop or a move to another access point closes open connections.
- **Sleep.** Connections that were open before sleep can close.
- **A VPN reconnected.** When a VPN reconnects, the connections through it close.
- **The network changed.** The Mac joined another network, or its address changed.
- **The server or a proxy closed it.** Apple's documentation says that a client or server connection was cut during a load.

## How to check

1. Note when the error appears. Compare it with sleep, a VPN or a move to another room.
2. Show the recent sleep and wake events.

   ```
   pmset -g log | grep -E ' (Sleep|Wake|DarkWake) ' | tail -20
   ```
3. Ping the router for one minute. Lost replies show Wi-Fi drops.

   ```
   ping -c 60 192.168.1.1
   ```
4. Try the same task on Ethernet or on another network.

## How to fix it

1. Try again. Most apps can resume after one lost connection.
2. If Wi-Fi drops, move closer to the router or use Ethernet. See [Weak Wi-Fi signal on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/weak-wifi-signal-mac.html).
3. If it happens after sleep, read [Mac Wi-Fi disconnects after sleep](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-disconnects-after-sleep.html).
4. For a long download, keep the Mac awake. See [Mac sleep stops downloads](https://kilobat.app/guides/mac-sleep-stops-downloads.html).
5. If a VPN reconnects often, update it or ask its provider.

## With Kilobat

1. Show drops, roams and network changes that the app recorded, with their times.

   ```
   kilobat outages
   ```

   Output Events such as `Unreachable`, `Wi-Fi roam` and `Network changed`.
2. Keep the Mac awake until a download finishes.

   ```
   kilobat awake --until-quiet
   ```
3. The CLI is free. Outage history in the app needs Pro.

## Questions

**What is NSURLErrorDomain -1005?**

It is the networkConnectionLost error of Apple's URL Loading System. macOS shows this text for it.

## Sources

- Error text in CFNetwork.framework, macOS 27.2 (Localizable.loctable)
- [Apple Developer: URLError.Code networkConnectionLost (-1005)](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/urlerror/code/networkconnectionlost)
- pmset(1) and ping(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
- [Apple Support: If your Mac isn't connecting to the internet over Wi-Fi](https://support.apple.com/en-us/101588)

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with `man <name>` in Terminal.

## Related guides

- [Mac Wi-Fi disconnects after sleep](https://kilobat.app/guides/wifi-disconnects-after-sleep.html): After sleep, the Mac must join the Wi-Fi network again.
- [ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED in Chrome on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/err-network-changed.html): Chromium describes this error as: “The network changed.” Chrome stopped the load because the Mac's network changed during it.
- [Mac sleep stops downloads](https://kilobat.app/guides/mac-sleep-stops-downloads.html): A Mac that goes to sleep stops most app activity, so a long download can stop or fail.
- [Test for packet loss on a Mac with ping](https://kilobat.app/guides/packet-loss-mac.html): Packet loss makes calls break up and pages stall.
- [Weak Wi-Fi signal on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/weak-wifi-signal-mac.html): Signal strength and noise decide how fast and how stable the Wi-Fi link is.