Frequently Asked Questions
Installation
What's the difference between Alpha Prerelease and Latest Release
- Alpha Prerelease
A testing version automatically compiled by GitHub actions based on the latest source code on the master
branch.
Note that Alpha Prerelease
Kexts are never tested; we do not guarantee their availability, usability, and stability.
NOT recommended for daily use
- Latest Stable Release
An official stable version. This version is usually released after new features are implemented and tested.
Recommended for daily use.
Which Kext Should I Use
Read the Installation guide for more information.
Is My Card Supported
Read the Compatibility table for more information.
Usage
Advanced User Configuration
The following boot-args
are available in the latest version:
itlwm_cc=
COUNTRY_CODE
Change the country code to a desired one, effective on all devices, mostly useful for iwn, 7000 & 8000 series iwm usingitlwm.kext
or running macOS earlier than 10.14.-novht
Disable IEEE802.11AC support, useful if router has compatibility issues.-noht40
Disables 40MHz when using 2.4GHz (Use this option if the network with this config causes instabilities. Natively supported adapters by Apple disable 2.4GHz HT40 by default)
Limitation of AirportItlwm.kext
- Handoff and Universal Clipboard are the only supported Continuity features.
- Instant Hotspot from iPhone can be recognized but the hotspot must be enabled directly on the iPhone first, see itlwm #749
- Unable to connect to Hidden Networks.
How to connect to my Wi-Fi with itlwm.kext
- By HeliPort (Recommended).
- Fill in the essential information in
Info.plist
, located insideitlwm.kext
.
How to disconnect my Wi-Fi with itlwm.kext
Use HeliPort's Options Menu (press the Option key while opening).
HeliPort shows itlwm not loaded
Visit our Troubleshooting guide for more info.
Nothing appears in System Preferences
Visit our Troubleshooting guide for more info.
About Platform Noise
Read this explanation from Linux for more info.
Can I use Bluetooth with Wi-Fi
2.4 GHz Yes, but it is known to cause performance issues.
5 GHz Yes.
Read this explanation from Linux for more info.
Performance SUCKS
Using the latest stable version (v2.1.0) connected to 5 GHz (160 MHz), the expected maximum speed is 950 Mbps
for download and 650 Mbps
for upload.
Tested with 9560AC & AX201 using iperf3
Performance is expected to have no difference when compared with other OS in 802.11AC mode.
Why does my adaptor turn back on after a sleep-wake cycle
By default, when the system boots, itlwm starts to initialize the Wi-Fi card and starts connecting to the Internet. This process can all be done before the system boots into user space and launches HeliPort. So, even if HeliPort has stored a property that indicates whether the card should be on/off by default and immediately adjusts itlwm's behavior, your card has been turned on anyway before then.
Currently, there is no way to make itlwm not power on the card by default on boot. If it's designed to be off by default and requires HeliPort to power it on, users may have to wait longer until the card is ready and it's not friendly for users that don't use HeliPort but rely on itlwm's Plist.
Features
Is it a replacement of natively supported Broadcom Cards
No.
Is it a replacement of USB Wi-Fi Dongles
Yes, 100%.
Why does my adapter shows up as Ethernet in System Preferences instead of Wi-Fi
itlwm.kext
uses Apple's public IOEthernetController instead of the private IO80211Family.
Spoofing into Ethernet does not affect performance.
AirportItlwm
enables the native Wi-Fi selection menu with limited continuity features.
Does it support connecting to Hidden Wi-Fi networks
MVM Gen 2 (iwx) cards do not support connecting to Hidden Wi-Fi networks.
iwm and iwn devices:
itlwm.kext
: YesAirportItlwm.kext
: No
Does it support WPA2/3-Enterprise or 802.1X
itlwm.kext
: NoAirportItlwm.kext
: Yes
Credit: usr-sse2
Does it support Location Services
Supported on AirportItlwm.kext
.
itlwm.kext
reports the Wi-Fi card as an Ethernet NIC to macOS, rather than Wi-Fi. This means that Find My does not work, since it relies on Wi-Fi data (like what networks are around you). This likely means that other location services don't work as well.-- 1Revenger1
Does it support Apple's Continuity Framework (Airdrop, HandOff)
Only Handoff and Universal Clipboard works with AirportItlwm, other features are not supported.
Note: Handoff only works in one direction in macOS Monterey and newer (from mobile devices to Mac) due to the broken bluetoothd
newly ported from iOS.
Can I use it to create a Personal Hotspot
No.
Can I monitor Upload and Download speed
Yes, this feature was added since v1.2.0.
Does it support 40/80/160 MHz
HT40 (40 MHz) support was added since v1.3.0.
VHT80 & VHT160 support was implemented since v2.0.0.
HE is currently disabled.
Does it support 802.11AC and 802.11AX
Yes, 802.11AC and 802.11AX (currently disabled) support was implemented since v2.0.0.
Design
Why not port code directly from Linux but OpenBSD
The amount of code from Linux is enormous. It will likely take forever to finish such a project with our current manpower.