MacBook – USB-C Dongles killing Wifi on 2016/2017 MacBooks – Who’s to blame

macbook prousbwifi

I recently switched from my beloved MacBook Pro Retina (Late 2013) i5 2.6/16/512 to MacBook Pro (2017) Non-TB i5 2.3/16/512.

I purchased what from the build-quality looked like a good USB-C-to-DisplayPort cable with 4k/60Hz support, just to run into the very problem the Logicboard repair guru Louis Rossmann had described in one of his videos: As soon as you plug in the USB-C dongle, the (2.4 GHz) Wifi stops working despite full antenna signal. Unplug the USB-C connector and you are immediately back in the game.

The big question I'm asking myself now: Who is to blame? Is this a design flaw in the current generation MacBooks with improper shielding or is it a design flaw in the various dongles?

I mean the fact that even Apple’s very own USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is causing these WiFi issues (as you can learn from the many horrific customer reviews; but AFAIK have been fixed through a software patch), show that there’s something going horribly wrong.

Best Answer

One customer got a good USB-C Hub and after plugged it to their MacBook Pro then appears the same wifi interference problem.

He solved the interference by covering the Hub with aluminum paper

(Thanks Faraday!)