How to Enable Intel AX201 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on macOS Tahoe

How to Configure Intel Wireless Cards for macOS Tahoe

Setting up an Intel AX201 Wi-Fi card on a laptop running macOS Tahoe (26.x) requires utilizing the OpenIntelWireless drivers. Because Apple does not natively support Intel wireless chips, we must use AirportItlwm or HeliPort to enable network features.

1. Prerequisites

• Hardware Specs: Intel AX201 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card.
• Required Kexts: AirportItlwm (matching macOS Tahoe) or itlwm.kext, IntelBluetoothFirmware, and BlueToolFixup.

2. Compatibility Snapshot

• AirportItlwm: Operates as a native Wi-Fi interface in the macOS menu bar, supporting location services.
• HeliPort Client: If AirportItlwm is unstable on macOS Tahoe beta builds, using itlwm.kext alongside the HeliPort app provides a stable alternative.

3. Installation Preparation

1. Download Drivers: Download the latest compatible alpha or stable release of the OpenIntelWireless package from GitHub.

4. EFI and config.plist Review

1. Kext Load Order: Add AirportItlwm.kext (or itlwm.kext) and the Bluetooth drivers to your config.plist. Ensure BlueToolFixup.kext is loaded after IntelBluetoothFirmware.kext.

5. Post-Installation

1. Reset NVRAM: Perform a clean boot and clear NVRAM to ensure macOS loads the network extensions.

6. Troubleshooting

Reported Issue: AX201 Wi-Fi card stability under Tahoe

1. Wi-Fi does not turn on: Ensure you have the version of AirportItlwm compiled specifically for the macOS version you are running. If running Tahoe, check the project\'s issue tracker for compatibility patches.
2. Bluetooth failure: In macOS Sequoia and Tahoe, the Bluetooth stack changed. Verify that IntelBluetoothInjector.kext is REMOVED, as it is replaced by BlueToolFixup.kext.

7. Dual Boot and Advanced Configuration

• This does not apply to this case because Windows has official Intel PROSet Wireless drivers.

8. Verification, Maintenance and Rollback

• Verify Fix: Connect to your local network and verify download speeds.

9. References and Glossary

• AX201: An Intel Wi-Fi 6 card utilizing the CNVi interface.