How to Disable/Enable NIC on a Mac

To enable or disable a Network Interface Card (NIC), which essentially refers to your network interfaces like Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc., on a macOS system, you’d typically be interacting with the network service corresponding to that interface. Here’s how you can do this using both the GUI and the command line:

1. Using System Preferences (GUI):

To Disable:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner and choose System Preferences.
2. Go to Network.
3. On the left sidebar, select the network service (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet) you want to disable.
4. Click on the Turn off button or Disconnect button at the bottom left of the window.
5. Optionally, if you want to remove this service permanently (not just disable), click on the minus (-) button at the bottom of the service list.

To Enable:

1. Follow steps 1-3 from above.
2. Click on the Turn on button or Connect button at the bottom left of the window.

2. Using Terminal (Command Line):

To Disable:

Replace <service-name> with the name of the network service you wish to disable, like Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

To Enable:

Replace <service-name> with the name of the network service you wish to enable.

Tip: To see a list of all network services, you can use the command:

Remember, disabling a NIC or network service will disconnect you from the network. If you’re remotely accessing a machine or relying on a network connection for some task, use caution to ensure you don’t interrupt essential services or tasks.