TroubleshootingNetFluss Troubleshooting

Fix install and runtime issues

Diagnose and fix common NetFluss problems including VPN connection errors, high CPU from nettop, frozen download rates, DNS switch failures, menu bar display issues, install errors, and router monitoring problems.

App will not open or shows a Gatekeeper or damaged app warning

Gatekeeper sometimes blocks apps downloaded from the internet, or reports that the app is damaged, even when the download is valid.

NetFluss is notarized and signed with a Developer ID. Gatekeeper should allow it to run once macOS recognizes it as an installed application.

Move NetFluss to Applications

  • Drag NetFluss.app into your /Applications folder if it is not already there.
  • Launch NetFluss from /Applications or Spotlight instead of running it from the Downloads folder.

Re-download from the official release

  • Delete the existing NetFluss.app.
  • Download the latest zip from the official NetFluss releases page.
  • Unzip the download and move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications again.

Override the first launch warning

  • Try to open NetFluss. If macOS shows a warning, open System Settings → Privacy & Security.
  • Scroll to the security section and look for a message about NetFluss being blocked.
  • Click Allow Anyway, then launch NetFluss again from /Applications.

If NetFluss still does not open after reinstalling and allowing it in Privacy & Security, capture any exact error text and contact support.

NetFluss icon is missing from the menu bar

NetFluss runs as a menu bar app. If you do not see the icon, either the app is not running or macOS is hiding the icon.

Confirm NetFluss is running

  • Open Activity Monitor and search for NetFluss.
  • If you do not see it, open /Applications/NetFluss.app again.

Reveal hidden menu bar icons

  • On macOS, some menu bar icons hide behind a chevron or section on the right.
  • Click any chevron or overflow indicator in the menu bar and look for the NetFluss icon.
  • Drag the icon out to pin it, if macOS allows reordering.

Quit and relaunch NetFluss

  • If you see NetFluss in Activity Monitor but not in the menu bar, quit the process from Activity Monitor.
  • Relaunch /Applications/NetFluss.app and watch for the icon to appear in the menu bar.

If the icon still does not appear, try restarting macOS and launching NetFluss again after the restart.

Preferences window is too large or does not seem resizable

On smaller screens, the NetFluss preferences window can feel too tall to reach the lowest checkboxes or controls.

From version 1.9.2, the preferences window is resizable on smaller screens. You can drag the edges to shrink the window height and reveal controls that were previously off-screen.

Update to NetFluss 1.9.2 or later

  • Quit NetFluss if it is running.
  • Download NetFluss 1.9.2 or a later version from the official releases page.
  • Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
  • Open Preferences from the NetFluss popover or menu.

Resize the preferences window

  • Move your pointer to any edge or corner of the preferences window.
  • Even if macOS does not show a resize cursor because of a macOS and SwiftUI limitation, click and drag the window edge.
  • Drag the bottom edge upward until all checkboxes and controls fit on your screen.

If the window still does not resize after updating to 1.9.2 or later, confirm you are running the updated app from /Applications and not an older copy from another folder.

A layout bug in older NetFluss versions can cause the menu bar label or popover to shift left and right as the numbers change width, for example when speeds move from 999 KB/s to 1.2 MB/s.

Update to NetFluss 1.9 or later

  • Quit NetFluss if it is running.
  • Download NetFluss 1.9 or later from the official releases page.
  • Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
  • Watch the menu bar while speeds change to confirm that the icons and popover now stay in a fixed position.

Version 1.9 uses a fixed-width container for the menu bar display so other icons no longer jump when values change.

Top Apps shows no data

Top Apps reads per-connection byte counts from the system using netstat -n -b -v and only shows processes with active TCP or UDP connections. If no app currently has an active connection, the list remains empty.

Users have reported seeing an empty Top Apps view even though the feature is enabled. In these cases, the issue was that no app had active network traffic at that moment, not a missing permission.

On macOS 15, Top Apps requires NetFluss 1.7.1 or later. A bug in earlier NetFluss versions on macOS 15 can prevent Top Apps from showing data even when connections are active.

Generate active network traffic

  • Open a browser and load a few websites, start a video stream, or download a file.
  • Keep the traffic running while you view the NetFluss popover.

Confirm Top Apps is enabled

  • Open the NetFluss popover and go to its preferences or settings.
  • Ensure the Top Apps feature is turned on.

Reopen the NetFluss popover

  • Close the popover if it is open, then click the NetFluss menu bar icon again.
  • Check whether apps with active TCP or UDP connections now appear in the Top Apps list.

If Top Apps stays empty even while streaming or downloading data, note your macOS version and share details via the GitHub issue tracker, referencing the existing discussion in issue 7.

Top Apps is cluttered with background processes

Background services such as mDNSResponder or other system daemons can appear in Top Apps when they use bandwidth, which can push your actual apps off the list.

Hide noisy background apps from Top Apps

  • Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Top Apps.
  • In Apps to Hide, find and select the background processes you do not want to see.
  • Remember that this list shows processes that used bandwidth in the last 60 seconds, so recently active apps appear here.
  • Return to the popover and confirm that the hidden apps no longer take up slots in the Top Apps list, leaving more room for the apps you care about.

Hiding background apps does not affect their network activity; it only cleans up the Top Apps view.

Wi‑Fi SSID or band is missing

Wi‑Fi SSID and band information come from CoreWLAN, which on macOS can require Location Services access to expose SSID details.

If you deny Location Services access when macOS first prompts for it, NetFluss cannot show SSID or band details until you re-enable access in System Settings.

Look for the Location Services prompt

  • The first time NetFluss tries to read Wi‑Fi SSID details, macOS may show a Location Services dialog.
  • When prompted, grant access so NetFluss can display SSID and band information.

Re-enable access in System Settings

  • Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
  • Find NetFluss in the app list and enable Location Services for it.
  • Restart NetFluss and check the Wi‑Fi SSID and band fields again.

If the SSID or band are still blank after granting Location Services access, verify that your Mac is connected to Wi‑Fi and not using Ethernet only.

External IP is missing or shows the wrong IP version

External IP issues usually fall into two categories: the IP address is blank, or the address shows IPv6 when you want to see IPv4 instead.

Update to NetFluss 1.9 or later for reliable External IP

  • Quit NetFluss if it is running.
  • Download NetFluss 1.9 or later from the official releases page.
  • Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.
  • Check the External IP section in the popover to confirm that an address now appears consistently. NetFluss 1.9 uses ipwho.is with an api.ipify.org fallback for improved reliability.

Choose IPv4 or IPv6 in Appearance preferences

  • Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Appearance.
  • Find the External IP setting and choose whether to display your external IPv4 or IPv6 address.
  • On dual-stack networks, NetFluss 1.9.1 and later default to IPv4, but you can switch to IPv6 if you prefer.
  • Return to the popover and verify that the External IP now shows the IP version you selected.

If the External IP field is still blank after updating and checking preferences, test your internet connection in a browser and try again later in case the lookup services are temporarily unavailable.

Too many adapters and scrolling behavior

VPN clients and other tools often create many virtual network adapters. NetFluss lets you rename, reorder, and hide adapters, and caps the visible list so the popover remains usable.

From version 1.7, the adapter list in the popover scrolls when more than six interfaces are active. The list shows up to six adapter cards at once, and you can scroll to see the rest. IP addresses and Top Apps stay visible below the list.

Rename and reorder important adapters

  • Use NetFluss preferences to rename adapters that matter to you and move them near the top of the list.
  • Keep in mind that some VPN tools create new interfaces each time they connect, so names might not stay attached to the same underlying device, as reported in issue 6.

Hide inactive or other adapters

  • In preferences, enable options to hide inactive adapters.
  • Use any available setting to hide other or virtual adapters that you do not need to see.

Scroll through the adapter list

  • When more than six interfaces are active, move your mouse over the adapter section in the popover.
  • Scroll to view additional adapters while keeping IP addresses and Top Apps visible.

If adapter clutter remains a problem with heavy VPN usage, consider limiting which VPN tools run at the same time so they create fewer simultaneous virtual interfaces.

Fritz!Box bandwidth data is missing or not updating

Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring shows the total WAN download and upload rates from your Fritz!Box router directly in the NetFluss popover.

NetFluss queries Fritz!Box bandwidth via the official TR-064 API. Fritz!Box does not require authentication for this specific bandwidth data, so NetFluss does not need your router password for the feature to work.

Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring is experimental in NetFluss 1.10. Expect some rough edges and share feedback or bug reports so the feature can improve.

Enable Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring in preferences

  • Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences → Fritz!Box Bandwidth.
  • Turn on the Fritz!Box Bandwidth Monitoring option if it is disabled.
  • Return to the popover and wait a few seconds to see if Fritz!Box download and upload rates start appearing.

Confirm the Fritz!Box router address

  • In Preferences → Fritz!Box Bandwidth, check the router address field.
  • Use fritz.box if you use the default Fritz!Box hostname, or enter your router's IP address if you changed it.
  • Save the preferences and watch the NetFluss popover to see whether the Fritz!Box bandwidth values begin updating.

Verify Fritz!Box is reachable from your Mac

  • Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as the Fritz!Box (typically the home Wi‑Fi or LAN).
  • Open a browser and try loading http://fritz.box or your configured router address to confirm the router responds.
  • If the router page does not load, fix the network or address issue first and then check the Fritz!Box bandwidth section in NetFluss again.

If Fritz!Box bandwidth still shows no data or does not refresh after confirming preferences and connectivity, note your NetFluss version, Fritz!Box model, and router firmware version and share feedback via the GitHub issue tracker.

UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring is missing or will not connect

UniFi and OpenWrt monitoring in NetFluss 1.11 rely on reaching your local controller or router, using valid credentials, and reading stored credentials from Apple Keychain.

NetFluss stores UniFi and OpenWrt credentials in Apple Keychain so macOS can encrypt them and control access. NetFluss uses these credentials locally on your Mac and does not send them to any external service.

Confirm the controller or router is reachable

  • Make sure your Mac is connected to the same network as your UniFi controller or OpenWrt router.
  • Open a browser and try loading the UniFi controller URL or the OpenWrt LuCI web interface using the same host and port you configured in NetFluss.
  • If the page does not load, fix the network or address issue first, then return to NetFluss and check the UniFi or OpenWrt section again.

Re-enter UniFi or OpenWrt credentials in NetFluss

  • Open the NetFluss popover and go to Preferences for UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring.
  • Carefully re-enter the hostname, username, password, and any required port or protocol fields.
  • Save the preferences and wait a few seconds to see whether NetFluss begins showing UniFi or OpenWrt metrics.

Allow Apple Keychain access when prompted

  • If macOS shows a dialog asking whether NetFluss may access a Keychain item related to UniFi or OpenWrt, choose to allow access.
  • Select the option that allows NetFluss to access this item every time to avoid repeated prompts.
  • After allowing access, watch the NetFluss popover to confirm that UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring updates.

Reset stored credentials in Apple Keychain

  • Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac and search for entries whose names mention NetFluss and UniFi or OpenWrt.
  • Delete the specific NetFluss UniFi or OpenWrt Keychain item, leaving other unrelated items intact.
  • Return to NetFluss preferences for UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring, re-enter your credentials, and save again so NetFluss can create a fresh Keychain entry.

If UniFi or OpenWrt monitoring still does not connect after these steps, note your NetFluss version, UniFi or OpenWrt firmware version, and any error text shown in NetFluss, then share details via the GitHub issue tracker.

Popover buttons are unresponsive after using About or Preferences

Older versions of NetFluss had a bug where, after opening and closing the About window, footer buttons in the popover could stop responding.

This bug was fixed in version 1.5 by changing window activation behavior. If you see unresponsive buttons, you are likely on an older build and should update.

Update NetFluss to the latest version

  • Quit NetFluss if it is running.
  • Download the most recent release zip from the official NetFluss releases page.
  • Move the new NetFluss.app into /Applications, replacing the old version, and launch it again.

Test the popover after updating

  • Click the NetFluss menu bar icon to open the popover.
  • Open the About or Preferences window, close it, and then try the footer buttons again.
  • Confirm that the buttons respond as expected.

If the popover still ignores clicks after updating, restart macOS and test again. If the issue persists, include your NetFluss version and macOS version when you contact support.

VPN: "Bad CPU type in executable" on older Intel Macs

If you see The operation couldn't be completed. Bad CPU type in executable when trying to connect a WireGuard VPN profile, this typically occurs on older Intel-based Macs, particularly those running macOS via OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP).

This issue is currently open and under investigation. The NetFluss helper binary may not include a full x86_64 slice for all older Mac architectures.

Check your Mac architecture

  • Open About This Mac and confirm whether your Mac uses Apple Silicon or an Intel processor.
  • If you are on an older Intel Mac (especially pre-2017 models), this error is a known compatibility issue.

Try OpenVPN or IKEv2 instead

  • If your VPN provider offers OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPsec profiles, try importing and connecting with one of those protocols instead of WireGuard.
  • IKEv2 uses the native macOS VPN stack and does not rely on bundled helper binaries.

Report your setup on GitHub

  • Open an issue on the NetFluss GitHub repository with your Mac model, macOS version, and whether you are using OCLP.
  • Reference issue #48 so the maintainer can track the compatibility fix.

VPN: OpenVPN "Could not reach the management interface"

If you see Could not reach the OpenVPN management interface when connecting an OpenVPN profile, the most common cause is that the openvpn command-line tool is not installed or not accessible on your system.

NetFluss bundles a signed openvpn binary, but if you installed NetFluss via Homebrew, the helper may not be in the expected path. Ensure you are running the latest NetFluss version.

Update NetFluss to the latest version

  • Quit NetFluss if it is running.
  • Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page and move it to /Applications.
  • Relaunch NetFluss and try connecting your OpenVPN profile again.

Verify the profile is valid

  • Open your .ovpn file in a text editor and confirm it contains valid server and certificate directives.
  • If the profile uses a provider-patched directive such as scramble or XOR obfuscation, NetFluss cannot run it with the bundled upstream openvpn.

Check for leftover OpenVPN processes

  • Open Terminal and run pgrep -l openvpn to check for stale processes.
  • If you see any, kill them with kill <PID> and retry the connection from NetFluss.

If the error persists after updating and verifying the profile, open an issue on GitHub with your NetFluss version, macOS version, and the .ovpn file (with sensitive values redacted).

VPN: WireGuard shows "connection stopped" but the tunnel is still active

In some cases, NetFluss reports The VPN connection stopped and marks a WireGuard profile as disconnected, even though the tunnel is still working — wireguard-go is running, the utun interface is up, and traffic flows normally.

This is a known issue (#50) caused by a name mismatch between the internal handle NetFluss creates and the actual interface name that wg-quick assigns. The VPN tunnel itself continues to work — only the NetFluss status display is incorrect.

Verify the tunnel is actually working

  • Open a browser and load a website to confirm internet access works through the tunnel.
  • Run ifconfig | grep utun in Terminal to check that the WireGuard interface is still up.

The tunnel remains active and secure despite the incorrect status display. Reconnecting from NetFluss may spawn additional wireguard-go processes and leave temporary config files in /private/tmp/. If you reconnect multiple times, check for orphaned processes using pgrep -l wireguard and clean up stale files in /private/tmp/ that start with nf.

If you encounter this issue, report it on GitHub with reference to issue #50, including your NetFluss version and macOS version.

High CPU usage from the nettop process

On some Macs, the nettop subprocess used by NetFluss can intermittently cause high CPU usage, which increases energy impact and power consumption.

This issue (#45) has been reported on Apple Silicon Macs running recent macOS versions. NetFluss 2.3 replaced continuous nettop usage with a kernel-statistics client that runs at approximately 0% CPU, but nettop may still be used for Top Apps when the popover is open or as a fallback.

Restart NetFluss

  • Quit NetFluss from the menu bar or Activity Monitor.
  • Relaunch NetFluss from /Applications.
  • The high CPU spike from nettop should disappear after restarting.

Update to NetFluss 2.3 or later

  • NetFluss 2.3 introduced a kernel-statistics client that replaces continuous nettop for most operations.
  • Download the latest version from the GitHub releases page and move it to /Applications.

Reduce popover frequency

  • If the issue recurs, especially after your Mac wakes from sleep, try increasing the refresh interval in Preferences → General → Update.
  • The nettop spike is most noticeable when the popover is open and Top Apps is active.

If high CPU persists after updating to 2.3 or later, use the hidden Copy Network Diagnostics action (hold Option and right-click the NetFluss menu bar icon) to capture 30 seconds of diagnostic data, and share it on GitHub referencing issue #45.

Download rate stuck at 0.00 B/s

If the download rate always shows 0.00 B/s while the upload rate works correctly, this is a known issue on some macOS configurations where the kernel ifi_ibytes counter is frozen on the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.

This has been reported in managed/MDM profiles (issue #31) and with NAS file transfers over SMB (issue #30). NetFluss 2.3 includes a fallback that detects the broken adapter and substitutes a per-process inbound rate.

Update to NetFluss 2.3 or later

  • NetFluss 2.3 detects frozen adapter counters and falls back to a kernel-statistics client to calculate the download rate.
  • Download the latest version from the GitHub releases page and move it to /Applications.

Check if the fallback is active

  • After updating, monitor the download rate while downloading a file.
  • If the rate now shows correctly, the fallback mechanism is working.
  • If it still shows 0.00, try quitting and relaunching NetFluss.

Run Network Diagnostics

  • Hold Option and right-click the NetFluss menu bar icon.
  • Choose Copy Network Diagnostics… to capture 30 seconds of per-interface byte counters to your clipboard.
  • Paste the output into a GitHub issue referencing #30 or #31, along with your macOS version and whether you use a managed profile.

DNS switch fails: "active network service could not be identified"

If the DNS Switcher shows active network service could not be identified when you try to switch DNS providers, this is a known issue that was reported on Wi-Fi connections (issue #36).

This was fixed in a NetFluss update. The fix applies DNS changes to all enabled network services, not just the primary one.

Update to the latest NetFluss version

  • Quit NetFluss and download the latest release from GitHub.
  • Move the new NetFluss.app to /Applications and relaunch.
  • Try switching DNS again from the popover.

Check the privileged helper is installed

  • Go to Preferences → General → System access.
  • Click Install Privileged Helper… and confirm the status shows as enabled.
  • If the helper fails to install, restart your Mac and try again.

Use networksetup as a temporary workaround

  • If the issue persists, you can switch DNS manually in Terminal:
sudo networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1
  • Replace Wi-Fi with your active network service name and the IP addresses with your preferred DNS servers.

If changing the font size in Preferences only adds or removes empty space behind the text but the actual font size does not change, this is a known bug in NetFluss 2.2 (issue #40).

This only affects the default (Standard) menu bar style. The Pill and Dashboard styles apply font size changes correctly.

Update to NetFluss 2.2.1 or later

  • The font size rendering bug was fixed shortly after the 2.2 release.
  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Switch to a different style as a workaround

  • If you cannot update immediately, go to Preferences → Appearance and switch to the Pill or Dashboard style.
  • Font size changes apply correctly in these styles.

Stats are cut off on external displays

If the NetFluss menu bar stats display correctly on your Mac's built-in screen but are cropped at the top on external displays, this is a known issue (issue #38) related to macOS display handling.

Update to the latest NetFluss version

  • This issue was fixed in a NetFluss update released after the initial report.
  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Check display scaling settings

  • Open System Settings → Displays and select the affected external display.
  • Try a different scaling option to see if the cropping changes.
  • If the issue persists after updating, report your display model and resolution on GitHub.

Menu bar text colour does not adapt to light/dark appearance

If your menu bar text becomes unreadable when switching between light and dark wallpapers, NetFluss previously required you to manually set the text and arrow colours for each appearance.

NetFluss 2.4 introduced a "System default" colour option that uses NSColor.labelColor to automatically adapt to the menu bar appearance. This was contributed via PR #47.

Update to NetFluss 2.4 or later

  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Select System default colour

  • Go to Preferences → Appearance.
  • Set the upload arrow, download arrow, upload number, and download number colours to System default.
  • The colours now adapt automatically when you switch between light and dark menu bar appearances.

Fritz!Box returns HTTP 500 when OPNsense is the gateway

If your Fritz!Box bandwidth monitoring fails with an HTTP 500 error, this can happen when an OPNsense firewall is your primary router/gateway and the Fritz!Box is only used as a modem or management device (issue #33).

In this topology, the Fritz!Box TR-064 API may return errors because it is not the primary routing device. NetFluss 2.1 added native OPNsense monitoring as an alternative.

Set up OPNsense monitoring instead

  • Go to Preferences → Router → OPNsense.
  • Enter your OPNsense API key, secret, and host address.
  • Use the test-connection button to verify connectivity before saving.

Disable Fritz!Box monitoring

  • If the Fritz!Box is only acting as a modem behind OPNsense, disable Fritz!Box bandwidth monitoring in Preferences → Router → Fritz!Box to avoid repeated error polling.

Settings page appears blank when opened with Cmd+comma

If opening Settings via the Cmd + , keyboard shortcut shows a blank white page instead of the configuration options, this was a known bug (issue #35) that has been fixed.

Update to the latest NetFluss version

  • The blank settings page bug was fixed in a NetFluss update.
  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Use the popover as a workaround

  • If you cannot update immediately, open Preferences by clicking the NetFluss menu bar icon and selecting Preferences from the popover instead of using Cmd + ,.

Popover window overflows the screen

If the NetFluss popover is taller than your screen and extends beyond the display boundaries, hiding the bottom status bar, this was a known issue (issue #42) that has been fixed.

Update to NetFluss 2.3 or later

  • NetFluss 2.3 clamps the popover height to the available screen height on shorter displays.
  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Reduce visible popover sections

  • Go to Preferences → Appearance → Popover sections and hide sections you do not need.
  • Fewer visible sections reduce the overall popover height.

Blue focus ring stuck around the Wi-Fi reconnect icon

If a persistent blue focus ring appears around the Wi-Fi reconnect icon in the NetFluss popover and never clears, this was a macOS update-related visual bug (issue #21).

Update to the latest NetFluss version

  • This focus ring issue was fixed in a NetFluss update shortly after it was reported.
  • Download the latest version from GitHub and move it to /Applications.

Restart NetFluss if the ring persists

  • Quit NetFluss from Activity Monitor or the menu bar.
  • Relaunch from /Applications and check if the focus ring is gone.
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