# Intel Wi-Fi for macOS (itlwm + HeliPort)

Intel Wi-Fi Drivers for macOS

Repository: https://github.com/OpenIntelWireless/itlwm
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/intel-wi-fi-for-macos-itlwm-heliport
Homepage: https://OpenIntelWireless.github.io/itlwm/
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: itlwm, kernel-extension, intel-wifi, macos, kext
Last push: 2024-07-12T06:17:00+00:00
Link (homepage): https://OpenIntelWireless.github.io/itlwm/

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2387, "days_push": 782, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7111, forks 724 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:55.984836+00:00)

## What it is
itlwm is an open-source kernel extension providing Intel Wi-Fi adapter support on macOS, ported largely from OpenBSD's iwm/iwx/net80211 drivers, with HeliPort as its companion menu-bar client. It enables Hackintosh and other macOS systems with unsupported Intel wireless cards to connect to Wi-Fi networks.

## Use cases
- get Intel Wi-Fi working on a Hackintosh
- enable Intel wireless card support on macOS
- connect to Wi-Fi networks on macOS with an unsupported Intel adapter
- replace Apple's missing Intel Wi-Fi driver with a kext
- manage Wi-Fi connections on macOS via HeliPort menu bar app

## When to choose
- you run macOS on hardware with an Intel Wi-Fi card that Apple does not natively support
- you need a free, open-source alternative to buying a compatible Broadcom card
- you want an actively maintained Intel Wi-Fi kext with a companion GUI client

## When to avoid
- your Wi-Fi card is natively supported by macOS
- you need features like AirDrop or Handoff that require Apple's native Wi-Fi stack
- you run Linux or Windows, where Intel's official drivers already exist

## Facets
- artifact type: plugin
- maturity: active
- function: networking, security
- domain: operating-systems, hardware, networking
- platform: cpp
- tags: kernel-extension, kext, intel-wifi, hackintosh, wifi-driver, openbsd, macos

## Member repositories
- OpenIntelWireless/itlwm (main) score 23
- OpenIntelWireless/HeliPort (frontend) score 36

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:55.984836+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:40:07.084285+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/OpenIntelWireless/itlwm (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:55.984836+00:00, sha ef826c9ca4b3)
  - homepage: https://OpenIntelWireless.github.io/itlwm/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:35:40.436389+00:00, sha 8c0f8239283c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.