The only way to reinstall the system was to use Wi-Fi – which is not the most secure option.
I explained how I route my network through AWS for inspection and manually set an IP address when I want to be on that network.
I reset one of my Macs because I found suspicious activity on it, as I wrote here:
This is a Macbook Pro that I purchased in December 2023 and should have had the latest software and be the latest model at that time. I bought it in Miami because there is no Apple store in Savannah (boo ho…)
After resetting my Mac to factory settings, I was unable to activate it. It stood there telling me to connect internet cable or wifi. I was directly connected to the internet and had just used the computer that way, so I know it should work.
I decided to try installing offline since my firewall might be blocking something. I haven’t found any evidence that my firewall is blocking anything.
I’ve tried various recommendations from Apple for offline installations without internet and none of them work…