College internet blues...I am SO puzzled.. [Archive]

t300

Oct 13, 2004, 09:40 PM

Okay, I am having some problems..So of course, before contacting Apple, the ISP, or etc....I am turning to my faithful members at MacRumors.

I just got to college a little while ago and set up my Buffalo wireless router on one of two ethernet ports on the wall. My girlfriend's Dell is contacted wirelessly and is on the other side of the room and my PB is right next to the router, hardwired to it. The internet has been working find for me, whether plugged in or using Airport, until...Yesterday.

I check my email yesterday morning, only to come back in the evening and to find out that my internet was connected via ethernet, but no web pages would work. I don't have any clue what could have happened. So then, I unplugged and connected fine to my wireless connection, aptly entitled "Jet." I was connected fine, went to Safari...nothing. No pages would load. I was stumped. I checked over things for hours. In my Network status it shows that I am connected (little green light) successfully and gives me my IP and everything...Yet, Safari, Mail, iChat...NOTHING. Same thing with Airport...It shows I am connected fine but still nothing works.

My girlfriend's Dell connects fine to my wireless network and surfs easily. As well as I also connected to random people's wireless networks like "linksys," "Ruby," "Paul And Sarah," etc. ALL of them worked. I could surf on their wireless networks. Then I tried to connect directly to the ethernet ports on the wall...Same thing. It shows I am connected with an IP and all, but nothing.

So now I have no idea. I suppose this means that it has to do with MY computer on MY specific ethernet ports on the wall. I really don't know what step to take next..The only thing I remembered installing maybe that day, or the previous night was an Apple update, an Apple Remote Desktop server update thing..Maybe that's it?..Anyway..I have tried everything.. Zapped the PRAM, FSCK, repaired permissions...

So what am I supposed to do? Does anyone have ANY ideas?

PlaceofDis

Oct 13, 2004, 09:49 PM

did you try and reset the router?

t300

Oct 13, 2004, 09:51 PM

did you try and reset the router?

Sorry, so many things I have tried, I forgot to list some...

Yes, I tried that multiple times. Thanks.

TrenchMouth

Oct 13, 2004, 10:42 PM

did you make sure that you were either 1) connected to it via ethernet when you reset it, or 2) were not connected and had your Airport card turned off when you rest it?

That has happened to me before and it is usually just a quick fix. routers can be kinda funny like that. i would suggest that your computer be off while you reset it in fact.

if that does not work, well then its time to check your network connections. does the IP adress area fill in when you connect via the ethernet cord?

the more info the better

t300

Oct 13, 2004, 11:04 PM

TEG

Oct 14, 2004, 12:41 AM

Have you tried resetting your DHCP Lease. It is a button in the TCP/IP tab of the networking device you are using.

2) I have had similar problems when switching between wireless networks, what I have found works best is to have multiple locations set in the Network (I miss Location Manager from OS9, but I digress) and switch locations, after about 45sec it ususally works. Also, in the Network Pane, is it giving a Red, Yellow, or Green light for your active device (Airport, Ethernet, etc.)?

TEG

kylos

Oct 14, 2004, 01:03 AM

Have you tried restarting safari? Sometimes that will fix the problem for me. Though it sounds as if you've restarted the entire machine several times, so that pretty much eliminates that possibility.

t300

Oct 14, 2004, 08:50 AM

I have tried reseting the lease, I have restarted Safari, reset it, etc...
I even tried using Firefox...but still...Nothing.

emw

Oct 14, 2004, 10:12 AM

t300

Oct 14, 2004, 10:25 AM

Have you tried using IP addresses instead of domain names? That is, try going to http://216.218.211.127 instead of http://forums.macrumors.com and see if it works.

If it does, it is a DNS issue (Domain Name Server). Check your network preferences for DNS server listings and if some are there, delete them (cut them so you can paste back if necessary).

Oh my gosh...I think that is totally the problem. I made up tons of IP addresses and I could go to them, so I think that's the problem...

Now, can you please explain how I need to correct this step by step?

emw

Oct 14, 2004, 04:08 PM

Oh my gosh...I think that is totally the problem. I made up tons of IP addresses and I could go to them, so I think that's the problem...

Now, can you please explain how I need to correct this step by step?

Responded to your PM, but for the record:

Go to Network Preferences > TCP/IP. Check the DNS entry. If there is something there, it seems that it is incorrect. Edit>Cut it in case you need to paste it back. Perhaps even paste it to a new TextEdit file. Or create a new location with identical settings except for the DNS entries.

Better yet, check your girlfriend's PC, which is working, to see if she has DNS entries. If she doesn't, you don't need them. If she does and they're different, replace yours.

Generally speaking, ISPs don't require DNS entries in your TCP/IP settings. Generally, if they are there and aren't needed, they will be ignored. But sometimes they will cause problems.

Oh, and just a note - the DNS servers are used to lookup named sites and translate it to IP addresses. It's like if you sent a letter that just said "Mom and Dad Barker" and the Post Office needed a big directory that translated "Mom and Dad Barker" to "123 Anystreet, Anytown USA 12345". If you sent that letter to somewhere other than the place that has the proper directory, they wouldn't know where to send the letter.

t300

Oct 14, 2004, 06:33 PM

Okay, I tried that and there are NO DNS Servers that are there...

So now what? Anyone want to take a stab?

Macs R Us

Oct 14, 2004, 06:38 PM

Okay, I tried that and there are NO DNS Servers that are there...

So now what? Anyone want to take a stab?

Is it set to DHCP or using a Static IP? Well it seems odd...

t300

Oct 14, 2004, 07:52 PM

Is it set to DHCP or using a Static IP? Well it seems odd...

It is using DHCP...

It's weird that I can access website's via there IP but not their names...I am so lost.

abhishekit

Oct 14, 2004, 09:51 PM

Alright try this,
Download the latest version of safari from Apple's website(http://17.112.152.32/)
Don't open the .dmg yet.
Now goto /System/Library/Frameworks and trash WebKit.framework folder(safari uses webkit to connect to internet)
Now open the .dmg and install safari.

Hope it works.

t300

Oct 14, 2004, 10:27 PM

abhishekit

Oct 14, 2004, 11:41 PM

NO. There is a webkit folder. Goto your hard drive/system/library/frameworks.
Not the hard drive/library, not your home/library.

t300

Oct 15, 2004, 10:31 AM

NO. There is a webkit folder. Goto your hard drive/system/library/frameworks.
Not the hard drive/library, not your home/library.

Computers are amazing in that ONE little thing can change everything...

This worked like a charm and I NOW have internet. I appreciate it very much and thank you!

t300

Oct 20, 2004, 11:18 AM

This morning the problem has come back...And this time with a vengence.

Trashing the webkit folder like before does not seem to work like last time...

Any idea WHY this is happening and what I could do to fix it and prevent it?

t300

Oct 20, 2004, 02:53 PM

I'm a little boy trapt in a well, begging for help...Anyone?

nesbitt_a

Oct 20, 2004, 03:14 PM

t300

Oct 20, 2004, 09:31 PM

One thing I usually do when networks are playing up is connect the mac directly to the modem/ethernet port and see if you're getting a connection that way. Then add your router (reset and reconfigure it), then add the mac
then the pc.

Check your IP addresses, DNS and DHCP settings. probably something stupid.

I've done this and nothing worked. It is obviously, I suppose, a DNS problem..An area in which I lack expierience. Anyone care to enlighten me?

tamara6

Oct 20, 2004, 09:51 PM

It is possible that you'll have to type in the name server(s) address(es) in your router and/or your computer. If your computer is connected directly to your modem/ethernet jack and you still can't resolve a name, then you will need to tell your computer (and probably your router, too) where the DNS is. Call your ISP, explain to them that you can connect to ip numbers but not to domain names. Tell them you need the DNS addresses. Put those addresses into the various TCP/IP settings in your network control panel, and hopefully you'll be in business.

emw

Oct 20, 2004, 10:05 PM

If you look at your router settings, are there any DNS servers listed there? If so, you can try and put them in your network settings and see if that works.

t300

Oct 20, 2004, 10:10 PM

If you look at your router settings, are there any DNS servers listed there? If so, you can try and put them in your network settings and see if that works.

Nope..No DNS settings anywhere. As I said, it worked beforhand so I figured that there must be a reason it just quit, then got better, then quit again. I have a thing from the ISP in setting up your computer in either XP or Mac OS X and both of them have the DNS settings blank. I guess I will have to give them a call, even though they are not so helpful, but I am still open to suggestion. Thanks to all!

abhishekit

Oct 21, 2004, 12:01 AM

Boot in OS 9 and see if now safari works?

t300

Oct 21, 2004, 06:52 AM

Boot in OS 9 and see if now safari works?

No OS 9 on my PB...Would Classic work?

EDIT: Okay, I launched IE in Classic and IT works...SO I guess it is a Panther problem...How strange...Obviously booting into Classic, and especially using IE, isn't really an option...

So does anyone know where to go from here?

tamara6

Oct 21, 2004, 08:55 AM

When this happens (when it seems your DNS is down), open a terminal window and type in "host" and a domain name, like "host cnn.com" (without the quotes) and see if it will give you the ip numbers for CNN. Instead of "host" you can also try "nslookup" and a domain, and see what it gives you.

Let us know the results.

Also, what system version are you running?

frozenstar

Oct 21, 2004, 10:00 AM

Open a terminal window on your girlfriend's PC and run "ipconfig /all". Write down the DNS addresses and then plug them into the DNS Servers list under Network in System Preferences on your Mac.

OR

Use a utility like nslookup, host, or dig to determine the addresses of the DNS servers for the domain you're hosted on.

OR

Call your ISP and beg them for the info.

abhishekit

Oct 21, 2004, 10:05 AM

No OS 9 on my PB...Would Classic work?

EDIT: Okay, I launched IE in Classic and IT works...SO I guess it is a Panther problem...How strange...Obviously booting into Classic, and especially using IE, isn't really an option...

So does anyone know where to go from here?
yah , i thought it would work. Its more of a problem with safari and panther rather than a panther problem. And I guess all p2p programs lilke limewire or aquisition would work too..
ok, you can try this one more thing. Call your ISP and ask for the DNS server names. And put them in the now blank DNS servers field. Then see if it works.

Punani

Oct 21, 2004, 10:57 AM

I'm not sure what your university's policy is on file sharing, but at UCLA they've implemented a new system where "a person is flagged for a copyright infringement violation by a copyright holder, like a music label or movie studio, their IP address is automatically cut off from all network access except university resources, ending the student's ability to swap files."

I have no idea how extensive (or how vague) this program is (i.e. sending a file to a friend down the hall through the network), and if your university is extreme enough to resort to banning your MAC address.

I hope you don't think I'm implying something! ;)

---

Well, I guess that isn't it...still, it's something worth noting I suppose. :D

frozenstar

Oct 21, 2004, 11:19 AM

I'm not sure what your university's policy is on file sharing, but at UCLA they've implemented a new system where "a person is flagged for a copyright infringement violation by a copyright holder, like a music label or movie studio, their IP address is automatically cut off from all network access except university resources, ending the student's ability to swap files."

I have no idea how extensive (or how vague) this program is (i.e. sending a file to a friend down the hall through the network), and if your university is extreme enough to resort to banning your MAC address.

There are a bunch of ways to get around those things, ya know. I used to be a sysadmin at a nearby university. It was my job to know how to beat the system.

t300

Oct 21, 2004, 11:26 AM

Well, the HOST thing on Terminal did not work. I got :

connection timed out; no servers could be reached.

I am running Panther.

I called my ISP and they are useless and the tech support doesn't even have technicians. They had to schedule one to call me within 24-48 hours. RIDIC-ULOUS. They won't do much, I know...

On my girlfriend's computer, her DNS server showed up as my router address. I tried plugging it in...Didn't do much.

I must confess that in the past, at home, I used some p2p an Bittorent stuff...But rarely. Well, when I got here, naturally, I tried but all of the ports are blocked, so I accepted it, and I haven't touched it since...So it definetly wasn't anything I downloaded or anything. Thanks though...

So here I am with a 24-48 wait....Thanks to all for now!

Falleron

Oct 21, 2004, 11:35 AM

Ignore this post if its already been answered. (I only scanned over the responses). Boot from the OSX cd + do a repair permissions. Worth a try at least as a start point.

Punani

Oct 21, 2004, 11:36 AM

There are a bunch of ways to get around those things, ya know. I used to be a sysadmin at a nearby university. It was my job to know how to beat the system.Oh yeah, I know. I mean, banning MAC Address really doesn't do much if you know what you're doing.

tamara6

Oct 21, 2004, 11:51 AM

What IP number have you been given? And are you connecting directly via ethernet to the wall jack, or is there a modem or something between the wall and your computer?

t300

Oct 21, 2004, 12:03 PM

What IP number have you been given? And are you connecting directly via ethernet to the wall jack, or is there a modem or something between the wall and your computer?

It's my PB wired to my router wired to the wall.

This is such a tricky situation because everything is so weird. I don't know if it's my PB, my ISP, or my router...There could be so many problems with each one of them which makes this oh so frusterating.

tamara6

Oct 21, 2004, 12:23 PM

So the easiest thing to do is connect your powerbook directly to the wall. If it works then you know it is your router. I have a friend that has persistant problems with her router and her powerbook - problems just like what you describe. PCs on her network connect just fine, but sometimes her powerbook and router just don't communicate with each other.

What is the IP number that your powerbook has while still connected to the router? What is the IP number that it has when connected directly to your internet service (no router in between)?

frozenstar

Oct 21, 2004, 02:01 PM

Well, the HOST thing on Terminal did not work. I got :

connection timed out; no servers could be reached.

<SNIP>

I called my ISP and they are useless and the tech support doesn't even have technicians. They had to schedule one to call me within 24-48 hours. RIDIC-ULOUS. They won't do much, I know...

On my girlfriend's computer, her DNS server showed up as my router address. I tried plugging it in...Didn't do much.

Okay, the reason host didn't work is because it needs access to a DNS server in order to perform queries. You'll have to manually specify a working DNS server. But forget that for now.

Some routers don't forward actual DNS server addresses when they provide DHCP leases. They just provide their own address and perform name resolution by proxy. So that's what your router is doing. Many routers can display the DNS server fields received from your ISP in the web interface. I'm not sure if yours can; I think you said you tried that though and couldn't find anything.
But if you tried entering the router's address in the DNS Server List under Network in System Preferences and you still weren't able to resolve names, then it seems likely that the problem lies in Panther's networking implementation, for the simple reason that it works on your girlfriend's computer. Just to clarify, you are getting a lease from your router, right? Panther isn't just auto-assigning an internal address? I think the 167 network is used for auto-assignment. Networks like 10 and 192 are used for private networks. That's what you should be seeing in the IP address field in System Preferences.
Either way, it can't hurt to reset your router to factory defaults. If that still doesn't work then just forget about Macs and switch to Windows permanently.

Just kidding about that last part.

tamara6

Oct 21, 2004, 03:41 PM

There was a bug with nslookupd in 10.2 that would allow nslookup to contact a DNS, but sometimes programs like Safari were not able to. I know they supposedly have fixed this bug, but it doesn't hurt to check.

The next thing we need to know is the IP number that you're being assigned. It could point the way to the problem.

I would guess that the problem comes is between the router and the powerbook. Either your powerbook and router are not talking to each other or the DNS settings are not correct and need to be fixed. The IP number will allow us to know if the powerbook and router are communicating.

t300

Oct 21, 2004, 04:19 PM

Okay...Well, I just got off the phone with Paetec, the ISP...

In the end (not really), I came up with a few new answers and of course, a few new questions.

1. There is a problem with my router in that it's not sorting out the ISP's IP and so forth...

2. The IP I was getting was wrong and not what I should have been given.

3. He told me the DNS server to use, but said it wasn't really neccesary.

4. He said something about enabling "NAT" on my router.

5. We determined that plugging directly into the wall, I get the right IP and can access the internet. I had tried this several times before but it didn't work....why? See 6.

6. We determined that one of my many cables could indeed be faulty and it just so happened that I used it to connect to.

So I tried working with that info after I hung up the phone and got a few things done but am still puzzled by some...I have 3 ethernet cables. One, which supposedly screwed things up in the first place. One that is too short, and one that is a few inches shorter than that. So it won't reach my desk, but from my router it would. But I can't connect through my router, at least not successfuly and in a way I know how. So I am sitting on my bed, typing this, plugged right into the wall next to me, wondering where in NYC I need to go to get a new ethernet cable.

One thing is bothering me though...The internet is slllooowww. Maybe it's because I AM on a network of tons of people, but it is usually faster during all times of the day. Another thing, upon murdering and resurrecting Safari dozens of times I lost all my bookmarks... iSync with .Mac, right? I thought so too, but can't seem to access it. I keep getting an error. I appreciate all your help in guiding me through this, and unfortunately, I am still accepting suggestions, etc....Thanks!

tamara6

Oct 21, 2004, 04:51 PM

How do you administer your router? From a web browser? From a (non-browser) program on your mac? Some other way?

t300

Oct 22, 2004, 12:32 AM

http://www.buffalotech.com/support/faq.php#19

A-ha! I found this on the Buffalo site...SO I guess I'm not the only one, eh?

Well, Paetec gave me this DNS:

DNS1-NYC.PAETEC.NET

I can't type this in on the TCP/IP panel on Network, I don't know why...It only allows some characters.

So I follow those instructions and go through the browser to access the router... and get to the primary and secondary DNS server entry. It says to copy down what you see there, and of course, for me, there is nothing there. Well, I'm stuck in my tracks now because it only allows me to enter a certain amount of characters and only "DNS1-NYC.PAETEC" fits...No ".NET"
So now I don't know what to do...I think I have found a solution, but still not sure.

Right now I am plugged into the wall but it too is NOT 100 percent at all and is kind of screwy. Pages open slow, iChat doesn't work...It's a mess.

tamara6

Oct 22, 2004, 08:07 AM

Try using this instead 66.153.50.66 That is the ip number of the dns that they gave you.

t300

Oct 22, 2004, 11:23 AM

Try using this instead 66.153.50.66 That is the ip number of the dns that they gave you.

Okay mate...I tried this and put it in the browser config for the router, didn't do much, so then I added it to the Network settings in the TCP/IP section...So then I had my Mac connected to my router connected to the wall. I launched both Safari and Firefox, I typed in www.hiptop.com in Firefox and it came up..I went through the the forums, read some messages, and even replied. So then I did a new tab and typed in www.macrumors.com, couldn't find it. Then I typed in www.gizmodo.com, couldn't find it...Then I did the same with CNN.Com, T-Mobile.Com, etc. Yet, I could still go back and search through Hiptop.com and everything, both in Safari and Firefox. JEEZ, what is up here...