Strange behaviour trying to connect to websites. Help!

robertduffy · Nov 14, 2004

Hi everyone --

Recently I've started to have some strange behaviour with my various web browsers.

When trying to connect to a site, 75% of first attempts I get a "URL not found, please try again" message. If I click on the link a second try, the site loads up fine.

I've duplicated this on Firefox 1.0, Mozilla 1.7, latest Safari. I am using OS X, all of my software updates are current. I'm on a Powerbook G4, and I use Airport to connect.

Any idea why this is happening? It's not the end of the world, but it's certainly annoying.

I'm not sure if it's my connection, my software, or my hardware. Or all of the above.

annk · Nov 15, 2004

This happens to me, too. I've duplicated it in Safari, Camino and Mozilla. I know one other person who has the same thing happen. I've got the same specs as robertduffy. It's very weird - the wireless signal is strong, and I can send mail, but the first attempt at connecting to a site just doesn't work. And it doesn't seem to be certain sites, either.

Applespider · Nov 15, 2004

I get this intermittently - less than 1% of pages that I go to - on my Mac but it does seem to be a problem that several people are having more regularly.
Then again, for the past week at work, I've been having a similar problem on my work Windows PC where pages can't be found first time around so it might be a general web problem on occasion?

Veldek · Nov 15, 2004

I had this problem some time ago and have it again now. I read it came back with the 10.3.6 update. You have to manually fill the DNS server or something like this IIRC. You can get the values from your provider.

russed · Nov 15, 2004

yay! i get it too! its really annoying!

fuzzynavo · Nov 15, 2004

same here, i get it around 5% of the time though. i never had the problem before, it seem to have crept up a few weeks ago. i cant remember if this was before or after updating to 10.3.6...unfortunately i have no idea the cause or solution to this problem.

runplaysleeprun · Nov 15, 2004

I experience this as well. Same set up, powerbook through airport. I find that it happens nearly 100% of the time if I have never been to the website before, and (as far as i've noticed) never happens to websites I've been to recently. Maybe their DNS info is still in a cache somewhere, and therefore doesnt have to be accessed from a server. is there even such a thing as a DNS cache? or am i making that up? i'm not sure if I can trace this problem back to the 10.3.6 update, but, its a possibility

robertduffy · Nov 15, 2004

well, it's good to know i'm not alone in the frustration.

now, if only we had a fix!

sie0174@gmail.c · Nov 16, 2004

so now that we have quite a few people experiencing the problem, how do we get apple to fix it?

dotnina · Nov 16, 2004

I know there's a zillion of us now, but I just have to say --

I get this, too!!

I even posted a thread on it a while back ... I thought I was the only one! I had taken to fiddling with our wireless network, thinking that was the problem somehow.

I'm running 10.3.6 now, but I think this may have started when I had 10.3.5.

redAPPLE · Nov 16, 2004

whining...

G5, x.3.6, safari. same problem. i tried resetting safari. no solution. anyone care to scan the Apple forums?

redAPPLE · Nov 16, 2004

this seems to happen, if i visit a new website, i have not visited before.

AmigoMac · Nov 16, 2004

Same here

but it happens normally when a site is redirected to other name:

dailyf1.com >> http://f1.racing-live.com

first attempt doesn't work but then it's there, that must be a kind of firewall problem, it came since 10.3.5 when there was a security update that changed safari. (I'm pretty sure).

I heard/read that this was a DNS problem but no idea how to fix it at all.

GeckoHD · Nov 16, 2004

I get this too, with about 20% of the links I click. Second attempt usually connects to the site no problem. Only seems to effect Safari, and not Firefox on my machine, G5 2.5ghz, 2GBram.

Would love to find a fix. Its the only issue my computer has.

winwintoo · Nov 16, 2004

Call your ISP find out the addresses of their DNS servers, put them in the spaces on the TCP/IP panel of your network system preference pane. Problem solved.

If you're on DSL, your ISP might tell you that you don't need the DNS servers. Tell them that it's a change in Mac OS 10.3.6 and now you need them. It's a Mac thing, <groan> <sigh> they won't know what you're talking about, but they'll give them to you anyway.

It'll be strings of numbers like xxx.xxx.xx.x

HTH, Margaret

Moog101 · Nov 16, 2004

I also get the exact same problem, when I visit 50% of sites I get the same "Server not found" error and have to refresh to load the page. This is regardless of if i've visited the site before or not.

I installed a new wireless router at the same time I got my new Powerbook so I didn't know if the problem was caused by the router, ISP or the PB/Software. I've spent countless hours fiddling with the router settings with no luck. At least as it seems i'm not the only one with this problem so a fix might be found.

M

AmigoMac · Nov 16, 2004

winwintoo said:
Call your ISP find out the addresses of their DNS servers, put them in the spaces on the TCP/IP panel of your network system preference pane. Problem solved.

If you're on DSL, your ISP might tell you that you don't need the DNS servers. Tell them that it's a change in Mac OS 10.3.6 and now you need them. It's a Mac thing, <groan> <sigh> they won't know what you're talking about, but they'll give them to you anyway.

It'll be strings of numbers like xxx.xxx.xx.x

HTH, Margaret

Thanks!!!

it works!

Next thread!

mkubal · Nov 16, 2004

I've been having the same problem so I got the DNS numbers and put them in. No problems for the past couple days. But I was wondering, the new airport update mentions DNS updates of some sort. Can anyone confirm that this fixes the problem as opposed to manual entry of the DNS servers?

Matt

Mustafa · Nov 16, 2004

winwintoo said:
Call your ISP find out the addresses of their DNS servers, put them in the spaces on the TCP/IP panel of your network system preference pane. Problem solved.

If you're on DSL, your ISP might tell you that you don't need the DNS servers. Tell them that it's a change in Mac OS 10.3.6 and now you need them. It's a Mac thing, <groan> <sigh> they won't know what you're talking about, but they'll give them to you anyway.

It'll be strings of numbers like xxx.xxx.xx.x

HTH, Margaret

I tried to contact my ISP for this, but they were estimating a 45min wait to get answered, so I hung up. Does any UK reader happen to know the numbers for BT Yahoo broadband servers, or another way I can find them? The help menu doesn't carry this info.

wrldwzrd89 · Nov 16, 2004

I have an issue similar to this one when I connect to the Internet over AirPort on my iMac. Periodically, my connection simply drops out, then comes back. When it drops out, everything web-related becomes slow or stops altogether. When it comes back (which never takes more than 1 second) it works again. If I check the AirPort reception in the menu it says zero when it drops out. Any ideas? Would starting a new thread about this be a good idea?

abhishekit · Nov 16, 2004

wrldwzrd89 said:
I have an issue similar to this one when I connect to the Internet over AirPort on my iMac. Periodically, my connection simply drops out, then comes back. When it drops out, everything web-related becomes slow or stops altogether. When it comes back (which never takes more than 1 second) it works again. If I check the AirPort reception in the menu it says zero when it drops out. Any ideas? Would starting a new thread about this be a good idea?

I am having the same issue with my school's connection on my pb. Connection just disappears, then comes back. And many times it doesn't work on coming back. I have to turn the airport card off and on again.
I downloaded the airport update today afternoon, and it has not happened yet. I will see if it happens again tomorrow.

Mudbug · Nov 16, 2004

according to a kbase thread I was reading about this (looking for the link) it helps a little to turn off IPv6 if you can, in addition to manually setting your DNS server settings.

these two things in combo have fixed this problem for me, which was really starting to get irritating. All's well now.

wrldwzrd89 · Nov 16, 2004

Mudbug said:
according to a kbase thread I was reading about this (looking for the link) it helps a little to turn off IPv6 if you can, in addition to manually setting your DNS server settings.

these two things in combo have fixed this problem for me, which was really starting to get irritating. All's well now.

Which one Mudbug? My problem or the original poster's problem? It isn't clear from your post.

sie0174@gmail.c · Nov 17, 2004

settings change...

first, i dont like the idea of having to change settings. this is a problem apple created, shouldnt they be the ones fixing it? I realize this is an effective work-around, but isn't it really just ignoring the problem?

second, do i change the DNS settings in my network control panel, or in my wireless router's settings?

thanks.

HiRez · Nov 17, 2004

abhishekit said:
I am having the same issue with my school's connection on my pb. Connection just disappears, then comes back. And many times it doesn't work on coming back.

I used to have this problem, and it turned out that a neighbor was using another Airport on the same channel as me. In Airport Admin Utility, try changing the channel to another one the next time it happens (you'll have to wait for the base station to restart).

Strange behaviour trying to connect to websites. Help!

macrumors newbie

Administrator

macrumors G4

macrumors 68000

macrumors 68000

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502a

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68030

macrumors 68030

macrumors 68020

macrumors member

macrumors 6502

macrumors member

macrumors 68020

macrumors 6502a

macrumors regular

macrumors G5

macrumors 65816

Administrator emeritus

macrumors G5

macrumors newbie

macrumors 603

Our Staff