Finder hangs unless on internet

[aussie_geek]

Today my Powerbook is hanging after login ar a reboot. It logs in after I enter my password but then hangs for about 30 seconds before I can open anything on the desktop. However the problem does not exist when I have the cable modem turned on and connected to the Powerbook via Airport. It only happens when thr modem is off and not connected. I know this is not an Airport issue as it only started happening the other day. Before that there were no probs starting the computer when the internet was not on.

I have done disk permissions and all the cache flushing/ swap files etc in cocktail and also reset the PRAM. - No help...

Anyone have any ideas.

My dual G4 also has had the problem for quite some time now as well but I havent had to worry about it as it is always connected.

thanks,

Andrew

 

[aussie_geek]

ui server crash

I have looked in the log files and have found out it is a UI server crash...

What is going on?


aussie_geek

 

[tonywalker23]

possiblely? . . .
maybe it is trying to connect to idisk if you use it. i know that if you put idisk in your startup settings it will try to connect when you log in. maybe that is why it takes a while when you are offline. just a thought. if you arent a .mac member then you know it is not that.
www.preachertony.com

 

[cb911]

so you've got this set-up:

cable modem > Airport > PowerBook

is that right? no firewalls? (or does the Airport base station have a hardware firewall?)

well, it's always a bad idea to connect any computer straight to the 'net without and kind of hardware firewall. someone could access your PB, and you're especially a target because you're got broadband. that could be the cause of your problems...

 

[aussie_geek]

so you've got this set-up:

cable modem > Airport > PowerBook

is that right? no firewalls? (or does the Airport base station have a hardware firewall?)

well, it's always a bad idea to connect any computer straight to the 'net without and kind of hardware firewall. someone could access your PB, and you're especially a target because you're got broadband. that could be the cause of your problems...

I use the inbuilt OSX firewall and a 128 bit WEP encyription key. Is that enough?


I don't think this is a security issue though as I have been reading that there are others with the same problem and have been posting for quite some time regarding UI server crashes. It seems to be fine now - I am at work using a modem to get online. I will see what happens when I go home.

aussie_geek

 

[cb911]

yeah, the security should be enough, but it's just soemthing to be aware of.

if you've got a friend (either PC or Mac) that's got a laptop with Wi-Fi, get them over to your place and get them to use MacStumbler or the PC equivalent to see if they can find and acess your wireless network.

funny thing about the UI Server crashing...

another thing you could do is get Little Snitch - it'll alert you to any applications trying to contact the 'net.

well, let us know what you find.

 

[aussie_geek]

yeah, the security should be enough, but it's just soemthing to be aware of.

if you've got a friend (either PC or Mac) that's got a laptop with Wi-Fi, get them over to your place and get them to use MacStumbler or the PC equivalent to see if they can find and acess your wireless network.

funny thing about the UI Server crashing...

another thing you could do is get Little Snitch - it'll alert you to any applications trying to contact the 'net.

well, let us know what you find.

Yeah,

I gave little snitch a go and it came up with iTunes wanting to connect to something. I have iTunes as a startup item. I took iTunes off the startup items list and little snitch didn't pick up anything (i set little snitch to look for any network activity). I took iTunes off the startup list and the problem still occured. So it must not be iTunes related because when iTunes was not a startup item the problem was still there.

As for macstumbler I have that utility. When I run it i can't even find my network!

aussie_geek

 

[cb911]

As for macstumbler I have that utility. When I run it i can't even find my network!

well, that's a good start.

i don't know if you've ever tried this.... but my bro (PC laptop) went wardriving around Brissie here with Stumbler (whatever the PC version is called) and found quite a few wireless networks. i think it was about 40-50 within a 15min drive from our house. and quite a few of them weren't secured properly. he sent himself an email from someone else's connection. it's funny, most of the unsecured networks were in 'richer' uppermarket areas.

we've yet to go wardriving with both my PB and his PC laptop... should be very interesting.

did you see what iTunes wanted to connect to? was it an Apple server? if not...

 

[aussie_geek]

it's funny, most of the unsecured networks were in 'richer' uppermarket areas.

we've yet to go wardriving with both my PB and his PC laptop... should be very interesting.
.

Hmmm.

May have to take the PowerBook over to North Sydney or the eastern suburbs... Imagine that - last few days of the month when your download limit has been reached - 'but wait there's more'

aussie_geek

 

[cb911]

yep, worth a try.

and i just remembered, that's nothing compared with another hotspot my bro found... it's in a major shopping centre here in Brisbane, you can just go and sit down near this cafe, they've got seats provided (not in the cafe, or you might as well grab a coffee and sit in there ) and you can just sit there with your laptop and have free internet access!! and it's apparently faster than what we've got at home, which is 512k ADSL. i haven't gone there, but i've got to try that on with my PB some time.

*name of shopping centre withheld to stop them from changing their wireless setup*