I want my 2011 MBP off the internet. Entirely. For good. No internet.

[California]

One of the funnier threads this one lol. OP there is a difference between "trying" to access the internet and actually accessing it. If you have your ethernet cable unplugged and wifi turned off the computer cannot access the internet. Many apps will TRY to "phone home" to see if there are updates ect even if the computer has no internet connection.

Again, this is NOT what happened.

I was pinged for a current update even though I disconnected airport/bluetooth etc.

The app on my computer had no way of knowing that a new version was coming out that moment.

That information about a new update came from outside the computer.

It was an "incoming" ping notification that a new version had been released,
not a outgoing seek'n'find thing.

I was pinged on my disabled computer at almost the same time my "online" computers were pinged by the same app update.

That's what caught my attention.

Then just to test it, I opened up Word and Word wanted to connect through an open port, and LS wanted my permission to let it connect through it's "internal network".

That's when I wrote some other old time MR members who were stumped,

then started this thread as a vain attempt to not have to go in and dismantle all hardware.

 

[aristobrat]

What's the Microsoft "internal network"?

By "internal network", I meant the network on your side of the router.

 

[Runt888]

Thank you California, I needed a good laugh today

 

[California]

Thank you California, I needed a good laugh today

Weird.

 

[aristobrat]

Again, this is NOT what happened.

I was pinged for a current update even though I disconnected airport/bluetooth etc.

The app on my computer had no way of knowing that a new version was coming out that moment.

That information about a new update came from outside the computer.

I don't know which version of Office you're running, so this may not be the same, but my Office is configured to automatically check for updates every week.

Once a week, the Office Update window appears automatically (it's a scheduled task), regardless of if I have Internet connectivity or not.

It was an "incoming" ping notification that a new version had been released, not a outgoing seek'n'find thing.

The thing about that is that your router will not allow "incoming" anythings <including pings> unless you've either gone out of your way to setup port-forwarding, or your router supports the uPNP feature and some app on your Mac configured your router to allow that.

Microsoft Office most definitely doesn't use uPNP, and you'd remember if you've setup port forwarding.

If that's the case, anything "incoming" from the Internet that makes it through your router is a response to something "outgoing" that was first sent from a computer on your network.

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

Again, this is NOT what happened.

I was pinged for a current update even though I disconnected airport/bluetooth etc.

The app on my computer had no way of knowing that a new version was coming out that moment.

That information about a new update came from outside the computer.

It was an "incoming" ping notification that a new version had been released,
not a outgoing seek'n'find thing.

I was pinged on my disabled computer at almost the same time my "online" computers were pinged by the same app update.

That's what caught my attention.

Then just to test it, I opened up Word and Word wanted to connect through an open port, and LS wanted my permission to let it connect through it's "internal network".

That's when I wrote some other old time MR members who were stumped,

then started this thread as a vain attempt to not have to go in and dismantle all hardware.

I'm sorry but that's what is exactly what's happening. I have a very old windows PC, 10 years old so it doesn't have a wireless card (too lazy to buy and it died last month anyway). I had Windows 7 installed with Microsoft Office and guess what, it automatically pinged an update due to its weekly updating schedule. Initially I thought it was akin to my Mazda getting the engine light on for a software update but upon further investigation it doesn't show any updates, just that the program automatically checks every week (I had the ethernet disconnected so it's not connected oh I also tested this by opening up Chrome at the time). Now a days, nearly every program pings the internet for whatever service, this shouldn't' be surprising or suspicious (I guess it can be if you're into that NSA kind of thing).

If you honestly want this to stop there's the ability to delete the program trying to ping the update server but no guarantees it will mess up the install (never tried it but it technically shouldn't cause problems). IMO it seem the best method would be for you to install an older version of Office, perhaps try to find the last one that would constantly ping for updates (Might be 2004 I remember 2008 having to ping for updates weekly or however many days it's set up).

 

[California]

By "internal network", I meant the network on your side of the router.

I don't know which version of Office you're running, so this may not be the same, but my Office is configured to automatically check for updates every week.

Once a week, the Office Update window appears automatically (it's a scheduled task), regardless of if I have Internet connectivity or not.


The thing about that is that your router will not allow "incoming" anythings <including pings> unless you've either gone out of your way to setup port-forwarding, or your router supports the uPNP feature and some app on your Mac configured your router to allow that.

Microsoft Office most definitely doesn't use uPNP, and you'd remember if you've setup port forwarding.

If that's the case, anything "incoming" from the Internet that makes it through your router is a response to something "outgoing" that was first sent from a computer on your network.

I'm sorry but that's what is exactly what's happening. I have a very old windows PC, 10 years old so it doesn't have a wireless card (too lazy to buy and it died last month anyway). I had Windows 7 installed with Microsoft Office and guess what, it automatically pinged an update due to its weekly updating schedule. Initially I thought it was akin to my Mazda getting the engine light on for a software update but upon further investigation it doesn't show any updates, just that the program automatically checks every week (I had the ethernet disconnected so it's not connected oh I also tested this by opening up Chrome at the time). Now a days, nearly every program pings the internet for whatever service, this shouldn't' be surprising or suspicious (I guess it can be if you're into that NSA kind of thing).

If you honestly want this to stop there's the ability to delete the program trying to ping the update server but no guarantees it will mess up the install (never tried it but it technically shouldn't cause problems). IMO it seem the best method would be for you to install an older version of Office, perhaps try to find the last one that would constantly ping for updates (Might be 2004 I remember 2008 having to ping for updates weekly or however many days it's set up).

SwitchResX pinged me AFTER I DISCONNECTED THE AIRPORTBTCABLES.

It was NOT A LSNITCH PING. IT WAS A SRX PING.

I noticed it because it pinged me almost simultaneously with another computer that WAS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET THAT HAS SRX INSTALLED.

BOTH COMPUTERS GOT PINGED BY THAT SRX APP.

Later Word did the thing I was saying it did.

I thought I said this originally.

WORD DID NOT PING ME WITH UPDATES.

Word wanted to connect to the Rockwell PORT 2222 thing through L S.

THOSE TWO INCIDENTS ON ONE COMPUTER, TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, ONE PINGING ME, THE OTHER TRYING TO ASK MY PERMISSION TO CONNECT TO AN OPEN PORTAL told me there was some back way that the "internets" were still getting onto my computer.

I just did NOT WANT TO HAVE TO GO THE TROUBLE OF TAKING OUT ALL THE HARDWARE TO PREVENT CONNECTIVITY
AND I WAS ASTONISHED AT THE TENACITY OF THESE APPS.

Not being a PC person, ever, having never owned one in my life, yes I am a lifer Machead, since 1989, the Word obnoxiousness was not quite evident to me until I bought Word for Mac 2011 and promptly gave it away to a relative. But it's not Word I am upset with, it is that there was a back door to our computers that requires quite a lot of effort to strip down our machines to their basic productivity as word processors. Which is all I wanted.

I want my Macs for my own productivity not for corporate or state aggrandizement; a goal which, if you use your machines for work, you undoubtedly share with me.

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm getting on with my goal of productivity off the internets. Hoping peace and productivity to you all, thanks again.

 

[Toutou]

I was pinged for a current update even though I disconnected airport/bluetooth etc.

I was pinged on my disabled computer

SwitchResX pinged me AFTER I DISCONNECTE

it pinged me

COMPUTERS GOT PINGED

Nothing can "ping" your computer when it's disconnected from the internet. There is no way. A "ping" is a word with a specific meaning, it's a network testing utility that uses very simple packets to "ask" another computer whether it's connected and reachable.
Your programs were SCHEDULED to open these update alerts. Nothing from the internet had been able to tell them there's an update.

THE OTHER TRYING TO ASK MY PERMISSION TO CONNECT TO AN OPEN PORTAL

It's a "port". Ports are a networking thing. When a packet comes from the internet, it doesn't just appear in your network interface card yelling DADDY'S BACK, BIATCHEZ. It's small and humble and tells the interface "oh hello, i'm from the internet and i'd like to go through port 29 or 834 or 41890" or whatever number - different apps and services use different ports. For example, port 21 is for FTP - file transfer. Port 80 is for HTTP - webpages go through this port. Each computer (its network interface card, precisely) has over sixty five thousand ports. Some of them are open, some of them are closed by a firewall, some of them are reserved for special things.
So, ports are a software way to keep things clean. Instead of the OS having to take each packet and ask every running process on your computer HEY, WHOSE PACKET IS THIS, it just looks at the port number and instantly knows that this one goes to the browser and this one is for a torrent downloader and this one is suspicious and gets blocked.

the "internets" were still getting onto my computer

No, they weren't and now you know why. You saw scheduled things happening and outbound traffic trying to reach the internet (unsuccessfully).

there was a back door to our computers

There aren't any. Now when you know what ports are, you can clearly see that a packet trying to go out through port 2222 (or any other) of your DISCONNECTED network interface is exactly like a passenger John Doe coming to a closed railway station and asking for a ticket for the 8:00 morning express.

 

[alexmarchuk]

You allow the software to run on your computer, this retroactively means you allow it access to whatever the EULA stated.

 

[duervo]

Oh dear. I fear that this is one of those times where ignorance truly is bliss. If anything should be learned here, it's that sometimes Little Snitch can do more harm than good.

 

[aristobrat]

But it's not Word I am upset with, it is that there was a back door to our computers that requires quite a lot of effort to strip down our machines to their basic productivity as word processors.

Like how Toutou mentioned that the term "ping" has a specific meaning when talking about networking, the term "back door" also has a specific meaning when talking about computers.

From Wikipedia: A backdoor in a computer system is a method of bypassing normal authentication, securing unauthorized remote access to a computer, or obtaining access to plaintext while attempting to remain undetected.

Neither SRX or Word allow anyone to remotely access your Mac, much less allow remote access in a manner that bypasses normal authentication or in a manner that tries to remain undetected. Neither of those apps can be considered back doors.

1. The SwitchResX utility has an update process that can launch on its own, regardless of if your computer is connected to a network or not. Nothing from the Internet "pings" your computers to make this update window open.

2. Microsoft Office has an update process that can launch on its own, regardless of if your computer is connected to a network or not. Nothing from the Internet "pings" your computers to make that make this update window open.

3. Microsoft Office has an anti-piracy feature that checks to see if other Macs in your house are using a product key that only allows one copy to run at a time. This process involves opening ports on your Mac, as well as trying to connect to the same ports on other devices in your house (to see if they're running Office at the same time). This activity creates Little Snitch notifications (because it's trying to scan/connect to ports on other devices in your house), but this activity isn't nefarious, will happen regardless of if your home (local) network is connected to the Internet, and does not create a back door on your Mac.

 

[noisycats]

Thanks all for the education. I've learned tons. Especially that some people have just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

 

[joe-h2o]

Just for s----- and giggles, I'm keeping LS. My problem was I could not understand how there were any portals open with a minimum of hardware disconnects.

Remain amazed how tenacious outside vendors are to access our machines.

Due, you really don't understand do you. This has got to be the best troll ever posted on this forum. If it's not then... I really don't know what to suggest other than to buy a tinfoil hat and velcro shoes.

The application ON YOUR COMPUTER is trying to reach out to OTHER computers on your LAN. No company is trying to "tenaciously" access your computer from outside.

With all of the physical hardware removed the network stack doesn't load, so there's no request that can be made to the stack to access the port. WORD STILL ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE REQUEST, but LS does not detect it because the networking interfaces are not present because you physically removed the hardware.

It is clear that you do not understand what is happening and coupled with your paranoia has made for a situation that you are attributing to literal impossibilities.

Just to be clear: MICROSOFT IS NOT TRYING TO ACCESS YOUR COMPUTER FROM THE INTERNET.

If Word is installed on your computer it WILL TRY TO ACCESS PORT 2222 even if no networking hardware is installed.

Little Snitch WILL ONLY DETECT THAT AN OUTBOUND ACCESS REQUEST IS MADE IF THE NETWORK HARDWARE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT.

The hilarious irony of all of this is that it's not even trying to access the internet - it is looking for other computers on your home network that are running Office at the same time. This is why the access request happens when you open a document - it is checking to see if you have Office running on another computer on your network using the same licence key. You can install that version of Office on multiple computers but you can only run one copy at a time, so if you open a document it will check your network and see if Office is already running and give you a dialog box that tells you to close Office on the other machine first. No request by this service goes beyond your home LAN.

I have no idea how this thread got so out of hand, other than the fact that you simply refuse to listen to people who clearly have more knowledge about this area than you do.

 

[DeltaMac]

So far, the OP appears to be unshakeable by real facts.
Pretty sure that no one can offer any ideas that will counter the OP's fixed opinions.

"My mind is made up. Don't try to confuse me with the facts!"

There's really not so much wrong with mis-interpreting what you see, unless it makes you spend money inappropriately, or makes you work too hard "fixing" something that doesn't need fixing.

A troll is, in the end, still a troll. This successful troll has more than 80 posts, so far.
Not sure if I could characterize any troll as "best", but this one has had a lot of leeway.
Time to let the troll go, methinks, and move on to something more worthwhile.

 

[California]

I don't know which version of Office you're running, so this may not be the same, but my Office is configured to automatically check for updates every week.

Once a week, the Office Update window appears automatically (it's a scheduled task), regardless of if I have Internet connectivity or not.


The thing about that is that your router will not allow "incoming" anythings <including pings> unless you've either gone out of your way to setup port-forwarding, or your router supports the uPNP feature and some app on your Mac configured your router to allow that.

Microsoft Office most definitely doesn't use uPNP, and you'd remember if you've setup port forwarding.

If that's the case, anything "incoming" from the Internet that makes it through your router is a response to something "outgoing" that was first sent from a computer on your network.

Like how Toutou mentioned that the term "ping" has a specific meaning when talking about networking, the term "back door" also has a specific meaning when talking about computers.

From Wikipedia: A backdoor in a computer system is a method of bypassing normal authentication, securing unauthorized remote access to a computer, or obtaining access to plaintext while attempting to remain undetected.

Neither SRX or Word allow anyone to remotely access your Mac, much less allow remote access in a manner that bypasses normal authentication or in a manner that tries to remain undetected. Neither of those apps can be considered back doors.

1. The SwitchResX utility has an update process that can launch on its own, regardless of if your computer is connected to a network or not. Nothing from the Internet "pings" your computers to make this update window open.

2. Microsoft Office has an update process that can launch on its own, regardless of if your computer is connected to a network or not. Nothing from the Internet "pings" your computers to make that make this update window open.

3. Microsoft Office has an anti-piracy feature that checks to see if other Macs in your house are using a product key that only allows one copy to run at a time. This process involves opening ports on your Mac, as well as trying to connect to the same ports on other devices in your house (to see if they're running Office at the same time). This activity creates Little Snitch notifications (because it's trying to scan/connect to ports on other devices in your house), but this activity isn't nefarious, will happen regardless of if your home (local) network is connected to the Internet, and does not create a back door on your Mac.

Due, you really don't understand do you. This has got to be the best troll ever posted on this forum. If it's not then... I really don't know what to suggest other than to buy a tinfoil hat and velcro shoes.

The application ON YOUR COMPUTER is trying to reach out to OTHER computers on your LAN. No company is trying to "tenaciously" access your computer from outside.

With all of the physical hardware removed the network stack doesn't load, so there's no request that can be made to the stack to access the port. WORD STILL ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE REQUEST, but LS does not detect it because the networking interfaces are not present because you physically removed the hardware.

It is clear that you do not understand what is happening and coupled with your paranoia has made for a situation that you are attributing to literal impossibilities.

Just to be clear: MICROSOFT IS NOT TRYING TO ACCESS YOUR COMPUTER FROM THE INTERNET.

If Word is installed on your computer it WILL TRY TO ACCESS PORT 2222 even if no networking hardware is installed.

Little Snitch WILL ONLY DETECT THAT AN OUTBOUND ACCESS REQUEST IS MADE IF THE NETWORK HARDWARE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT.

The hilarious irony of all of this is that it's not even trying to access the internet - it is looking for other computers on your home network that are running Office at the same time. This is why the access request happens when you open a document - it is checking to see if you have Office running on another computer on your network using the same licence key. You can install that version of Office on multiple computers but you can only run one copy at a time, so if you open a document it will check your network and see if Office is already running and give you a dialog box that tells you to close Office on the other machine first. No request by this service goes beyond your home LAN.

I have no idea how this thread got so out of hand, other than the fact that you simply refuse to listen to people who clearly have more knowledge about this area than you do.

Okay THANK YOU EVERYONE

So far, the OP appears to be unshakeable by real facts.
Pretty sure that no one can offer any ideas that will counter the OP's fixed opinions.

"My mind is made up. Don't try to confuse me with the facts!"

There's really not so much wrong with mis-interpreting what you see, unless it makes you spend money inappropriately, or makes you work too hard "fixing" something that doesn't need fixing.

A troll is, in the end, still a troll. This successful troll has more than 80 posts, so far.
Not sure if I could characterize any troll as "best", but this one has had a lot of leeway.
Time to let the troll go, methinks, and move on to something more worthwhile.

Hey OKAY I see what is going on. I am a hardware Mac person, not at all into how software works to my discredit. I will let you guys know if I Have any pings or anything on my lappie from here on in.

I've been on MR since 2004. Just around the time I made the jump from OS9 to Panther 10.3. Around the time I was too scared to add ram to my 400mhz Tibook.

Okay, and I'm a girl too. So go ahead and bash me for being a dumb girl about all this stuff.

Thanks for getting it through to me how these apps work.

 

[simonsi]

I have no idea how this thread got so out of hand, other than the fact that you simply refuse to listen to people who clearly have more knowledge about this area than you do.

There, right there, thats why LOL.

 

[simonsi]

Okay, and I'm a girl too. So go ahead and bash me for being a dumb girl about all this stuff..

you didn't come across as a girl at all - but if you want to use that excuse then go ahead. You just can't recognise when to listen, thats all. That would apply whatever gender you are.

WTF is a "hardware Mac person"?

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

Can we close this thread now? It's just going to be a bunch of back and forth between someone too paranoid and unable to accept the truth and people trying to help.