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Rebuild TCP/IP Stack in OS X?

beatsme

beatsme

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 6, 2005
1,204
2
does anybody know if there is a terminal command to reuild the TCP/IP stack in OSX? If so, what is it?

If there isn't a terminal command to rebuild the TCP/IP stack, is there another way to do it?

UPDATE:
I'm beginning to think it was a mistake to post this thread...
 
beatsme said:
does anybody know if there is a terminal command to reuild the TCP/IP stack in OSX? If so, what is it?

If there isn't a terminal command to rebuild the TCP/IP stack, is there another way to do it?
Click to expand...
What are you talking about?? You want to recompile the code that implements the TCP/IP protocols? Why?
 
daveL said:
What are you talking about?? You want to recompile the code that implements the TCP/IP protocols? Why?
Click to expand...

no, I want to re-install the TCP/IP component of the operating system (or return it to factory defaults) without having to re-install the OS.
 
I don't know of any way to rebuild the TCP/IP stack in OSX, but I really can't see why you would conceivably ever need to. It sounds more like you're trying to pursue a Windows solution to a problem in OSX than anything.
 
Sbrocket said:
I don't know of any way to rebuild the TCP/IP stack in OSX, but I really can't see why you would conceivably ever need to. It sounds more like you're trying to pursue a Windows solution to a problem in OSX than anything.
Click to expand...

ok thanks.
 
Never Mind

I found out how to do it. And it worked much as I expected it would...solved my issue completely.
 
Are we perhaps talking about flushing routing tables?

I don't think we're talking about playing with the TCP/IP stack.

If we actually are talking about recompiling the TCP/IP stack, what in the world were you doing?????
 
TrenchMouth said:
well...care to share? what is the point of being right if you cant rub it in?
Click to expand...

SC68Cal said:
Are we perhaps talking about flushing routing tables?

I don't think we're talking about playing with the TCP/IP stack.

If we actually are talking about recompiling the TCP/IP stack, what in the world were you doing?????
Click to expand...

no, we are not talking about recompiling the code. "Rebuilding the stack" is an IT term (in the PC world, or actually in the techie world) for sending the TCP/IP protocol suite back to it's original factory configuration. In WindowsXP, this is done by modifying the registry through a net shell command. The Windows registry (for those of you who are unfamiliar) is basically one big system-wide preference file...

anyway, what you do in OSX is go into System preferences and just ditch the Preferences file. I ordinarily prefer not to do that, since it can produce unexpected results; I'd usually rather tweak it just a bit. In any event, ditch the preference file and re-start. It will rebuild the preference file on startup.

I believe you can re-install the TCP/IP protocol suite by using the Install Disk and choosing to install core components only. Here again, I prefer not to do this as it can produce unexpected results i.e. it may replace something I'd rather it not.
 
beatsme said:
no, we are not talking about recompiling the code. "Rebuilding the stack" is an IT term (in the PC world, or actually in the techie world) for sending the TCP/IP protocol suite back to it's original factory configuration.
Click to expand...

Uh... What? I've never heard that term used before.

Anyway, you didn't "rebuild" any stack. You deleted your TCP/IP settings
 
beatsme said:
no, we are not talking about recompiling the code. "Rebuilding the stack" is an IT term (in the PC world, or actually in the techie world) for sending the TCP/IP protocol suite back to it's original factory configuration. In WindowsXP, this is done by modifying the registry through a net shell command. The Windows registry (for those of you who are unfamiliar) is basically one big system-wide preference file...

anyway, what you do in OSX is go into System preferences and just ditch the Preferences file. I ordinarily prefer not to do that, since it can produce unexpected results; I'd usually rather tweak it just a bit. In any event, ditch the preference file and re-start. It will rebuild the preference file on startup.

I believe you can re-install the TCP/IP protocol suite by using the Install Disk and choosing to install core components only. Here again, I prefer not to do this as it can produce unexpected results i.e. it may replace something I'd rather it not.
Click to expand...

Rebuilding the TCP/IP stack is typically unnecessary in OSX (and the term isn't used at all in practice with OSX maintenance, which accounts for some of the confusion). I've never actually heard of it being used to solve some problem that someone was having, and I have a feeling that you're jumping too quickly to common Windows solutions for problems that are more easily solved in OSX.

Reinstalling the whole stack would involve completely reinstalling the core system; there isn't any way to reinstall only the TCP/IP stack and nothing else. Of course you could do this pretty easily with an Archive and Install, but I can't see it ever being necessary.

SC68Cal said:
Uh... What? I've never heard that term used before.

Anyway, you didn't "rebuild" any stack. You deleted your TCP/IP settings
Click to expand...

"Rebuilding the TCP/IP stack" refers to resetting all the TCP/IP settings in the Windows registry to their factory default settings, not actually recompiling the stack. The term is never used with OSX, but that's what it refers to.
 
beatsme said:
no, we are not talking about recompiling the code. "Rebuilding the stack" is an IT term (in the PC world, or actually in the techie world) for sending the TCP/IP protocol suite back to it's original factory configuration. In WindowsXP, this is done by modifying the registry through a net shell command. The Windows registry (for those of you who are unfamiliar) is basically one big system-wide preference file...

anyway, what you do in OSX is go into System preferences and just ditch the Preferences file. I ordinarily prefer not to do that, since it can produce unexpected results; I'd usually rather tweak it just a bit. In any event, ditch the preference file and re-start. It will rebuild the preference file on startup.

I believe you can re-install the TCP/IP protocol suite by using the Install Disk and choosing to install core components only. Here again, I prefer not to do this as it can produce unexpected results i.e. it may replace something I'd rather it not.
Click to expand...


Thanks dude. I'm glad you figured it out. Hopefully I won't ever need to resort to such tactics but in case I do, I know there is an OS X equivalent. One question though...were you just trying to figure out how for ***** and giggles or did you really break something?
 
I love how people are *******s for no reason at all. OP, my network card has stopped working with my Wi-Fi network, hopefully this'll help, thanks! Care to say what preference file I need to delete?
 
beatsme said:
no, I want to re-install the TCP/IP component of the operating system (or return it to factory defaults) without having to re-install the OS.
Click to expand...

Cool, glad you found it. That probably wouldn't have been my first idea for doing it but if and when I do run across this in OS X I'll remember that trick. On the Windows side I usually use winsock patch. It does an excellent job of flushing all the settinga and alterations in the Windows TCP/IP stack.
 
Virtualball said:
I love how people are *******s for no reason at all. OP, my network card has stopped working with my Wi-Fi network, hopefully this'll help, thanks! Care to say what preference file I need to delete?
Click to expand...

I'm running OSX10.4.10 on an Intel Mini, so depending on what version of the OS you're using I'm not sure exactly what the name of the preference file will be for you. Mine was located here:

HD>Library>Preferences>System Configuration>preferences.plist

before you throw anything away, I would highly recommend you open the file you intend to ditch (with TextEdit) and have a look at the key settings and whatnot. If you see Network Services, Airport, AppleTalk (the dreaded AppleTalk...feh) and that kind of thing, then you've found the right preference file.

of course, you're going to want to write down your IP address/Subnet Mask, DNS settings, and proxy settings (if any) before you do this.

are you sure the network card hasn't just gone kerflooey?
 
SC68Cal said:
Don't use Textedit. Use the Plist editor that comes with Xcode.
Click to expand...

not necessary. TextEdit will work fine for what you are doing i.e. viewing the file. You're not modifying it at all, just looking at it.
 
SC68Cal said:
Don't use Textedit. Use the Plist editor that comes with Xcode.
Click to expand...

You could even modify it with TextEdit since it knows how to deal with text files but you'd be better off taking a look from TextMate or TextWrangler since they know how to deal with XML formatted files.
 
Well, my Network card probably is broken. It was working fine until I *gasp* tethered my iPhone and now my normal network's IP is stuck to the one I used when I tether my iPhone. I'm probably gunna take it into Apple, unless there's like a way to reset the network card or something. (I have no idea :p )
 
beatsme said:
I'm running OSX10.4.10 on an Intel Mini, so depending on what version of the OS you're using I'm not sure exactly what the name of the preference file will be for you. Mine was located here:

HD>Library>Preferences>System Configuration>preferences.plist

before you throw anything away, I would highly recommend you open the file you intend to ditch (with TextEdit) and have a look at the key settings and whatnot. If you see Network Services, Airport, AppleTalk (the dreaded AppleTalk...feh) and that kind of thing, then you've found the right preference file.

of course, you're going to want to write down your IP address/Subnet Mask, DNS settings, and proxy settings (if any) before you do this.

are you sure the network card hasn't just gone kerflooey?
Click to expand...


For next time, I think creating a new location in System Preferences will have the same effect, but it wont lose your old settings. :)
 
Here's a reason to "rebuild the TCP/IP Stack" in OS X?

I was looking for information to do the same type of thing. I have a G5, 10.4.11, that my faculty filled the HD to 99.84% capacity and of course file corruption set in and it fouled a bunch of system files. Booting to an external drive I got their data off and freed up about 30% of the HD. Still wouldn't boot, stuck at the blue progress bar at startup. Ran Drive Utility then DiskWarrior then Drive Genius, defragged etc. Bunch of crosslinked files, etc. later it still won't boot. This is, in my opinion, is a screwed up setup they use as a dropbox storage area for an XP lab to capture video files for our sign language classes which then then edit on the comptuer.

I don't like the standard archive and restore because I've seen problems with it on comptuers like this in the past, non standard configurations being used essentially as a storage server not on server OS or hardware.

I followed someone's bright idea of applying the 10.4.11 combo update to the drive, booted from my external. Great. It fixed the boot problem. Everything seems to work...except the network. It will not connect. So now I'm looking for the Mac OS X equivelent of "rebuild the TCP/IP Stack." Since, as someone in the thread said, you don't typically do this on a Mac it's new ground for me.

I'll try to flush the preferences. Just so you know there are reasons to ask for this type of information. Especially in places that have a messed up homogenous mix of Unix, Windows, OS2, Linux and Mac that have to integrate and work together against all reasonable thinking.
 
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