Safari (and others) not loading pages, DNS issue?

[UUMickey]

Hi, folks.

I've got a Macbook Pro running OSX 10.6.8 and Safari 5.1. A week ago Safari (and Firefox, and Chrome) all stopped completely loading web pages. Sometimes I get a partial page load, sometimes I get a blank page and eternally spinning loading icon. Most of the time I get a message that 31 of 35 (or whatever) items loaded and it won't go beyond that.

It doesn't matter what site a visit, the behavior is the same. Since this is across multiple browsers I suspect this isn't browser related but network related. It started after I returned from vacation and had connected to a wireless network at a relative's house.

This behavior only happens when connected via ethernet. When I connect via wireless at home the problem is not present.

I have verified my DNS servers are correctly set in /etc/resolv.conf and the Network control panel.

I have cleared my cache and reset Safari.

I have flushed the DNS cache manually via the command line.

I've turned off DNS prefetching.

I've run out of troubleshooting techniques and appeal to everyone else. Any ideas?

Mick

 

[dusk007]

Now that you have Safari reset and flushed, do you still get partial loads or doesn't it load anything at all now.

When connected over ethernet what does the network panel say or the terminal. Do you get all the right IP addresses?
What did you set as an DNS server? If it works with wireless the one set in the modem should work and you really shouldn't need to set any different DNS, just take the router and will forward everything.
You use DHCP or not?

I am guessing you manually set to much stuff and Wireless works because it just does everything automatically.

 

[r0k]

Hi, folks.

I've got a Macbook Pro running OSX 10.6.8 and Safari 5.1. A week ago Safari (and Firefox, and Chrome) all stopped completely loading web pages. Sometimes I get a partial page load, sometimes I get a blank page and eternally spinning loading icon. Most of the time I get a message that 31 of 35 (or whatever) items loaded and it won't go beyond that.

It doesn't matter what site a visit, the behavior is the same. Since this is across multiple browsers I suspect this isn't browser related but network related. It started after I returned from vacation and had connected to a wireless network at a relative's house.

This behavior only happens when connected via ethernet. When I connect via wireless at home the problem is not present.

I have verified my DNS servers are correctly set in /etc/resolv.conf and the Network control panel.

I have cleared my cache and reset Safari.

I have flushed the DNS cache manually via the command line.

I've turned off DNS prefetching.

I've run out of troubleshooting techniques and appeal to everyone else. Any ideas?

Mick

Is your wired ethernet using DHCP? What router do you use? Is it an airport extreme or something else? What are you doing editing resolv.conf? Use system preferences to change your network settings.

It sounds like you manually changed DNS settings for wired connections but kept your hands off for wireless hence wireless still works. If you have entered any DNS settings, use system preferences to change them to 8.8.8.8 (google) or delete them entirely and allow them to either be set by DHCP or point them to your router, ie 192.168.2.1 (or whatever).

Also I should mention that DNS failure usually puts up a "page cannot be reached" error, not a partially loaded page. Do you have flash enabled? Flash tends to go out and fetch more stuff, hence the 23 of 25 items loaded, and if flash is looking at the wrong DNS the loads will never complete and flash isn't courteous enough to come back and tell you something, it just hangs. Before you waste more time troubleshooting your DNS, install a flash blocker and try loading your pages and everything that is html based should load just fine. You'll be amazed how much you can get done in plain html and you won't have to be distracted by monkeys juggling bananas when you're trying to read the news.

 

[UUMickey]

Thanks for the responses.

More details. The Mac is connected to the office network via Ethernet, it's set to DHCP and I've not diddled with the DNS settings. I've tested the same sites from the PC sitting next the MBP on my desk using the same DNS settings and it does not have the problems, so the issue is limited to the MBP.

This morning I also ran a permissions fix as well as a cache cleaner. That seemed to clear it up for a short time, but the problem resurfaced.

 

[r0k]

Thanks for the responses.

More details. The Mac is connected to the office network via Ethernet, it's set to DHCP and I've not diddled with the DNS settings. I've tested the same sites from the PC sitting next the MBP on my desk using the same DNS settings and it does not have the problems, so the issue is limited to the MBP.

This morning I also ran a permissions fix as well as a cache cleaner. That seemed to clear it up for a short time, but the problem resurfaced.

I'm sure Apple support could talk you through some 90 minute fix for this but you might be better off doing an "archive and install" of OS X. It is a gentle brute force approach that does wonders for fixing things that otherwise might require hours of debugging. Why do I call it a gentle brute force approach? It is reinstalling the OS which is brute force. It is gentle because it leaves your data intact. Of course, things can go terribly wrong even with something as mundane as an archive and install so make sure your first priority is to back up your data to some external device such as network attached storage, a usb disk, or the cloud before you go any further on this.

 

[UUMickey]

I'm sure Apple support could talk you through some 90 minute fix for this but you might be better off doing an "archive and install" of OS X. It is a gentle brute force approach that does wonders for fixing things that otherwise might require hours of debugging. Why do I call it a gentle brute force approach? It is reinstalling the OS which is brute force. It is gentle because it leaves your data intact. Of course, things can go terribly wrong even with something as mundane as an archive and install so make sure your first priority is to back up your data to some external device such as network attached storage, a usb disk, or the cloud before you go any further on this.

I kinda fear this is the route I am going to have to go.

Continuing to dig, the only pattern I see is that this mostly happens with ads/content delivery networks. Typically, the crap we don't want to see anyways. I am testing the flash blocker approach right now. But I really can't see what might have changed. It is definitely related to the ethernet connection only.

Mick

 

[jjq224]

Thanks for the responses.

More details. The Mac is connected to the office network via Ethernet, it's set to DHCP and I've not diddled with the DNS settings. I've tested the same sites from the PC sitting next the MBP on my desk using the same DNS settings and it does not have the problems, so the issue is limited to the MBP.

This morning I also ran a permissions fix as well as a cache cleaner. That seemed to clear it up for a short time, but the problem resurfaced.

I feel you are over-thinking the issue. At first I was going to suggest a different Cat 5 cable - but since you brought the MPB to the office, logic states you probably already used a different cable (unless you brought yours - in which case, try a new one). The other, even simpler answer could be your Ethernet port on the MBP could be going bad.

The only reason I suggest hardware is that you have no problems wireless.

I'd be interested to know what you find out.

 

[UUMickey]

I feel you are over-thinking the issue. At first I was going to suggest a different Cat 5 cable - but since you brought the MPB to the office, logic states you probably already used a different cable (unless you brought yours - in which case, try a new one). The other, even simpler answer could be your Ethernet port on the MBP could be going bad.

The only reason I suggest hardware is that you have no problems wireless.

I'd be interested to know what you find out.

This, too, is an excellent point. And much easier to try out 🙂 I will take the MBP home and hook it to my wired network there and see if the behavior continues. Am thinking about taking it to the Genius bar too, as much as that pains me 🙂

Mick