Strange iBook network problems

[beeblebrox87]

I have recently been having problems getting my iBook to load websites. It can ping websites just fine, and resolve DNS names, but it can't load pages or connect to instant messenger or do anything that requires TCP. However, it can connect (via ssh, http, smb, whatever) to the Windows and Linux machines on my LAN just fine, and they can all connect to the internet. I have tried this with OS 10.2.5 and OS 9.2, with airport and regular ethernet, with internal firewall on and off, all to no avail. Upon changing the iBook's IP address, things work for a few seconds, and I can load about one website before it stops working again.

I have reflashed my router. I have disabled and re-enabled every interface in network preferences. I have tried DHCP and static IP. All to no avail. I haven't reinstalled the OS yet, but I would really like to avoid that. Does anybody have any idea what is wrong with this machine?

 

[zimv20]

if you've already fixed permissions, i would try varying:

1. from where i connect (take it to work or school?)
2. browsers

if that doesn't work, i'd try reinstalling the OS. weird that it would be messed up in osx and classic, though.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by zimv20
if you've already fixed permissions, i would try varying:

1. from where i connect (take it to work or school?)
2. browsers

if that doesn't work, i'd try reinstalling the OS. weird that it would be messed up in osx and classic, though.

1. School won't let me connect there.
2. Tried with Safari and Mozilla, plus I have tried using wget or curl to get individual files, they stop on the "connecting to website:80..."

What do you mean, fix permissions?
[edit] Never mind, I found it. Repairing disk permissions now. [/edit]

 

[Falleron]

Originally posted by beeblebrox87
1. School won't let me connect there.
2. Tried with Safari and Mozilla, plus I have tried using wget or curl to get individual files, they stop on the "connecting to website:80..."

What do you mean, fix permissions?
[edit] Never mind, I found it. Repairing disk permissions now. [/edit]

You are doing this repairing permissions from the OSX cd? Thats where you need to do it from.

1. Insert OSX cd + hold c key.
2. When installer boots, go to disk utility (file menu - i think). select osx drive.
3. Verify + repair permissions.

Probably what you are doing, just thought I would make sure you are doing it correct.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by Falleron
You are doing this repairing permissions from the OSX cd? Thats where you need to do it from.

1. Insert OSX cd + hold c key.
2. When installer boots, go to disk utility (file menu - i think). select osx drive.
3. Verify + repair permissions.

Probably what you are doing, just thought I would make sure you are doing it correct.

No, I'm doing it from the utility on the hard drive. Why is that a problem?

 

[iJon]

you can do it from the hard drive, at your school, what kind of network software do they use that prevents you from getting on.

iJon

 

[Falleron]

Originally posted by beeblebrox87
No, I'm doing it from the utility on the hard drive. Why is that a problem?

I believe that some corrections cant be made when the OSX drive is active. It may well sort your problems out. However, its probably worth doing it from the cd as well. See what other people say.

 

[beeblebrox87]

OK, tried it from the utility on the hard drive, but the network problem persists. Any other ideas? If not, which disk do I boot from?

 

[ibookin']

It strikes me as odd that you can see the local machines but not the internet, which would indicate a problem on the router side.

Can the PCs connect to the web? What kind of router do you have? Also, have you set the router IP in the field in the Network Settings dialog?

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by ibookin'@mwny
It strikes me as odd that you can see the local machines but not the internet, which would indicate a problem on the router side.

Can the PCs connect to the web? What kind of router do you have? Also, have you set the router IP in the field in the Network Settings dialog?

Yes, the Windows and Linux systems can all connect fine. The router is a Linksys BEFW11S4. Yes, the router IP field is fine. If it wasn't I wouldn't be able to ping the internet, but I can ping, just not do anything TCP-based (ping is ICMP I think, DNS resolve is UDP, both work fine).

It does seem to be a problem on the router side. I have powercycled, reflashed, and cursed at the router, all to no effect. Any idea what could be wrong with the router, then?

 

[GeeYouEye]

Zap the PRAM (cmnd-option-p-r at startup until you hear the third startup chime). That's fixed every network problem I've ever had on my iBook.

 

[ibookin']

Try plugging your modem (DSL or Cable) directly into the iBook (I'm assuming you know how to do this, if you don't refer to your ISP setup instructions) and see what happens. This would eliminate your iBook as the source of the problem.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by ibookin'@mwny
Try plugging your modem (DSL or Cable) directly into the iBook (I'm assuming you know how to do this, if you don't refer to your ISP setup instructions) and see what happens. This would eliminate your iBook as the source of the problem.

I don't have a cable or DSL modem, its cat5 ethernet all the way to my ISP. The ISP uses an unpleasant PPPoE system, however, that my iBook has been unable to connect to directly.

Zapping PRAM also fails to solve the problem.

 

[beeblebrox87]

*bump*

Tried 10.2.6, still doesn't work. (Didn't think it would, 10.2.6 has nothing to do with networking.)

Tried changing the router's LAN IP and changing the router IP in network prefs accordingly. Still didn't work.

Help!

 

[Falleron]

Originally posted by beeblebrox87
I don't have a cable or DSL modem, its cat5 ethernet all the way to my ISP. The ISP uses an unpleasant PPPoE system, however, that my iBook has been unable to connect to directly.

Zapping PRAM also fails to solve the problem.

Sounds like it must be the router. I suggest you conncentrate on that. If the laptop does not work in OS9 or OSX then its very unlikely something to do with the iBoook. Is the router something you are able to do a hard reset on + re-configure?? If so, that may be your best bet.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by Falleron
Sounds like it must be the router. I suggest you conncentrate on that. If the laptop does not work in OS9 or OSX then its very unlikely something to do with the iBoook. Is the router something you are able to do a hard reset on + re-configure?? If so, that may be your best bet.

I did a hard reset on the router. After a few hours of it refusing to talk to anything for some reason, I managed to log back into it and re-configure it with the original settings. The iBook still won't go online.

This is getting quite depressing.

 

[Falleron]

Originally posted by beeblebrox87
I did a hard reset on the router. After a few hours of it refusing to talk to anything for some reason, I managed to log back into it and re-configure it with the original settings. The iBook still won't go online.

This is getting quite depressing.

Do you have another mac which you can use to test the router with (borrow off a friend)? If another mac works then it shows its the iBook at fault.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by Falleron
Do you have another mac which you can use to test the router with (borrow off a friend)? If another mac works then it shows its the iBook at fault.

I don't think there are more than a handful of other macs in this country (Tanzania). I could try an emulator on one of the PCs, but that would only run OS 8.1 and, if the iBook is at fault, its either an OS X problem or a hardware problem, so I don't think running 8.1 would prove anything.

 

[Falleron]

Did this problem start happening recently? After you installed a particular piece of software?

I hate to suggest say it but you may be facing a re-install, just to make sure your iBook is ok. You should be able to do an install that leaves your home directory intact so that you dont loose any work.

I dont actually believe it is the iBook but I guess that you need to rule the possibility out.

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by Falleron
Did this problem start happening recently? After you installed a particular piece of software?

I hate to suggest say it but you may be facing a re-install, just to make sure your iBook is ok. You should be able to do an install that leaves your home directory intact so that you dont loose any work.

I dont actually believe it is the iBook but I guess that you need to rule the possibility out.

No. A few weeks ago (just before the iTunes 4 release) I was reading Slashdot and suddenly I couldn't load anything anymore. Nothing had changed recently. I hadn't installed anything that I recall.

 

[yzedf]

If the other boxes on your LAN can connect...

This sounds like a problem with your iBook. Is it still in warranty? Does it make a difference for wireless or wired connection? Do you have access to another airport card? Can you use a dial-up connection?

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by yzedf
If the other boxes on your LAN can connect...

This sounds like a problem with your iBook. Is it still in warranty? Does it make a difference for wireless or wired connection? Do you have access to another airport card? Can you use a dial-up connection?

Yes it is still in warranty, but I am thousands of miles away from the nearest place that could ever fix it. As I said in previous posts, I have tried wired and wireless connections. I have a linksys 802.11b PC card, but the since wired doesn't work either I doubt that would, and the iBook has no PCMCIA slot. I don't have a land phone, so have no way of checking dialup.

 

[yzedf]

Originally posted by beeblebrox87
Yes it is still in warranty, but I am thousands of miles away from the nearest place that could ever fix it. As I said in previous posts, I have tried wired and wireless connections. I have a linksys 802.11b PC card, but the since wired doesn't work either I doubt that would, and the iBook has no PCMCIA slot. I don't have a land phone, so have no way of checking dialup.

If it has a warranty what the heck are you doing wasting time with us for? Call Apple already!

 

[beeblebrox87]

Originally posted by yzedf
If it has a warranty what the heck are you doing wasting time with us for? Call Apple already!

As I said above, I don't really have a phone. What's the email of the apple support people? I have asked via their forums ( http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@23.pyiFa46llzq.8@.3bc25fc0 ) and received absolutely no reply there.

Sorry, as a recent 'switch'er my experience has taught me that you're far better off asking users, who know what they're doing, than trying to call Microsoft, who will immediatly tell you to reformat and reinstall. And nobody would even dream of calling Linus about a problem.

 

[physicsnerd]

Have you tired checking the routing tables? There could be some wierd bug where it got the wrong IP in for the router, and isn't changing it. The check open up a terminal and type "netstat -r -n"

Also, do any of your PCs have two network cards in them? You might try turning on internet conection sharing and going out through a PC. Remember to use a crossover cable if connecting directly to a PC. If you can't go out using a PC as a router, then you'll at least isolate the problem to the ibook.

Also, do you have a HTTP Proxy that your going through? It could just be that the ISP changed the IP or port of it, and you have the old address still entered. Or, maybe they added one and the PCs autodected it while your mac didn't. To check go under System Preferences:Networkroxies:Web Proxy (HTTP)

Hope this helps,

Physicsnerd
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"Even logic must give way to Physics" - Spock