[Dornkirk]

Hello everyone,

I've posted this on the apple.com forums too (link at bottom) in my quest to get this resolved but so far I haven't had any real solution.

I just bought my first mac two days ago, it's a macbook with 10.5.3. Everytime I try to connect to certain websites (seemingly random ones) I get a "Failed to Connect" in firefox or a"Safari can't find the server" in safari. These websites are random, but one example would be Yahoo! or google (though after browsing around looking for solutions, it was suggested to add the following addresses to the DNS tab under AirPort: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. For some reason after adding these I can access google, but not any of google's sub domains (images.google.com, news.google.com, etc.). When I get the failures, it's instantaneous. As if it didn't even try to connect (which is why I tried emptying the cache).

I've tried a lot of different things. I've re-installed the OS with the discs that came with the mac, 10.5.2 was the OS, I upgraded to 10.5.3 after re-installing. (I tried to access the web sites from both and the problem existed under both versions). I've tried emptying the cache, connecting via ethernet (no success with the websites then either), and my firewall is accepting all connections.

It doesn't appear to be a browser specific problem because I have firefox and safari and it's the same thing in both. It isn't a problem with the websites because I can access them on my Windows desktop PC (also wireless) and on my brother's Windows laptop (also wireless). I thought it might be my router, but again, everyone else in the house can access these websites, it's just me with my mac that cannot. Somebody on the apple.com website suggested configuring the router, this didn't make sense to me because again, nobody else is having problems. Plus I'm going to be traveling in the next week across the country, which means I'll be in libraries, coffee shops, etc. anywhere there's wireless internet ... am I supposed to ask each place to let me configure their router because my mac has problems :P, configuring routers doesn't seem to make sense in this case.

Here's my thread over at apple.com: My Thread .

Please help me, I'm tempted to try to return this thing and just go with another windows, this has been such a headache. Thanks in advance for ANY help that anyone can give me.

[flyingstevea]

Hi everyone , first post.
Had the same problem with my new Imac 24 inch 2.4 duo core, what I had to do was upgrade the firmware in my router (netgear from AOL) now no problems what so ever. Hope this helps your problem as well.

Steve

[Dornkirk]

I use 2Wire as a router (1800HG). On the system summary page it says "Your system software is current. Check back for future available upgrades."

[estumpges]

I haven't encountered this issue on my 15" MacBook Pro running Leopard 10.5.3.

It sounds like it could be a problem with your router or internet service as opposed to the Mac itself. You might want to try connecting directly through ethernet. If that doesn't work, see if you get the same problem at a public library or some other location with free wifi.

[Tom_Diola]

yes return your mac so someone else (who has more
patience) can use it.

[Dornkirk]

I'll try taking it somewhere else tomorrow.


As mentioned in my first post though, I have tried Ethernet to no success and the router has no problems with the other 4 computers in my house (3 desktops, two of which are wirelessly connected, and a different laptop, also wireless, all windows computers).



And I'm not sure what's meant by "Someone with more patience" because for one, I thought macs were supposed to cut down on problems not compound them, and two, I've spent the past three days now looking for a solution to just one problem. I've literally done nothing else with this new computer except look for a solution to a problem that came with the computer.

[Tom_Diola]

The statement "I thought Macs were supposed to be easy to use" is so ridiculously overused on this forum - it's like buy a Mac throw away your brain and expect the Mac to do all the thinking for you. Yes the Mac is intuitive but that means you use some of the grey matter to undo some of the things you've learned in Windoze and take the correct approach.
We really don't care if the windoze computers can connect to the wireless network.
Are you using a cable modem, DSL, ADSL, Satellite for the ISP connection
Do you have encryption enabled or not - give us more real information...

1pa?tient
Pronunciation:
ˈpā-shənt
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle English pacient, from Anglo-French, from Latin patient-, patiens, from present participle of pati to suffer; perhaps akin to Greek pēma suffering
Date:
14th century
1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3: not hasty or impetuous
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
What was meant by "try Ethernet" comment was to have you try the MacBook connected directly to the modem and completely bypass the router to see if it worked OK than.

This definitely sounds like a configuration or router issue. Not absolute but likely. As mentioned, we require a bit more information to assist you better..

1) Are you using DHCP or static ( manual ) IP addressing to the computers? If DHCP, there's extremely little need to muck with manual DNS entries.
2) Do you have any MAC address or other filtering enabled on the router
3) Have you installed any additional software to the Mac OS other than that which originally came? You've already mentioned Firefox but a third party software firewall like NetBarrier, ... could cause just this kind of hell.
4) Have you tried "power cycling" the router -- a "soft reset" -- ( unplug it from the AC outlet for ~30 seconds )? You'd be surprised how often this simple action can fix things right up. Including but not limited to slow Internet access
- Definitely try your computer on a completely different connection ( friend's house, public open Wi-Fi access, ... )

I can't think of anything else off hand but I'll post if I do.

[Dan Frakes]

Tom_Diola said:

yes return your mac so someone else (who has more
patience) can use it.

That's unnecessary. He's asking for help.

[Dornkirk]

Don't worry about it, I took it into the apple store and they fixed the problem.