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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Networking > weird networking problem - root task netcfgtool leaves me helpless

weird networking problem - root task netcfgtool leaves me helpless
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euphras
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Germany, 51°51´51" N, 9°05´41" E
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Feb 6, 2012, 12:03 PM
 
Yesterday i tried to set up an adhoc network with another computer and finally was able to do so using "manual IP" setting on the host computer and using the finder action "go to" -> "connect with server". One awkward thing that made me wonder, if everything was alright, was the fact that i only was able to connect using a "open" (non WEP encrypted) dialogue.

After transfer of files and disconnecting the adhoc connection i wanted to change the IPv4 network settings back to "DHCP" but everytime i did so a popup window appeared stating that "my network settings were changed by another program" (see screenshot).



I started the activity monitor in order to see, which program did override my personal settings and it seems, that a root task called "netcfgtool" did show up everytime when the popup window in the "settings" window appeared. I wasn´t able to change A SINGLE setting in the network settings.



First i tried to kill the task, no success. Then i tried to log in as root, but even as root i wasn´t able to change settings. My quick an dirty solution was to take one of my full backup drives and simply clone back the whole drive. I´m now able to access the net but i want to know what the heck was going on there...

Any suggestions? Should i actualise the system?

Edit: System is PPC 10.4.11 on a 867 MHz Powerbook
( Last edited by euphras; Feb 6, 2012 at 12:10 PM. )


Macintosh Quadra 950, Centris 610, Powermac 6100, iBook dual USB, Powerbook 667 DVI, Powerbook 867 DVI, MacBook Pro early 2011
     
Waragainstsleep
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Feb 6, 2012, 02:43 PM
 
I've seen this "another application has changed your network settings" bug before a couple of times. IIRC it was usually caused by 3G modems, usually from Huawei. The short term fix was to be quick enough to hit the padlock icon on the pref pane, the proper fix I think involved a system reinstall.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
euphras  (op)
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Germany, 51°51´51" N, 9°05´41" E
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Feb 7, 2012, 11:49 AM
 
I think, i solved the problem on my own. Googling for netcfgtool brought up a couple of related articles on the net, here´s one of them: SecurityTracker: Mac OS X NetCfgTool Lets Local Users Obtain System Privileges

In this short text a security update by Apple is mentioned, it can be found here: Sicherheitsupdate 2008-002 v1.0 (PPC)

I ran the update and the popup window is gone right now.

Weird thing about it; normally the software update function of OS X runs every time, when the machine is connected with the net. So how could i´ve missed that one?!


Macintosh Quadra 950, Centris 610, Powermac 6100, iBook dual USB, Powerbook 667 DVI, Powerbook 867 DVI, MacBook Pro early 2011
     
   
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