[NDBounce]

I am not certain where to go with this issue, so mods feel free to move it to an appropriate place.

I am running a 2008 MBP 2.4Ghz, 4GB Ram, OS 10.5.7 I am uncertain if this issue is software or hardware related, or documented, so please help me out.

The issue is this: When I am using Mozilla or Safari, my internet seems to be doing some weird things. As I command-click links to open them in new tabs, often these new tabs will give me the error message that the URL could not be resolved either because there is no internet connection, or because the server could not be found (and this has been occurring for about month now).

If I hit the refresh button after one or two more tries the pages will load properly. However, it is annoying to constantly have to reload pages.

It happens whether I am hard wired or connecting through airport. And it happens at home, work and at a friends (of these three locations, 2 use the same ISP, but work uses a different ISP).

So I think I have ruled out:

1. It is an ISP issue
2. It is an Airport Issue (as it also happens with Ethernet)
3. It is a program issue (Safari and Firefox have the same issue)
4. It is a website issue (happens with many sites, with no real rhyme or reason).

Interestingly enough, I do NOT experience this issue when I tether my phone to my computer (the phone internet seems to work fine).

Any ideas? I am wondering if this is an OS 10.5.7 issue, or if I have corrupt internet prefs (can someone tell me how to delete my internet preferences?) I wanted to check here before I call Apple.

Thank you,

O
B unce!


It also happens

[ghporter]

Some examples of the sites you have this problem with would be helpful. There's a possibility that the links you're trying to use are coded "interestingly," or that they depend on some sort of plugin or other helper that you have specifically disabled.

[NDBounce]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Some examples of the sites you have this problem with would be helpful. There's a possibility that the links you're trying to use are coded "interestingly," or that they depend on some sort of plugin or other helper that you have specifically disabled.

There really is no rhyme or reason. If I go to Yahoo's home page and randomly command-click on 5-10 links, this will happen. If I go to Apple's site and do the same, it will happen, if I go to MacNN.com and command-click 5 or so of the headlines, it will happen. If I go to Hotmail, and command-click on several messages to open them in new tabs, it will happen. So I am doubtful it has anything to do with a plug-in.

Peace,

O
B unce!

[Cold Warrior]

flush your dns cache

also set up your network settings on your mac to use opendns

Bad or messed up DNS can sometimes cause the symptoms you describe.

[Big Mac]

Yeah, that's obviously a DNS issue.

[ghporter]

Before 10.5, you'd open Terminal and use this command to flush the cache:

Code:
lookupd -flushcache

With 10.5.x, you use this one:

Code:
dscacheutil -flushcache

You may notice some slowness in resolving URLs (your browser sits and thinks a bit before it starts loading the page) for a while while the cache is rebuilt, but you WILL get the sites to open.

[Big Mac]

Oh, and by the way, my mini was having similar symptoms when using the ISP's DNS through my router. Other Macs did not have any issues. I added OpenDNS in my network pane and it cured the problem. Flushing the DNS cache did not help.

[ghporter]

Having an ISP's DNS server addresses turn out to be wrong, or their DNS servers getting borked is not at all unknown. On the other hand, OpenDNS appears to be bork-proof, at least so far!

[NDBounce]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

flush your dns cache

also set up your network settings on your mac to use opendns

Bad or messed up DNS can sometimes cause the symptoms you describe.

Okay, so how do I flush the DNS csche?

Thanks,

O
B unce!

[Cold Warrior]

ghporter mentioned it several posts above.