10.4.4 Possible Broke Network Settings?

[dapoppa1]

After upgrading to the 10.4.4, I"ve tried three sperate means of connecting at this point. All three worked before the upgrade. Through my wireless router, my bluetooth phone, and my neighbor's wireless. My WLAN is working for other computers. When I connect to my router, the airport indication light in the network status menu goes yellow, claiming that I have a self assigned IP address and may not be able to connect to the internet. Upon examining my airport TCP/IP settings, the ip address is set to something absurd outside of my LAN. When I renew the DHCP lease, it just reassigns the bogus IP. If I manually configure my IP settings the indicator goes green, and I should be able to connect at this point, but no luck. I cannot even ping the router with the self assigned IP address. I've tried resetting the router/cable modem etc., and I cannot connect to three seperate means, so I'm pretty certain this has something to do with the upgrade. This is driving me crazy... Has this happened to anyone else or does anyone have any suggestions?

[a11en]

<warning- verbose mode = on>
Dapoppa... this sounds a lot like the problems I just got through fixing... I am only going to stab a things and see if it helps anything... 1) I had brickhouse/flyingbutress installed... go through the uninstall procedures here... remove your firewall just to get things going again... 2) I had peerprotector installed, which should have been updated anyways (it's a tad bit old)- not only has it blocked a few sites I wanted to get to for software updates etc., but it may have caused the problems I experienced.

Anyway, my problems looked like this in chronological and painfully simplistic way:
- all happily connected to GF's router (i installed - linksys g v5)
- put mr. Mac (unofficial name) to sleep, to carry to work
- do various cleanup tasks in organic polymer lab...
- go to gf's, eat dinner
- try to get back online- get something from the DHCP server (mr.linksys sees me, but me no see mr.linksys...)
- verify that gf's computer (horrible WinMe with cable to linksys) works
- plug in ethernet to linksys- no go... can't even ping the router addy
- take to work... try work location ethernet with static ip
- no go... still nothing
- check out osxhints forum
- call my Bro' (pretty good with these things) for moral support- he says he has no solution for me...
- I go in and make sure firewall (and related apps are not running- removed from startupscript)
- eventually things just work.

Ultimately, I have no idea what I changed! <ugh!> if it happens again, I'll dig further.

What I noticed was that it was working when I tried an appletalk connection for some strange reason... perhaps not related.

I also noticed some hangs with the launchd process in console.log I believe... so perhaps it was related, I don't know.

In anycase, I can say that I had a weird connectivity problem, and somehow it got fixed... perhaps it was the strange Mojo-doll and rain-like dance I did around it while shaking beads encased in a used jolt can? I have no idea...

Sorry to add to the confusion... check those firewalls etc., I know it shouldn't be a problem, but perhaps something got changed in there... [wish Apple was a little more verbose with all their changes!]

incidentally, I still can't repair some disk permissions in dvdplayer.app and various other installed items with this last install... it's as if the permissions don't stick. Strange. [Hayne made a note in another post that this is somewhat normal...- however, I have to say it is only happening with the 10.4.4 updated apps and widgets... makes me very suspicious. But, I defer to guru-hood, and have to say Hayne is correct according to the Apple tech library.]

Hope this helps a bit. <verbose mode off>
-Allen

[dapoppa1]

Hey a11en-

Thanks for the suggestions... the only one that sound familiar to my situation is that I have a widget called PeerGuardian running, so I disabled it. No luck. Repaired permissions. No luck.

I just don't understand how I can be "connected" to my router, but it will not assign me an IP within the LAN. I cannot ping the router nor access it remotely. Like I said, I've tried three different ways to connect to the internet without luck from any of them, so it's not my router.

[hayne]

I have a widget called PeerGuardian running

If I recall correctly, PeerGuardian is a 3rd-party firewall of sorts. If so, there will be other components than just a widget. You likely need to uninstall those (and possibly other 3rd-party system extensions) and then restart your Mac.

[giskard22]

Also, try creating a new Location in Network. That gives you a fresh group of settings to work with.

[dapoppa1]

Thanks guys... I'll try your suggestions and report back

[dapoppa1]

Removed the PeerGuardian application and tried creating a new location... no look still

[hayne]

Removed the PeerGuardian application
I'm not familiar with Peer Guardian, but as I said earlier, such apps often install a kernel extension (under /System/Library/Extensions) and so you may need to remove that and then restart your Mac.

[a11en]

Hey Dapoppa...

Hayne is right, there are two applications (in peer protector, a precursor to PGfor os X), that run in the os... these need to be removed from the startup script and most likely your machine needs to be rebooted with them removed from the startupscript... (perhaps just a login will change this, but I'd go for a reboot just incase)... pploader and pplogger were the app's names in peer protector. The program came with a shell-script which was necessary to be run for removal of the program.

Another thing that you may wish to do, is to flush your ipfw firewall rules. [I have no idea if they place something in the ipfw, but this was the trick for me when I was erasing brickhouse.] - do a forum search for brickhouse and uninstall or flush etc. a good thread can be found there. [if I have time, I'll come back and link it in here]

A few notes: I deinstalled brickhouse/flyingbutress [which is really just an ipfw firewall gui], and then after I fixed the nonsense problems I had (how? :confused: ), I reinstalled it, and no problems to date with the computer [knock on cheap ikea table-top].

So, first step, is check out that activity monitor... look for pploader pplogger applications... also search in spotlight for the shell script that removes the items.

I'm going to try and live dangerously and install the new version of peerguardian and see how things go. If I go down again, I'll know this is the problem. ;) <maybe I'll save that for this weekend when I won't be so stressed out about work if it goes down- yes, I think I'll wait until the weekend on this one, and check back when I do>

the uninstall shell script that was for peerprotector is like this:
(Peerprotectoruninstall.sh)

#!/bin/sh
# Copyright 2005 qNation.
# All rights reserved.
#

PATH=/bin:/usr/bin

echo "This script removes the PeerProtector support files (including preferences). Continue? [Yy]"
read doit

if [ "$doit" != "y" ] && [ "$doit" != "Y" ]; then
echo "Uninstall cancelled."
exit 0
fi

cd /Library/LaunchDaemons
if [ -f xxx.qnation.PeerProtector.kextload.plist ]; then
echo "Removing Launch Daemon..."
sudo rm ./xxx.qnation.PeerProtector.kextload.plist
fi

cd ../Extensions
if [ -d ./PeerProtector.kext ]; then
echo "Unloading kext..."
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/ppktool -u
echo "Removing kext..."
sudo rm -rf ./PeerProtector.kext
fi

cd ../Application\ Support
if [ -f ./ppktool ]; then
echo "Removing kext tool..."
sudo rm ./ppktool
fi

cd ../Receipts
if [ -d ./PeerProtector.pkg ]; then
echo "Removing Install receipt..."
rm -rf ./PeerProtector.pkg
fi

cd ~/Library/Caches
if [ -d xxx.qnation.PeerProtector ]; then
echo "Removing list cache"
rm -rf ./xxx.qnation.PeerProtector
fi

cd ../Preferences/
echo "Removing preferences..."
rm -f ./xxx.qnation.*

Hope this helps a bit! Since it looks like we were both using similar apps here, I strongly suggest that this migth be the problem you're having. It appears at least that my brickhouse installation wasn't causing it, but due to the dual uninstall, I can't confirm this. After finding and running a suitable uninstall shell script (like the above), also perhaps try flushing your ipfw rules after all firewalls are removed:

ipfw -f flush

[note this will trash all rules except the default, which for the mac's kernel, I believe that's allow any to any (completely open)]

Hope this helps!
-Allen

[dapoppa1]

Hey Guys.. thanks for all your help... I am replying from my powerbook. The problem was in fact PeerGuardian.... I thought I'd be fine with just disabling the widget, but I had to remove the application, and it would not let me completely one of the processes that I was not even aware was running. it was called pplogger i think. Upon rebooting, my computer was able to attain an IP on the network, and I connected successfully.

[a11en]

Hey Guys.. thanks for all your help... I am replying from my powerbook. The problem was in fact PeerGuardian.... I thought I'd be fine with just disabling the widget, but I had to remove the application, and it would not let me completely one of the processes that I was not even aware was running. it was called pplogger i think. Upon rebooting, my computer was able to attain an IP on the network, and I connected successfully.

Absolutely fantastic, Dapoppa... I really suspected it was peerguardian based on my experience with it- our cases were just way too similar. :) Very very glad you got it fixed, and very glad we now know this might be a trick in upgrading. Perhaps it has to be unloaded before an update. If I reinstall with success, I'll let you know!

Excellent news!
:)
-Allen

[hayne]

Perhaps it has to be unloaded before an update

As Apple notes in the instructions for each OS X update, you should uninstall all third-party system enhancements before doing the upgrade.
Then put them back one by one, testing carefully after each one.