Google problem (not network, not server, not browser)

J

JimInAus

Registered
Hi.

First time poster, so be gentle with me. (grin)

I have a problem accessing Google from Mac OS X 10.6.5 on my iMac9,1. I can access any other websites without a problem. I can access Google without a problem when I boot Win 7. I have tried restarting my ASDL modem/router. This was all working fine until a few days ago. I haven't made any networking-related changes in last few days.

Here's what's happening. In Chrome 7.0.517.44 I can make an initial search from the search/address bar. All the content will appear but the page will never finish loading. A request for generate_204 from clients1.google.com.au never completes. Then I can cannot make any other Google requests without explicitly stopping the browser. Sometimes stopping the browser doesn't work and I have to quit it and start it again, then I can make another initial request, and the cycle repeats.

If I try to access gmail, I can get the gmail login in page fine (via gmail.google.com). But having logged in, I'm redirected to google.com.au (I'm in Australia) which never completes. If I stop the browser, I'm left at a blank page.

If I try to do any of this while remote desktop'ed (using muckysoft RDC 2.1.0), then I can not access Google what so ever. Yet all other website are fine.

The same problem occurs with Safari 5.0.3 and Firefox 3.6.12. In all 3 browsers, I've deleted the caches, histories and cookie stores.

This isn't a network issue, a browser issue or a web server issue. Something's broken in my Mac OS X. I have had this issue before about a year ago. I reinstalled Mac OS X, and everything was fine. But I know Mac OS X is better than that. Reinstalling is Windoze thing, and I'd really like to not have to do it.

If anyone has any time, could you help me to diagnose this? I'd really like to know what's going on, and hopefully learn about some of Mac OS X's internals along the way.

Regards,
Jim
 
Hi again,

I've been doing more work on this. I tried creating another user, but the problems exhibit with that user too.

I've also fired up Wireshark and logged the network traffic. When I went to google.com under Safari, some 20 connections where established while Safari tried to download the page.

But half of them were defective. The connection would established at the TCP level (that is there was the typical SYN SYN+ACK ACK sequence of packets). But then nothing would happen on the connection. On the other connection, immediately on sending the ACK, a GET/POST request would be sent. With these defective connection nothing would happen. Until 4 minutes later when the Google servers would sent a FIN packet and the connection would close. As soon as the TCP close sequence completed, a new connection would be established.

I'm wondering if I'm loosing the "connected" signal somewhere. Does anyone know how to trace through the TCP software stack in Mac OS X?

Jim.
 
Hi again,

Just a quick and probably final update. I ended up going ahead a reinstalling Mac OS X 10.6. Afterwards, I had trouble-free access to Google. I then installed the Mac OS X 10.6.5 combo update. Afterwards, I still had trouble-free access. I then did a full restore from my Time Machine backup via Migration Assistant. Then, I couldn't access Google.

Now I've re-installed Mac OS X 10.6 and the 10.6.5 combo update again and restored just my home directory. Google is working fine.

I'll continue to re-install and re-setup by Mac. At each stage, I'll keep testing. If I find what's causing the problem, I'll post it.

Jim.
 
Thanks for the suggestion Satcomer. I've not installed software that "fell off the back of a truck". I had installed legitimate software from unknown publishers.

It definitely felt like a trojan. According to the network capture, the DNS requests were going to my primary DNS. And the only connections where to IP addresses owned by Google. Although there were 3 local ports were "skipped" in the capture suggesting that 3 connections were not captured. I was only capturing en0.

I would have been tempted to restore from my Time Machine backup again to test our your theory. But I've since backed-up again and I've really got to start to do productive work again.

Thanks,
Jim
 
Wow am I embarrassed. The problem was caused by the component I should have thought of first. It was Intego VirusBarrier.

I just installed it and Google stopped working. Then I got an anti-phishing alert. It thought www.google.com.au was a possible fraudent site. I've added www.google.com.au and clients1.google.com.au as trusted sites, and everything's working again.

It already had the real-time scanner turned off because it brought installation of Macports software to a crawl. I left it installed for it's web protection, but that too is giving me grief.

The latest update added a progress bar showing me how much is left on my subscription. I don't think I'll be renewing because I'm running the uninstaller now. (grin)

Jim
 
I had the same problem accessing google.com.au and ebay.com.au. The problem commenced on Friday 26 October. I suspected Integro VirusBarrier was causing the problem as it had just updated its' virus filters. However I could not find any log of it blocking the sites and the sites were not listed as blocked web sites. I even attempted to turn Integro off, but still had the same problem in Safari and Firefox.

I ended up doing a restore from Time Machine to an earlier image 2 days later. This fixed the problem but I have not updated the Integro virus filters and they are currently out of date,

My partner then started to have the same problem of not being able to access google.com.au and ebay.com.au and I searched for an answer to the problem and came across this forum.

I decided to attempt to enter the two sites in Integro trusted sites under the "Surf" tab and that fixed the problem on my partner's Mac.

So, I can confirm that Integro VirusBarrier X6 is causing the problem with their latest virus filters, yet as far as I can see there is no record left that the sites are blocked or a log of the sites being blocked.

I've lost a lot of confidence in Integro Virusbarrier X6 if it can cause these problems and does not provide a record of blocking the sites.

bj10au
 
Thanks for confirmation bj10au.

I completely lost all confidence in VirusBarrier and it is off my system now.

Having read through the Virus thread on this forum, I'm now running without any antivirus software under Mac OS X. I just have Avast! running on my Windoze.

Jim
 
Hi Jim

I agree that one should be ok without virus protection with a Mac, unlike Windows. However, I still prefer to play it safe.

Early this morning I sent a support request to Intego advising of the problem. Not long ago I received the following response:

"We have updated the VirusBarrier X6 Threat Filters to resolve the issue you are reporting. Can you please run the NetUpdate application, install any new updates it may find, then restart your computer and test again? Does the issue persist?"

I updated the VirusBarrier X6 Threat Filters (I did it by selection "Check now" in VirusBarrier) and that appears to have resolved the problem with access restored to www.google.com.au and www.ebay.com.au.

I must say I am happy with the speed of their response and the fix.

On the matter of virus protection for Windows, I use Microsofts own free Microsoft Security Essentials as my protection on my bootcamp and Parallels virtual Windows machine. Some tests of free virus protection for Windows show that it as good as any of the other free ones and I find it unobtrusive. It is sufficient for my purposes as I only use Windows to access a a couple of applications not available for Macs and don't surf the web and email etc in Windows.

I mention this as many people are unaware that Microsoft provide this free virus protection that should be adequate for most Mac users. Just search "Microsoft Security Essentials" in Google it will take one to a download site.

bj10au
 
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