For the last couple of weeks when I try to access ebay, the site will not load - a page saying - Request Timeout the server timed out while waiting for the brower's request. This also happens when trying to log into Hotmail.
I have Snow Leopard.
There are no problems in loading other sites. Could the problem be in my computer? Would really appreciate some help with this. Eliza.

1. With which browser(s) and version(s) thereof are you experiencing your issue?

2. Have you tried clearing both caches and stored (pertinent) cookies?

I'm using Safari 5.0.2
Have cleared both cache and cookies and the first time I tried ebay the home page loaded. Tried to browse, but pages would not load. I shut that window and tried ebay again and got the Time Out notice.
With Hotmail, I get to the sign in page then it will not load further.
Eliza

Have you tried logging in to a test user account to see whether your issues follow you? (If you haven't already got one you can create one in /Apps/Sys Prefs > Accounts.)

Have you tried a browser other than Safari?

Have you considered updating your Safari installation? (You can get to v 5.0.5 by simply running the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1, and from there you can get to v 5.1 with this standalone d/l.)

Do you have any third-party plugins installed? If so, try disabling them and see what happens.

I've had to start a new question as the browser would not load on the 'reply'
Thanks for the suggestions. I have only a very basic knowledge of computers and could not follow the instructions to create a new user account.
Have downloaded Firefox, still cannot access ebay or hotmail.
I tried to update Safari - have 5.0.2.
Tried to update System, have 10.6.4, but need 10.6.8
Jon - I have not downloaded any plugins.
I downloaded MacKeeper Security Tools and ran the program, it said I have 2 critical issues, and 948 junk files. The only way it will fix that problem is for me to provide an email address - and the password. I cannot understand why I would need to give the password , surely that is private info? I'm really
confused now!

If anyone said they need a password from me, I'd respond in the same way as you. A loud warning bell rings.

I would never give that kind of information to anyone I don't know, and very few people I do know.

ryck

How are you connected to the Internet? A faulty proxy server setting in your network settings might cause this.

They're not necessarily gospel, but based on the reviews posted here I wouldn't install MacKeeper on my worst enemy's Mac! (I tried the d/l link on the MacUpdate page and got an empty file.)

Edit: > I've had to start a new question as the browser would not load on the 'reply'

What, precisely, happened when you clicked on "Reply?"

> I [...] could not follow the instructions to create a new user account.

Here ya go...

1. Launch System Preferences...found in your Mac's Applications folder.
2. Click on "Accounts" in the "System" section.
3. Click on the padlock and authenticate with your password.
4. Click on the plus sign (beneath "Login Options").
5. Fill in the blanks in the dialog box with which you're presented, and click on "Create Account."
6. Check the "Allow user to administer this computer" box.
7. Log in to your new account to see whether your issues follow you.

Alternatively, you can log in to your guest account, but my personal preference is a test Admin account.

> I tried to update Safari - have 5.0.2.
Tried to update System, have 10.6.4, but need 10.6.8

Clarifying my instructions for updating your OS X and Safari installations: Running the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 will update OS X to v 10.6.8 and Safari to v 5.0.5.

From there you can get to Safari 5.1 with this standalone d/l.

(Note that clicking on the blue type will take you directly to the Apple Web pages from which you can d/l the updates.)

Are you sure what MacKeeper was requesting? If it was asking for your userid and password for your computer, that would not be an unexpected request for an application that may be deleting files from the systems area of your computer. In fact those files cannot be deleted without your userid and password. There are a large number of commonly used applications such as Cocktail, OnyX, CleanApp, TinkerTool System, that require you to enter your password before they can perform their particular magic on your computer.

If it was, in fact, asking for your email address or a network password my yellow caution lights would be flashing.

I have no direct or indirect experience with MacKeeper and so I am not qualified to comment on it functionally.

I have been trying all the things suggested,- logging in as a guest, nothing changed. Tried to update to Mac OSX10.6.8., using the link supplied. The address showed up in the address bar, the blue line only moved to the first three letters then stopped (froze?) then a Request Timeout window appeared. The same thing happened when I tried the reply button yesterday, but worked fine today, for me to reply now.
The MacKeeper wanted the email address and password, would not function when I did not supply the info. That program went in the trash which I emptied.

Thinking I must have a bug I tried to buy a Security Program, tried Norton, the home page loaded but as I'm unable to upgrade to OSX 10.6.8, could not proceed
Tried McAfee, but the home page froze. When I was comparing the 2 programmes earlier, that page loaded o.k. This is how erratic my computer is behaving.
Many thanks for all the suggestions, I really do not know what to do now. Eliza.

It's a new one on me; the "Install" package is a "d/l manager."

So I allowed MacKeeper to scan my installation, and I wasn't terribly impressed with its results...this stuff (It turns out that "Anti-Theft" is some sort of ZeoBit [developer] d/l.) and a list of out of date apps, the info regarding which was not 100% correct.

Further, I did not at all like the "Your system status is critical. [....]" message on this page...scare tactics, but to what end I can't guess.

I next discovered that MacKeeper requires you to create and log in to an account with ZeoBit before it "Fix(es) Issues".

I note that it had not asked for either my password or e-mail address up to that point (other than to install), but the account creation dialog asked for both.

Uninstalling MacKeeper was a bit of a nuisance...deleting it from /Apps required authentication, and it tried to run some sort of "Get-It-Free" nonsense by me first.


And therein lies my issue with OnyX and TinkerTool system, the only ones of that bunch that I've tried... I resent being asked for my password without knowing what it's going to be used for, and that means something more specific than "It may be needed for something."

System Preferences, by way of example, only asks for authentication if you get into an area that requires it, which, in my opinion, makes it a well-behaved app. (Yasu works similarly.)

First, stay away from Norton, stay away from Norton, stay away from Norton!!! It is well-documented as being poisonous to Macs. (I can't speak for McAfee other than to say that there are no known Mac viruses out there yet.)

Your potpourri of issues has got me thinking that it's time to change direction and get down to some basics here... Launch /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility, select your HD in the sidebar, run "Repair (not Verify) Permissions," and let us know if anything changes.

I think it's time to wish you mucho good luck!

It is possible that absolutely nothing is wrong with your computer, and the problem is in your Internet connection. Sites like eBay use secure connections, which are different from normal connections. If something is wrong with your computer's Internet connection, it is possible to be able to connect to some sites but not others.

It is also possible that your computer is infected with malware that tries to hijack connections to secure sites like eBay and steal your passwords. This malware usually comes disguised as phony "updates" to Adobe Flash. It looks very official; you'll go to a Web site and you'll see a realistic-looking message. complete with official Adobe logos, that tells you you have to update Flash. It will download an updater program that also has realistic Adobe logos and looks very official.

But it is not a Flash update. It is actually a program that searches for certain popular Web sites in your browser address bar, such as PayPal or eBay, and then tries to redirect you to fake sites that steal your passwords.

Have you done any updates like that lately?

I've just lost the reply I had made, it would not load and timed out. So will try again. artie505 I tried your suggestion - twice, and it seems some things were repaired, some not. I tried to copy and paste to show what had happened but managed to clear the window. It said on the not fixed ones - should be 80, is 0

tacit - yes I did download an update for Flash ( i thought). I did what should never be done, and downloaded from a link, not the web page. Seems that could be the problem ? What programme could fix it? I will wait for advice before I attempt anything.
Many thanks for your help. Eliza.

I don't recall ever seeing "Repair Permissions" report that something wasn't repaired.

I'd like to know what that was all about.

Edit: If you launch Disk Utility and hit command-L you may find that the log that comes up still contains the results of your running "Repair Permissions."

Additionally, I've been thinking that a good cache clearing may do your Mac some good, so I'll suggest that you download OnyX (freeware) and run its "Automation" tab; it will ask for your password, but it's a trusted utility, so not to worry.

I did the command L, so have copy and pasted some of the log. Could give you an idea of what is what ? I did clean out both the cache and cookies a few days ago.Tk. you, Eliza.
.


2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Group differs on "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/Resources/MBiTunesSmartPlaylist.tif", should be 80, group is 0.
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Repaired "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/Resources/MBiTunesSmartPlaylist.tif".
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Group differs on "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/Resources/MBiTunesSong.tif", should be 80, group is 0.
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Repaired "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/Resources/MBiTunesSong.tif".
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Group differs on "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug- 0.
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Repaired "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/_CodeSignature".
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Group differs on "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be 80, group is 0.
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Repaired "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources".
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Group differs on "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/version.plist", should be 80, group is 0.
2011-10-04 06:45:46 +1100: Repaired "Library/Application Support/iLifeMediaBrowser/Plug-Ins/iLMBiTunesPlugin.ilmbplugin/Contents/version.plist".
2011-10-04 06:46:01 +1100: Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/libruby.dylib", should be lrwxrwxrwx , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
2011-10-04 06:46:01 +1100: Repaired "System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/libruby.dylib".
2011-10-04 06:46:29 +1100: Permissions differ on "usr/libexec/cups/backend/fax", should be lrwx------ , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
2011-10-04 06:46:29 +1100: Repaired "usr/libexec/cups/backend/fax".

There's nothing in that laundry list that looks particularly out of line (to me, anyhow) (Edit: ...certainly nothing that wasn't repaired); I wouldn't worry about it. Just a note, though, that there are some items that get repaired every time you run "RP," no matter how many times you run it, so don't worry if you see recurring items.

As for your having cleared your cache and cookies, I suspect that you used Safari's built-in options, but, noting that some utilities get deeper into the system than do Safari's options, I'm changing my OnyX recommendation to TinkerTool System...shareware that you can run in test mode at no cost; run its entire cache clearing functionality and see if it turns the trick.

Good luck.

Do this:

Click on System Preferences.

In System preferences, click on Network.

On the left-hand side, click on how you get access to the Internet. (If you access the Internet wirelessly, click AirPort. If you access the Internet by plugging a cable into your computer, click Ethernet.)

Click the button that says Advanced.

You'll see some tabs across the top of the window that say things like TCP/IP, DNS, WINS, 802.1x, and so on. Click the one that says DNS.

What numbers do you see in the DNS pane?

Tacit, I followed your instructions and when Airport was clicked it said Status on.
Airport is turned on but is not connected to a network.
I clicked on DNS, there was nothing in the pane. By the + - box at the bottom of the page was IPv4 or IPv6. I'm using a Telstra Internet Dongle for connection.

Talked to the teck's where I bought the computer, and I now have a separate side to the computer, it opens with a different log in. This should have enabled me to download the update for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, but I was unable to download any updates.
Where to now ??? Many thanks, Eliza.

If AirPort status says you aren't connected to the Internet, you must be getting your Internet connection some other way (or else you wouldn't be here). Does it still say that if you look at it now?

Checked the DNS Window, and now have 10.4.85.138
10.4.176.234
showing.
Nothing in the window yesterday, these numbers there today. I'm only using the
dongle to connect to the internet. Eliza.

Just to get on the proper footing here, is your internet dongle a USB modem of the types listed here? Does it appear in the left column of your Network System Prefs panel (along with Ethernet, Airport, Bluetooth etc.) or under the Location pull down menu at the top of the pref panel?

That looks like the name servers of whatever base station your dongle is connecting to, so my suspicion is that you are not infected with malware.

It is possible your Internet provider's name servers are responsible for your trouble, rather than any problem with your computer itself. This is an easy thing to test.

Click on your Network system preference and go to DNS settings just like you did when you found those numbers. Under the DNS pane, click + and enter this number:

8.8.8.8

and hit Enter. Then click + again and type this number:

8.8.4.4

and hit Enter. These are name servers belonging to Google, which are highly reliable. If after doing this you still see your old numbers (10.4.85.138 and 10.4.176.234), click on the 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and drag them to the top of the list. This will tell your computer to use those name servers first.

Does this resolve your problem? If it does, it's your ISP that's at fault.

We live in a Motorhome, on the road. It seems that in changing locations my computer has tapped into someone elses connection which is how Airport has not been active but I have still been connected to the net.
A fellow Mac user did the following - Power "on" immediately hold down the
'command + option +r+p keys. After second sound for start up, release all keys.

There have not been any problems with the computer since !
Many thanks to all for the help. Eliza.

I'm happy that the problem was solved. For future reference, the procedure is called resetting PRAM.

Can you (or someone else) suggest why zapping PRAM was helpful in this instance? Nothing in (Edit: either your linked doc or) Mac OS X: What's stored in PRAM seems pertinent.

I don't have a clue; it doesn't make sense to me either. I posted the link because Eliza did not seem to be familiar with PRAM and knowledge is a good thing.

It's possible that resetting PRAM was simply coincidental in solving the problem but someone else will have to chime in about that.

Perhaps the USB dongle that was Eliza's expected means of connection to the Internet was no longer recognized by her Mac, and resetting PRAM allowed the re-recognition of connected devices (i.e. hardware recognition, rather than Network recognition).

Failure to recognize that connected devices are connected is symptom which is sometimes curable with a PRAM reset.

Good thought; thanks.

Fixing AirPort problems in OS X

Are you using SILVERLIGHT with HOTMAIL?

Not sure why, but I had no end of grief trying to use all the HOTMAIL features when SILVERLIGHT was installed (e.g. it wouldn't allow me to attach/upload files or documents to an e-mail).

Since I removed it - a month ago or so - HOTMAIL works as it should.

P.S. Prior to uninstalling SILVERLIGHT, I (sometimes) had issues with the eBay home page loading correctly or completely. Since SILVERLIGHT was removed, that problem has not shown up again. Coincidence?


*** MBPro with LION