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Apple breaks ethernet
#39168 02/29/16 10:42 AM
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jchuzi Offline OP
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The other day, I was hit by an Apple bug that rendered my ethernet connection to the internet inoperative. I didn't know that Apple was at fault, assuming a problem with my ISP (Time Warner Cable). A phone call to TWC resulted in an offer to replace the modem (which I did, since the TWC office is less than 5 minutes from my house) but that didn't solve it. A followup call to TWC elicited the statement that many Mac users were reporting the same issue. As it turns out, I restored the connection by cloning back from a clone that I had made two days before (after manually updating the few files that had changed since then).

Today, I read Apple breaks Mac Ethernet port with security update, issues fix and immediately followed the instructions for installing the updated kernel extension.

I suppose that this was good, in a way, because TWC swapped a more advanced modem for the older one, and the new one is compatible with TWC's upcoming improvements to service.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39169 02/29/16 12:05 PM
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Thanks a million for that, Jon!

A bunch of weeks back I was troubleshooting a DSL issue by switching my connection from wireless to wired and back when all of a sudden I could no longer get a wired connection.

It's been on my list of final month of AppleCare to-dos.

Now I dunno... My "Get Info" version of the referenced file HD/System/Library/Extensions/AppleKextExcludeList.kext is 3.27, my "Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data software" is v 3.26, and software update tells me that I'm up to date...thoroughly confused

Update: Just checked again to be sure, and I still can't connect to the Internet via Ethernet although System Prefs > Network shows "Ethernet Connected".

Anybody got any suggestions?

Update 2: The OS X 10.11.3 update was the first Delta I've ever run, so out of curiosity more than hope I ran the Combo with, as expected, no joy.

Last edited by artie505; 02/29/16 01:25 PM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
artie505 #39170 02/29/16 01:26 PM
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From the article (and I did this myself, although my connection was fine):

An Ethernet connection should be functional at this time, but users are urged to download the latest Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data version 3.28.2 software by opening Terminal and entering in sudo softwareupdate —background. Quit Terminal and restart once more to finalize the install procedure.

If that doesn't apply to you, read this Apple support document, linked from the original article that I posted. Otherwise, if you have a bootable clone, boot from it and see if the internet connection works. If so, update any relevant files manually (if you can) and clone back. That worked for me on Saturday. BTW, System Information reports, for me, that the fix was installed yesterday at 12:17 PM.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39171 02/29/16 02:13 PM
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I saw a discrepancy between the AppleInsider article and the Apple Support Document. According to the latter, the command should be sudo softwareupdate --background I wondered why the installation didn't show up for me in System Information.

Hope this helps.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39174 02/29/16 04:05 PM
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How come none of this shows up on Apple's Downloads & Updates page?

Re: Apple breaks ethernet
grelber #39176 02/29/16 04:09 PM
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As far as I can tell, the update is passive and done in the background. My System Information profile shows that it was done at a time and day (2/28) when my computer was awake, but I did not do the installation.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
grelber #39177 02/29/16 04:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
How come none of this shows up on Apple's Downloads & Updates page?

It's a security update. Or, more specifically, an update to a security update. You probably haven't unchecked the "automatically download and install security updates" option.


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
Ira L #39178 02/29/16 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ira L
As far as I can tell, the update is passive and done in the background. My System Information profile shows that it was done at a time and day (2/28) when my computer was awake, but I did not do the installation.

That's a tad frightening. Did Apple also abscond with the contents of your bank accounts passively?

Re: Apple breaks ethernet
Virtual1 #39179 02/29/16 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted By: Virtual1
It's a security update. Or, more specifically, an update to a security update. You probably haven't unchecked the "automatically download and install security updates" option.

I don't allow automatic anything! And that would apply in spades for security updates.
Plus I have to download updates of every sort via broadband access and then install independently. Always have and always will.

Re: Apple breaks ethernet
grelber #39182 02/29/16 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
It's a security update. Or, more specifically, an update to a security update. You probably haven't unchecked the "automatically download and install security updates" option.

I don't allow automatic anything! And that would apply in spades for security updates.
Plus I have to download updates of every sort via broadband access and then install independently. Always have and always will.

It's the default value. It will start out enabled, and will remain enabled until you disable it.


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
Virtual1 #39185 02/29/16 06:44 PM
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Originally Posted By: Virtual1
It's the default value. It will start out enabled, and will remain enabled until you disable it.

Not that it matters in the grander scheme of things, but ...
I have (always) disabled everything (including everything supplied by Apple) on my computer which might try to update itself automatically.

Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39186 02/29/16 07:38 PM
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Thanks Jon,

The link to the Apple Support document you provided:
If the Ethernet connection on your Mac stopped working recently
was the most helpful to me in determining the version of the Incomplete Kernel Extension Configuration Data installed on my MacBook Pro.


Back up everything you can't afford to lose: documents, mail, movies, music, photos, and other data and settings.
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39187 02/29/16 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: Jon
If so, update any relevant files manually (if you can) and clone back. That worked for me on Saturday.

Sorry, Jon, but I don't follow that "manually" thing.

I dunno... No matter how I check...App Store or Terminal I get a negative response.

And my incorrect version isn't even the correct incorrect version.

You've been running wired...when did you lose your connection? I lost mine back in December, I think...maybe when I upgraded to El Cap.

I think a call to AppleCare is in the cards. frown


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
artie505 #39193 02/29/16 11:39 PM
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jchuzi Offline OP
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I agree, Artie, that a call to Applecare is necessary. My problem started this past Saturday and is probably not related to your issue. As to manually updating, the major things that I did were to use Entourage for email and surf the web. Consequently, I copied ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data and ~/Library/Safari from the internal drive to the corresponding locations in the clone. That ensured that I didn't lose any emails and/or browsing history. Then, I cloned back via the incremental clone feature of Carbon Copy Cloner. It took less than three minutes and I was back in business.

I'm posting this in case someone else can use the info, even though it doesn't apply to you. The best that I can do is to wish you good luck. Post back when you solve it. smile


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
Virtual1 #39198 03/01/16 12:38 AM
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I don't think I got that silent update, not that it has any bearing on my having lost ethernet connectivity immediately upon upgrading to El Cap. frown

Last edited by artie505; 03/01/16 10:10 AM. Reason: Complete rewrite

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
artie505 #39200 03/01/16 10:19 AM
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jchuzi Offline OP
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I'm sure that you did this, but I'll mention it anyway:

Open System Preferences and go to Network. Click Assist Me and then click Diagnostics. Follow the prompts and see what happens. I assume that you have long since contacted your ISP.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
jchuzi #39202 03/01/16 11:18 AM
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I deleted my original post, because you gave me an insight.

I tried System Prefs > Network > Assist Me (about which I had completely forgotten blush ) and didn't get a definitive answer, but I did learn that
  1. since I upgraded to El Cap I've apparently lost the ability to connect to the Internet via ethernet and stream music via AirPlay at the same time, and
  2. if I tweak my settings I can connect to the Internet via ethernet.
The latter appears to be the fortuitous result of my having missed the silent security update that broke your connection, so I think I'll deal with it by waiting for the 10.11.4 update and seeing what happens.

And I don't know if the former is an El cap glitch or a bad setting on my end, but since I don't remember having changed my settings I've now got a definitive question to ask AppleCare.

Thanks for your help. smile

Edit: Clarification... In Snowy, when I pulled my ethernet cable from my AirPort Express Base Station and plugged it into the port on my deuced Mac(hina) I got immediate Internet connectivity with no break in AirPlay; I no longer get that automatic Internet connectivity in El Cap.

Last edited by artie505; 03/01/16 11:35 AM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
artie505 #39360 03/09/16 08:07 AM
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Update... My connectivity issue is still unsolved, but I did a nuke & pave in connection with another issue and learned that Apple apparently pulled the bad (silent) update before I was ever aware of it.

After a clean installation of OS X 10.11.3 I did not have the entry in System Information that's been mentioned, /System/Library/Extensions/AppleKextExcludeList.kext is at v 3.27, not 3.28.1 or 3.28.2, and I've got no pending software updates.

Confusion cleared up, anyhow.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Apple breaks ethernet
artie505 #39367 03/09/16 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie
...since I upgraded to El Cap I've apparently lost the ability to connect to the Internet via ethernet and stream music via AirPlay at the same time....

Well, it took an Apple network specialist to figure it out, but all I needed to do was power down my router for three minutes...the "magic number" as she called it. (It obviously had nothing to do with El Cap, which I finally figured out myself [by correlating a complicated series of phone bills, Verizon tech support visits, FTM posts, and OS X receipt entries] about five minutes before she called.)

This is the Apple doc to which she referred.

Last edited by artie505; 03/10/16 08:00 AM. Reason: Add link

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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