"Network Change Detected" - repeats

This has been happening for roughly the past two weeks. As far as I know, I have done nothing to change my Network configuration.

Situation: Powerbook G4, running 10.4.11 -- online via my wireless connection at home. At a seemingly-random point either a web page won't load (Safari tells me I am not connected to the Internet), or my email tells me it is having problems getting to the server. However, the 'bars' in my menubar show that I am still logged onto my home network and I still have a connection and a strong-enough signal. My husband is still online on his notebook and my iPhone is showing that it's online on the wireless connection.

Safari offers to run Network Diagnostics: I do that, and it comes to a point where it says: "Network Change Detected: Your network configuration has changed. Click OK to proceed to the next step."

When I do that, and Continue (without changing the options that the dialog is showing me); it completes and tells me my connection is fine, which it then is. After that I can go online, retrieve/send email, etc. ... until the next time (sometimes a day, sometimes a few hours).

What is the "Network Change" that Network Diagnostics has detected? I have not done anything to change my Network. In fact, I have my Preferences 'locked' (ever since that problem with the 'looping' by the Network preferences, several months back).

Since I now know how to get things back working it's only a bother. But I am left wondering if there is something more dire that this signals. Any ideas?

(The router is a Belkin; the connection is Comcast cable modem. These have not changed.)

PB G4 (10.4), Mac OS X (10.4.11), iPhones, iPod

Posted on Jul 1, 2009 11:13 AM

Reply
5 replies

Jul 2, 2009 12:48 PM in response to deemacm

Hi deemacm, and a warm welcome to the forums! 🙂

To stop the pop-up, Go to System Preferences: Security. Check the box next to "Require password to unlock each secure system preference." Then lock Security.

Try this cure for Security update...

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1730909&tstart=0

The locations are actually...

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.nat.plist

Then... Try putting these numbers in Network>TCP/IP>DNS Servers, for the Airport Interface...

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Then Apply

DNS Servers are a bit like Phone books where you look up a name and it gives you the phone number, in our case, you put in apple.com and it comes back with 17.149.160.49 behind the scenes. 🙂

These Servers have been patched to guard against DNS poisoning, and are faster/more reliable than most ISP's DNS Servers.

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"Network Change Detected" - repeats

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