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Level 1

10 points

Odd console messages when ethernet cable is NOT connected

Summary: 3 Symptoms, all recurs simultaneously every minute or so when an ethernet cable is NOT connected:
1) Console: *"Firewall krb5kdc is listening"*...
2) HardwareGrowler *"Ethernet Deactivated Interface: en0"*
3) Network Preference Panel: Ethernet panel flickers. The Status changes from *"Cable Unplugged"* to *"Unknown State"* and then back to *"Cable Unplugged"* in less than a second.

I just bought a new 17" MacBook Pro (2010) to replace my old white MacBook that was running Snow Leopard. I used the migration assistant to transfer everything on the first bootup.

I use Growl and HardwareGrowl, which basically just alerts me to system changes such as mounting drives, connected and disconnected to networks, etc. I noticed that almost every minute I would see two identical consecutive Growl notifications pop up: *"Ethernet Deactivated Interface: en0"*.

Also, at the same exact time as the Growl notification this would print in the Console Log:
-----
4/20/10 11:35:24 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:35:24 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6

Then Oddly enough, if I leave the Network Preference Pane open, I can see the ethernet status go from its normal *"Cable Unplugged"* to *"Unknown State"* then in a fraction of a second, back to *"Cable Unplugged"*.

Weird, right!

The messages will stop if I insert a network cable into the MacBook Pro. The messages appear regardless of whether Airport is on. The messages even appear when there is no network cable and Airport is disabled.

I never saw this behavior on my old Macbook.

I went ahead and uninstalled Growl and a few other apps that mess with the networking (such as VMWare). I also created a 'virgin' test account. I am still having these entries show up in the log.

*I'm concerned that this may be a hardware issue. Does anyone have idea what may be going on?*

Sample log output:
------------------
4/20/10 11:36:35 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:36:35 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:37:46 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:37:46 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:38:56 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:38:56 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:40:07 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:40:07 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:41:18 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from :::88 proto=6
4/20/10 11:41:18 PM Firewall[44305] krb5kdc is listening from 0.0.0.0:88 proto=6

Activity Monitor:
-----------------
Active Memory: 533.2 MB
Free Memory: 2.40 GB
Wired Memory: 738.8 MB
Used Memory: 1.47 GB
Inactive Memory: 235.6 MB
Total VM: 141.14 GB
Number of processes: 54

PID Process Name User CPU Real Mem Virtual Mem
0 kernel_task root 11.1 141.9 MB 2.31 GB
1 launchd root 0.4 1.3 MB 2.36 GB
10 kextd root 0.6 3.3 MB 2.35 GB
11 DirectoryService root 0.0 5.1 MB 2.36 GB
12 notifyd root 0.0 640 KB 2.35 GB
13 diskarbitrationd root 0.0 1.7 MB 2.35 GB
14 configd root 0.0 3.4 MB 2.38 GB
15 syslogd root 0.0 752 KB 2.36 GB
16 blued root 0.0 4.8 MB 2.37 GB
17 distnoted daemon 0.0 1.4 MB 2.35 GB
20 mDNSResponder _mdnsrespo 0.0 2.0 MB 2.36 GB
23 coreservicesd root 0.1 29.5 MB 2.40 GB
26 securityd root 0.0 3.0 MB 2.36 GB
33 ntpd root 0.0 1.1 MB 2.32 GB
34 krb5kdc root 0.0 2.0 MB 2.34 GB
35 cron root 0.0 900 KB 2.32 GB
37 usbmuxd _usbmuxd 0.0 1.2 MB 608.1 MB
38 SystemStarter root 0.0 1.0 MB 2.34 GB
42 RFBRegisterMDNS root 0.0 1.7 MB 2.33 GB
44 mds root 0.0 70.2 MB 2.91 GB
45 loginwindow test 0.0 8.3 MB 2.65 GB
46 KernelEventAgent root 0.0 1.0 MB 2.34 GB
48 hidd root 0.0 1.5 MB 2.34 GB
49 fseventsd root 0.0 2.3 MB 2.36 GB
51 dynamic_pager root 0.0 796 KB 2.32 GB
57 autofsd root 0.0 1,008 KB 2.33 GB
65 socketfilterfw root 0.0 3.8 MB 2.36 GB
67 WindowServer _windowser 3.8 48.9 MB 2.99 GB
80 cvmsServ root 0.0 844 KB 2.33 GB
95 coreaudiod _coreaudio 0.0 1.8 MB 2.35 GB
115 launchd test 0.0 1.4 MB 2.36 GB
119 Dock test 0.0 28.7 MB 2.67 GB
120 SystemUIServer test 0.0 23.9 MB 2.73 GB
121 Finder test 0.0 13.6 MB 2.66 GB
126 pboard test 0.0 852 KB 2.32 GB
138 fontd test 0.0 4.6 MB 2.40 GB
142 UserEventAgent test 0.0 5.9 MB 2.37 GB
144 AppleVNCServer test 0.0 3.8 MB 2.60 GB
149 SIMBL Agent test 0.0 6.6 MB 10.67 GB
150 PenTabletDriver test 1.6 7.9 MB 2.66 GB
153 LMILaunchAgentFixer test 0.0 2.0 MB 630.7 MB
158 CCacheServer test 0.0 1.7 MB 2.35 GB
163 ConsumerTouchDriver test 0.3 6.7 MB 2.64 GB
165 TabletDriver test 0.0 5.3 MB 2.63 GB
192 Activity Monitor test 9.0 24.8 MB 2.74 GB
194 cvmsComp x8664 test 0.0 6.4 MB 2.34 GB
195 activitymonitord root 0.5 1.2 MB 2.33 GB
197 Console test 0.1 21.1 MB 2.69 GB
206 mdworker Patrick 0.0 6.0 MB 2.37 GB
208 mdworker test 0.0 9.6 MB 2.37 GB
218 DashboardClient test 0.0 21.1 MB 4.68 GB
234 Safari test 0.0 162.6 MB 5.02 GB
237 ocspd root 0.0 1.9 MB 2.37 GB
238 WebKitPluginAgent test 0.0 1,016 KB 2.35 GB

Message was edited by: bearboykahlo

Macbook Pro 2.53GHz, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Apr 20, 2010 10:50 PM

109 replies

neunon

Level 1

0 points

Jul 17, 2010 2:16 PM in response to neunon

Dang it, YouTube. Longer than ten minutes. BLEH.

I'm re-recording this thing.

EDIT: New video will be here, when done processing. It's only enough to show it doing it twice (1 minute, 34 seconds): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILqt8-froX0

Jul 21, 2010 9:26 PM in response to bearboykahlo

I've seen some posts saying that their Ethernet port doesn't work at all with this problem. I've already posted to count my machine in with the HwG problem, but I still haven't had any luck with getting my Ethernet port to notice any cables, and this has been tested on multiple cables in multiple ports at multiple locations.

And yet, some posters' Ethernet ports DO work. (Reference the comments in the video of the poster above me)

So: in addition to your Growl/SysPrefs troubles, does your Ethernet port actually work?

Message was edited by: speed thecollapse

bearboykahlo Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 22, 2010 7:17 AM in response to speed_the_collapse

I don't recall anyone on this thread stating their ethernet is non functional. But I'm not in the mood to read though all 7 pages of comments! Mine works fine.

Jul 25, 2010 1:36 PM in response to speed_the_collapse

I'm seeing the issue, and my Ethernet port works fine when connected to a 1000BT network.

bighoffa

Level 1

14 points

Jul 29, 2010 5:30 PM in response to speed_the_collapse

I cannot get my 15" i7 to properly connect to a 1000BaseT switch. I brought into apple and they confirmed the issue. After a logic board replacement, SATA replacement and now a new Macbook Pro, I am still having the same issue. The port works fine if put into manual mode and 100BaseT, but not 1000BaseT or automatic. Extremely annoying. I don't have Boot Camp setup, so I cannot confirm if it works properly with Windows.

st!b

Level 1

0 points

Aug 2, 2010 4:57 AM in response to bearboykahlo

same same. New 17" i7.
Movie available here:
http://stib.posterous.com/etherenet-keeps-resetting-itself-on-a-new-i7

BTW you can record screen captures with quciktime pro, and trim the recording down in the edit>trim menu. If you want to resize it I'd suggest you get mpeg streamclip (free from http://www.squared5.com)

Aug 7, 2010 10:10 PM in response to bearboykahlo

I'm getting the same issue on my brand new 15" i7. It's quite obnoxious. And I would say that I wouldn't have noticed it without Hardware Growler, but that's not the case. It occasionally drops a download (not to the point of restarting it completely, but significantly lowers the speed on occasion).

It appears like Apple doesn't care to bother with a software update... =/

jonbe242

Level 1

9 points

Aug 8, 2010 2:02 AM in response to StaticFox

Add another MBP 15" i5 to the list.

I have had this computer a couple of months now, and haven't had any problem regarding ethernet. Now I installed HwG and first noticed this issue.

I have created a new "Place" i called "No ethernet" in the network settings where a removed the ethernet interface. This removed the HwG notifications and any other visible symptoms.

3Bikes

Level 1

0 points

Aug 20, 2010 8:35 PM in response to bearboykahlo

Me too. My 13 inch MBP was purchased on 7/4/2010. I was unaware of the problem (if that is what it is) until I installed Hardware Growler this evening. Then, like clockwork, Hardware Growler reports "Ethernet deactivated Interface:en0" once every 70 seconds. This is my first Mac, so I'm no expert, but the machine seems to be running fine, aside from this quirk. (Of course, quitting Hardware Growler hides the problem, if that is what it is.) As a new member of the Mac club, I would certainly like to see Apple supply a satisfying answer, and software or hardware fix. I have not yet tried a hardwired ethernet connection to test the NIC.

Message was edited by: 3Bikes

3Bikes

Level 1

0 points

Aug 21, 2010 8:26 PM in response to 3Bikes

Just to update my post of yesterday... I plugged in a network cable and terminated my wifi connection. The Ethernet NIC works just fine. And, the HwG messages about the NIC cease for as long as the machine is connected to the network via ethernet.
My suspicion is that the OS polls the NIC every 70 seconds to see if there is an ethernet connection and that HwG misreports this polling activity as a problem. If the NIC really is being polled every 70 seconds then HwG should just ignore it.

Aug 23, 2010 2:58 PM in response to 3Bikes

You might not have seen the messages earlier in this thread, but this problems is not in Hardware Growler. If you open System Preferences to the Network pane, you will see the Ethernet interface on the left-hand side briefly flicker from "Not Connected" to "Connected" at the same time that HG reports the interface going down. Thus it seems pretty clear that this is an (admittedly pretty minor) OS-level problem that HG is exposing, not some quirk of HG itself.

rw5373

Level 1

16 points

Aug 31, 2010 1:50 PM in response to bearboykahlo

For what its worth - new Macbook Pro 17inch i7.

Exactly same problem - and its a clean install - no legacy software/files from previous macs.

Irritating ins't it!

😟

Sep 1, 2010 2:46 AM in response to rw5373

I'm experiencing this too. Disabling the HWG notifications for ethernet seems to stop the annoyance, I don't really experience anything other than that, other than just the paranoia that every 70 seconds the OS is trying to reconnect to the ethernet adapter when it should not bother to do so, and who knows whether this would ever cause any hiccups to audio I am recording with my mac, etc..

I'm not sure I would classify this as a show stopping "problem" per say, but clearly there is something going on with the OS and Apple ought to figure it out.

Sep 4, 2010 12:03 PM in response to Dewdman42

I too have this same problem with a refurbished MBP, user account set up using Migration Assistant. Like many others, wireless networking is working fine, but HardwareGrowler reports ethernet connection/disconnection constantly.

Oct 9, 2010 3:25 PM in response to bearboykahlo

I am having the same problem on my MBP 13 (mid-2010)

Odd console messages when ethernet cable is NOT connected