Strange info in "Bypass Proxy Settings for These Hosts and Domains"

You give yourself a self-assigned IP address in preparation for asking your Router to send you a "real" IP Address. This happens often, but disappears in the blink of an eye on a properly-configured network.

Comcast cable modem via direct hardwired Ethernet

Most cable companies allow only one connection, unless you have your own Router. It is always the first M.A.C. (Hardware Address) that connects. If you connected first with another computer, that is all you can ever connect.

If you buy your own Router, you call the cable company and say, "I got a new computer." They do a deep reset on the cable modem, and then the next device that connscts (the Router) is the only device that can ever connect. But that's okay.

The Router acts as your agent on the Internet. If forwards the packets you send, and accepts packets that are direct responses to your messages. It discards any attempts by bad guys to get on your local network.

I have the same question as P D. However, the reply by Grant Bennet-Adler is quite obscure to me.

What I want to know is:

1. What exactly is the function of this this *.local, 169.254/16 ? I have no proxy settings.

2. Where does this address come from ?

3. Is it possible to remove it ? And why should I do that ?

4. Could this entry (coming out of nowhere) be the somehow the cause (or part) of the endemic Wi-Fi issues that are now plaguing Lion 10.7.1 and driving me crazy ?

I have an iMac mid-2011, 2 Apple Extreme Base Stations (Main and Remote) and connect to the Internet via cable (modem provided by the cable company).

Thanks!

When your Mac wakes up, it does not yet have an IP Addresss. It wants to send a request to a Router for an apprpriste IP address to use now. But it needs to have an IP address (like a return address) to receive any messages. So, ... wait for it,

... it (your Mac) makes one up. There are rules that ensure it is a random address, but they always start with 169.254. It is on the same subnet with any low-order 16 bits This is the "self-assigned" range of IP Addresses. This address is only good for talking on a local network segment, for things like asking for a valid IP Address from a DHCP-enabled Router.

In most cases, on most networks, the 169.254 self-assigned IP Address is replaced by a valid Local IP Address such as 192.168.xxx yyy or 10.0.xxx.yyy so quickly that you never even see the 169.254 Address.

If you do see the 169.254 Address, it can be read as "Nobody will talk to me" or "Nobody will give me an IP Address". When you have this IP Address for more than an instant, you should suspect bad cables for Ethernet connections, bad signal strength or interference for wireless, Router configuration problems, or Mac configuration problems.

Mac configuration problems are often solved by using the "Assist Me" button is System Preferences > Network and choosing to set up again.

Another diagnostic is to try using Network Utility and the Ping function, and Ping-ing the address of your Airport base Station, often 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1 or similar. This will tell you if the Router is reachable, or there are cabling/wirelss signal problems.

In this case, proxies are not an issue, and are simply a distraction from the real problems.

Thanks a bunch.

But the whole area of wireless communications will forever remain a profound mystery to me.

Through the "Assist Me" protocol, as you suggest, I am asked whether I connect to the Internet via Airport... or Cable modem... My iMac is wirelessly connected to an Apple Extreme Base router, that is wired (Ethernet) to the cable company modem. So, what should I click/answer when I am presented with the various options in "How Do You Connect to the Internet?" :" I use Airport... or "I use a cable modem to connect ti=o the Internet"? I believe I have found the expert who will give me the definite answer to this question!

Thanks

The question is being asked in a very myopic sense. In your case, you connect (directly from your Macintosh) wirelessly, to the next intelligent device up the line. How that next device connects is a separable issue.

Okay. I think I get it. The reply I should click is "I use Airport to connect to the Internet worelessly". Thank you again.

Grant,

You seem to be the most knowledgeable on these communities, so I want to pose a problem I'm experiencing.

My daughter has a MacBook that until today appeared to be working fine. However, when she tried to get to her gmail account through Safari, it came back saying could not complete a secure setting to google with an https address we had not entered. Other web sites come up just fine.

After clearing cache and history to no avail (I also went into safe boot mode), I discovered what the original poster to this string had. Bypass proxy setting *local, 169.254. I can't seem to get rid of it, nor can I log in as administrator (I'm the administrator. Hers account is a managed acct).

Am I missing something or has her computer been hacked?

Thx,

Jeffrey

Not being able to establish a secure connection generally has nothing to do with proxies. The rule you found says that when you have a self-assigned IP Address, it is OK NOT to use the Proxy server (and you can't get off the local network anyway, so it is not an issue).

It sometimes has to do with some very obscure issues surrounding Certificates.

But most often, these problems come up because the Date & Time are not set within five minutes of the correct time, or the Time Zone is not set correctly. This can cause failure to establish a secure connection.

If you have restricted the web sites your Parental Controls Mac can visit, Is google webmail on the list of approved sites ?

Thanks but that doesn't explain why I cannot access the administrator account (mine) on the Mac or why every other computer that is wirelessly connected to the same router can get to gmail. Plus gmail doesn't use secure connection so this error message shouldn't even come up.

There may be a brief secure connection while you enter your username and password. (Then again, given google's attitude toward your privacy, there may not.)

The most frequent hacks to redirect you to rogue sites are done on the Internet, using Domain Name Servers (DNS). Make sure that computer is using only the DNS addresses you expect, or switch to something like Open DNS:

208.67.222.222

208.67.220.220

http://www.OpenDNS.com

I do not know why you cannot log in using your Admin account. When I have that problem, it is usually that I forgot the username or password, or messed up upper vs lower case. Passwords are case sensitive. At one time usernames were not case sensitive, but I seem to run afoul of the case of usernames more often, so I am no longer sure.

I have a home Server, and some of the user computers are restricted as to who can log on. It is possible in that case to exclude the Admin, but it is not something you would ever do on purpose.

i have this same problem under

Bypass proxy settings for these Hosts & Domains:

*.local, 169.254/16

this is not my router ip. i read these 2 links and I'm still confused.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link-local_address

http://packetlife.net/blog/2008/sep/24/169-254-0-0-addresses-explained/

The 169.254.0.0/16 network is used for Automatic Private IP Addressing, or APIPA. If a DHCP client attempts to get an address, but fails to find a DHCP server after the timeout and retries period it will randomly assume an address from this network. This allows communication with hosts that have failed to obtain a DHCP address.????

I guess my MacBookPro is automatically running ZEROCONF Route?

Your problem, hardware or software, may not be exactly the same as that of the original poster of this older thread, and it can be very confusing for everybody if we try to answer more than one question in each thread, which can also result in you applying the wrong advice to your particular problem.

In order for us to give your problem our proper attention to try to solve it, would you kindly start your own thread, describing the trouble you are having in the fullest detail, including completing your details to show what Mac or iDevice you are using, what operating system, and what version of the application in question. Please remember to post in the forum relevant to your hardware or version of OS X. A full list of all the support forums is here:

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

My IMac has exact same thing I am with Comcast too!

Did anyone find out the issue? What to do ?