Q: Internet Drops Out Randomly

This is a progress report as I continue to seek a solution to my random Internet Dropout problem.  For this I am using a disciplined “change one thing at a time” method., and for the time being I’ve been sticking with the Automatic Location and therefore my Cox preferred DNS servers.  And doing so I actually may have solved my problem, but I dunno why.

It turns out that I occasionally add my iMac G4 portable to my LAN using a Firewire interface with my Intel Mac Pro and the appropriate Internet Sharing setup. Heretofore under 10.5.8 I simply left this Sharing option on even though I rarely interfaced the iMac to my LAN, and without any problems. But turning the Internet Sharing via Firewire off under 10.6.8 seems to have solved my Internet Dropout problem -- go figure. So I will continually test the Firewire Internet Sharing setting off and on to verify. But these tests require several days each, so I’m going to schedule them on my calendar. God willing, I will report back with those results.

Meanwhile I’ve been doing some heavy reading on networking technology (follow the packets), always a dangerous thing.

Thanks to all for bearing with me here.

This is a progress report as I continue to seek a solution to my random Internet Dropout problem.  For this I am using a disciplined “change one thing at a time” method., and for the time being I’ve been sticking with the Automatic Location and therefore my Cox preferred DNS servers.  And doing so I actually may have solved my problem, but I dunno why.

It turns out that I occasionally add my iMac G4 portable to my LAN using a Firewire interface with my Intel Mac Pro and the appropriate Internet Sharing setup. Heretofore under 10.5.8 I simply left this Sharing option on even though I rarely interfaced the iMac to my LAN, and without any problems. But turning the Internet Sharing via Firewire off under 10.6.8 seems to have solved my Internet Dropout problem -- go figure. So I will continually test the Firewire Internet Sharing setting off and on to verify. But these tests require several days each, so I’m going to schedule them on my calendar. God willing, I will report back with those results.

Meanwhile I’ve been doing some heavy reading on networking technology (follow the packets), always a dangerous thing.

Thanks to all for bearing with me here.

Bottom line re my Random Internet Dropout problem: It's the Internet via The Firewire port setting under the Sharing dialog being left on (I use this infrequently only to interface my iMac G4 portable in preparation for travel). Nothing else. And only under 10.6.8, not 10.5.8. See my original entry above for my overall LAN configuration, which is probably fairly unique. So those of you having a similar frustration may have a different cause.

I could go into a big rant here re Apple ignoring these quirky misbehaviors for the small fraction of us with outlier setups, but I'll limit it to one. These days most network communication development has been with respect to wireless interfaces, not wired. It's hard to even find a wired interface cable modem or router. I use cable raceways under my office built-ins to eliminate the clutter, prefer the security aspects of wired, and need to use wired anyway to interface my commercial printers (or a wireless bridge).

Thanks to BD for your suggestions, and I may not have understood your earlier suspicion about some "service you're sharing".  So I'm going to go back and give that one an attaboy.