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When Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator are unable to load a web page, alerts such as those shown in Figures 1 through 4 may occur. Internet Explorer applies the alert shown in Figure 1 to each of the error conditions represented by the three Netscape Navigator alerts (Figures 2 through 4).
Figure 1:
Internet Explorer dialog.
Figure 2:
Netscape Navigator dialog, "Unable to locate server."
Figure 3:
Netscape Navigator dialog, "Can't find DNS entry."
Figure 4:
Netscape Navigator dialog, "Unable to create socket."
If you are using Apple Remote Access or Open Transport/PPP to connect to the Internet, you may use the troubleshooting path in this article to help identify the source of the issue.
DISCUSSION
-
Article 30929: "
Mac OS: Extensions Troubleshooting/Extensions Manager Features
"
Article 43033: " Troubleshooting Handbook: Reinstalling Your Computer's Software "
Troubleshooting Path
Step 1
Verify Internet Connection
Verify that an internet connection has been established: open the Remote Access control panel or the Remote Access Status application. (Open Transport/PPP users should open the PPP control panel.) The default button shown should read "Disconnect," signifying a successful dial-up connection to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). See Figure 5 below.
Figure 5: Disconnect button in the Remote Access window.
If the button reads other than "Disconnect," there is no existing connection and thus no access to web, email, FTP, or other Internet services. Navigator's "network socket connection" alert predominates in this circumstance.
So long as a successful dial-up connection can be established, a hardware failure is never indicated for this symptom.
Step 2
Confirm the Extent of the Issue
Ensure that the issue affects loading of all web pages, not just one or several. If a page you previously visited loads, click your browser's Refresh or Reload button to assure loading from the web server instead of the browser's local cache file. If it is possible to access any web pages at all, the hardware and software are not at fault. At worst, the inaccessible pages have been taken down or are temporarily out of service. Try them again later.
Try accessing other Internet services as well, such as email, chat, or FTP. If none of these services are available despite a confirmed (as per Step 1) connection to the ISP, the symptom strongly suggests issues with the ISP's Internet servers, but you may wish to explore the unlikely possibilities addressed in Step 5.
Step 3
Verify DNS Addresses
This symptom most often relates to having missing or inaccurate Domain Name Server (DNS) information in the TCP/IP control panel (earlier system software uses the MacTCP control panel instead). The window shown in Figure 6 illustrates the most common TCP/IP setup for a PPP connection, highlighting the DNS information in question.
Figure 6: TCP/IP control panel.
There may be two entries, representing a primary and a secondary (optional) DNS address. Confirm the correctness of these numbers with your ISP, or enter them if missing. The example shown illustrates the format of a DNS address, not the DNS address you should use.
If your ISP's setup instructions demand a setting of "Manually" in the "Configure" pop-up menu of TCP/IP, it will be just as important to have an accurate address entered in the IP address field and possibly the subnet and router (gateway) address fields as well. If in doubt, confirm these numbers with your ISP.
Step 4
Bypass the Domain Name Server
Try entering an IP address directly. For example, instead of entering...
...in the web browser, enter its IP address equivalent:
It is the function of a Domain Name Server to resolve name addresses into IP addresses, which represent the underlying method of identifying servers on the Internet. Thus, if it is possible to load a web page using its IP address but not its name address (rendering a DNS query unnecessary), there may be a issue with the ISP's name server, or perhaps the name server specified in the TCP/IP control panel is incorrect. Either possibility may require a call to your Internet Service Provider to confirm the DNS address or the existence of a issue with their server.
IP addresses occasionally change, so here are a few others for your testing:
www.epson.com = 208.152.64.40
www.yahoo.com = 204.71.200.66
Step 5
Delete TCP/IP Preferences and MacTCP DNR
An unusable TCP/IP preference file may be contributing to this issue. Earlier system software or internet applications may also be affected by an unusable MacTCP DNR file. Record your TCP/IP information elsewhere so that it can later be reentered, then delete these preferences, located as follows:
Macintosh HD : System Folder : Preferences : TCP/IP Preferences
Macintosh HD : System Folder : MacTCP DNR (If you do not see this file, skip this step)
If your system uses the MacTCP control panel (Classic Networking) instead of TCP/IP, then also delete MacTCP Prep:
Macintosh HD : System Folder : Preferences : MacTCP Prep
Finishing Up
If the issue persists, standard extensions troubleshooting, or a clean installation of the system software, may be necessary. See these documents for more information: