MacOS – websites don’t open on a specific wifi connection (probably DNS issue)

dnsinternetmacosNetworkwifi

I have a cable broadband which works flawlessly; I am using the same to ask this question from my Android.
But it doesn't work on my MacBook (10.10.2).
Basically, no websites open, although I can ping all the websites, sometimes Google websites open fine, but that too only in Chrome (not in the incognito mode though).

  1. I have tried Safari, it had the same problem.
  2. I have tried removing and adding the wifi connection.
  3. I have tried flushing the unicast and multicast DNS cache with the recommended commands.
  4. I have tried adding Google & OpenDNS servers to network settings for this wifi connection.
  5. I have verified that the wifi connection works fine on Windows and Android devices.
  6. I have reset the wifi router.
  7. I have verified that the MacBook works fine with all other wifi and other kinds of internet connections.
  8. I have tried connecting the MacBook to hotspot (Bluetooth) with Android, but still the websites don't open.

Any help will be truly appreciated, but please, don't suggest things I've already tried.

Update:

This gets fixed when I cold restart the MacBook. Also, to clarify, all other internet services work fine e.g. Skype, Dropbox, Box apps seem to work. So, it is probably something to do with the DNS, as pointed out by Buscar웃 too.

I use DHCP with this wifi connection. The network settings show several DNS servers automatically populated by DHCP. I can override them though, by adding new DNS servers, but still the problem persists (as I mentioned above in point 4).

DNS

Best Answer

Some users have reported similar problems with 10.10.2

Looking true you attempts, I would suggest following additional steps.

Reset WiFi settings:

Turn Off Wi-Fi from the Wireless menu item

From the OS X Finder, hit Command+Shift+G and Copy/Paste the following path:

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/

Select following files:

com.apple.airport.preferences.plist


com.apple.network.identification.plist

com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist


NetworkInterfaces.plist


preferences.plist

and move them to Desktop (do not delete for now). This forces OS X to recreate all network configuration files.

Restart WiFi and check.

Solution 2:

If your Ping works (your WiFi connection is fine), then check and modify your DNS server (responsible to connect you to the right website). I would add Google DNS in system preferences- Network -Advanced -DNS and it is the 8.8.8.8

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