SOLVED MacBook Pro failing to get to websites

[Steve Hope]

Hi all, having an issue here recently with my MacBook Pro. After I do a "restart" I can get to a few websites for a period of time and then arbitrarily the next website I try to get to does not come in; the blue line on top of the screen goes only so far and then the thing times out and claims "Safari cannot open this website". At that point I have to do a "restart" and then I can get to any website... for a short period of time, or maybe 6 websites, then it locks up again at the next attempt and I have to "restart" again. What is going on? As a ps, I am running Mojave 10.14.4 with no recent updates. All was good until 2 weeks ago and this issue is bugging me to the point I have to ask here.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Sounds like there may be a DNS issue somewhere in your setup. I would try the following:

1. Power down your Mac
2. Power cycle your modem/router - unplug from mains for 15-30 secs, plug it back in and wait for it to sync back and the lights to stabilize
3. Power on your Mac

See if that fixes the issue.

Also:
-Try Safari > Clear History...
-Check the following setting in  > System Preferences... > Network > click Wi-Fi to select it > click Advanced... > click Proxies and make sure the *.local, 169.254/16 text is in the Bypass proxy settings for these Hosts & Domains: box.

-Check  > System Preferences... > Network > click Wi-Fi to select it > click Advanced... > click TCP/IP and make sure it is set to Using DHCP

Let us know if that helps,

C

 

[Steve Hope]

Thanks Cory, here is what I found; A google link showed me the first 5 steps helping, close apps; free up disc space ( all my pics etc are on the cloud so no issue there); update iOS, I am at Mojave 10.14.4; use "CleanMyMac" by MacPaw which I have. The last step is using apple diagnostics but I am unfamiliar with that.
When I saw your post I discovered immediately that there is an issue. You showed above "select a protocol to configure" and it highlights "auto proxy discovery"; mine was set on SOCKS, whatever that is?
In TCP/IP, I am set to DHCP but there is a box next to that which proclaims "renew DHCP lease". I don't know what that is nor do I know the DHCP client ID.
When I switched to "auto proxy discovery" that's when all went right with the world again. I am also back on my wifi extender amp and it works like a champ. I think when I had my 17 year old son ( who knows everything, just ask him) helped me configure the wifi amp he may have accidentally changed that proxy protocol selection, but I dont know for sure.
As a last note, when I rebooted and looked again, the Mac had reverted to SOCKS again and I had to manually change it and make the dialog box say "keep selection", Sheesh.
Cory thanks for the help, especially posting the pics of what to see. And yes, the *.local, 169.254/16 is in the proxy box. Thanks so much.

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries...glad it is back to normal.

Let us know if you have additional issues,

C