Mac User Account/Profile switching causing internet issues

[lokka]

Hi,

When I swap user profile from Profile A to Profile B and then back to Profile A most of my apps don't work. It says there's no internet connection. However it works on some of the app. An example is I can use Safari but I can't use Chrome or Brave Browser or Microsoft Teams or Zoom etc They all say Internet not connected. I have tried contacting Apple and they haven't been very helpful at all asking me to contact each app! Anyone else had a similar issue?

 

[bogdanw]

Try to set another DNS server
DNS settings https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh14127/
Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1
Google: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220

 

[BrianBaughn]

Is the "Limit IP Address Tracking" setting the same for both accounts?

 

[lokka]

Yes Its the same setting. So basically this is what's happening. I restart my laptop and log into my Admin account and all the apps are working perfectly. I can use Chrome for Internet Microsoft Teams etc. I then switch to another User account, everything works fine there and I switch back to Admin profile and that's when the issue starts. Teams doesn't work, Chrome doesn't work, Zoom doesn't work. The only fix is I have to restart my laptop again but the moment I swap profile from Admin to other user, same issue!

 

[bogdanw]

You could try to reset all network settings
"How to Reset Network Settings on Mac" https://osxdaily.com/how-reset-network-settings-mac/

Another possibility, different network locations for each user
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/different-ips-per-user.2403261/

 

[AndrewMac]

I am having the same problems when switching accounts, and none of the suggestions above helped. Even more curiously, however, it's mainly Chrome-based browsers and Firefox that are affected. Safari seems to work fine. And even with the Chrome-based browsers that mostly don't work, some sites load okay (even ones that I don't think are cached). I think I might have to wait for the next Sonoma update, to see if something in there helps with this!

 

[bogdanw]

Safari connectivity can be influenced by
Private Relay https://support.apple.com/102022
Hide IP address https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/sfri35610/

Chrome and Firefox connectivity can be influenced by Secure DNS/DNS-over-HTTPS
Chrome https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10468685
Firefox https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-dns-over-https

 

[lokka]

I am having the same problems when switching accounts, and none of the suggestions above helped. Even more curiously, however, it's mainly Chrome-based browsers and Firefox that are affected. Safari seems to work fine. And even with the Chrome-based browsers that mostly don't work, some sites load okay (even ones that I don't think are cached). I think I might have to wait for the next Sonoma update, to see if something in there helps with this!

Any luck? Do you use Microsoft Teams or Zoom? Are those apps having issues too?

 

[AndrewMac]

Hi lokka

I waited for the Sonoma 14.4 update, and that seems to have done the trick. The problems I was having seem to have gone away … or at least I haven't seen them since updating. I'd be interested to know if that fixes things for you too. I hope it does!

 

[lokka]

Hi lokka

I waited for the Sonoma 14.4 update, and that seems to have done the trick. The problems I was having seem to have gone away … or at least I haven't seen them since updating. I'd be interested to know if that fixes things for you too. I hope it does!

Just updated and still having this issue! :-( This is so annoying!!!

 

[appleph]

I am having the same issue. I just created a new user yesterday. I couldn't curl using the Terminal app.

 

[lokka]

Let me know if you find a solution! I feels like it's gotten worse for me since the last Sonoma update :-(

 

[Zuleika]

I recently started having this issue, too.

I've had one user profile for years, several months ago I created a second one to separate work and personal stuff a little better. In the last couple weeks this problem started. The older user profile is the one that has problems.

Rebooting will temporarily solve the problem. But no matter which profile I log into first, I have problems with user 1 whenever I try to switch into it. When I switch back to user 2, it's still fine.

It's not just browser access. It also affects my email accounts. But I'll be able to access the same email accounts via my phone which is connected to the same wifi & router in my house. Nothing else in my house is having trouble with internet access (the other user profile, iphone, ipad, TV, Nest...).

I use the built-in firewall, but turning it off doesn't help. Disconnecting and reconnecting to wifi doesn't help. I don't use Screen Time, parental controls or other restrictions.

Would love to hear if anyone has found a solution for this!

 

[lokka]

@Zuleika I was able to get this fixed finally! I took it to the Apple Store and showed them what was happening and basically they had to reinstall the OS once again. I have had no issues since they did it. I'd suggest taking it in and showing them the issue but make sure you back up all your Data!

 

[Zuleika]

I was able to get this fixed finally! I took it to the Apple Store and showed them what was happening and basically they had to reinstall the OS once again. I have had no issues since they did it. I'd suggest taking it in and showing them the issue but make sure you back up all your Data!

I upgraded from Sonoma 14.4 to 14.5 yesterday and (so far) the problem hasn't resurfaced. I feel like this is a bug somewhere that is maybe getting fixed and then somehow reintroduced. There are complaints about this going back a couple of years, but it seems like something that comes and goes.

 

[eRondeau]

Not sure if this was suggested but Google "Flush DNS Cache".

 

[appleph]

I upgraded from Sonoma 14.4 to 14.5 yesterday and (so far) the problem hasn't resurfaced. I feel like this is a bug somewhere that is maybe getting fixed and then somehow reintroduced. There are complaints about this going back a couple of years, but it seems like something that comes and goes.

This worked for me.

I got really disappointed initially to learn that a trip to a service center and a reinstall was the solution that worked.

 

[appleph]

May be related, may be not. But when I play at the end of the day using a PS5 controller, it disconnects after about 10minutes. I restarted the computer and did not do user switch and it doesn't disconnect anymore.

The user switching is probably not a serious use case for them.