So it wasn’t me and my Powerbook after all. Computerworld reports on a switch failure which would account for yesterday’s Internet problems, though it doesn’t explain why the Mac mini could get on the Net but the Powerbook couldn’t. Both share the same cable connection.
Switch failure takes out TelstraClear: A failed switch at TelstraClear’s Symonds Street facility in Auckland at 8.30am yesterday, interrupting email, web service and DNS resolution for the company and its customers nationwide. … the switch was replaced at midday. However, the backed up traffic overwhelmed TelstraClear’s firewall … This forced it to throttle back the traffic to process it, leading to spotty performance for customers throughout the day.