Road Runner login problems: a "final" follow-up

Last week, we covered recent login problems with the RoadRunner cable modem service. More MacFixIt readers than I might have guessed must use this service, because it continues to generate a large number of responses. A few highlights:

Randall Farr and Dave Garrity both reported the same trick for resolving RoadRunner login problems: After logging in as normal, do a force quit (Command-Option-Escape) from the login window. "This results in the 'log-out' command never being sent to the RR authentication server, leaving you logged in even when your computer is off. As long as you turn your computer on every few days, you will always be logged in" even after a system crash.

David Zinkin's had the reported symptoms (corrupted TCP/IP Preferences etc.) and solved them by enabling virtual memory (RAM Doubler did not work as a substitute).

Steven Kapplin, Donald Wiggins, Karl Allison and Guy Syafoek all report that Bill Tudor's AutoLogin works with Tampa Bay's RoadRunner. Randall Farr writes that it works in Portland, Maine. It looks like it works in most locations.

Many readers wrote just to say that they have had no problems at all, although most comment on their dislike of the "unMac-like" software.

Finally, a service technician that works for a company that installs and services RoadRunner in the Columbus Ohio area offered the following comments:

Having Internet access without being logged-in. During the roll out of the new login software many Time-Warner divisions enabled users to have Internet access without being logged in due to glitches in the new software. Even though most of the divisions now have the new log-in systems up and functioning, many Time-Warner divisions continue to allow users to have access without being logged-in until they are confident that most of the bugs in the system have been eradicated. The reason there are conflicting reports is that each Time-Warner division more or less operates independently and has its own timetable concerning the implementation of the log-in software.

Mac OS 8.5 problems. This is basically a nasty bug in the version of Open Transport installed by Mac OS 8.5 which results in the preferences being corrupted. With a fresh preferences file, the Mac will obtain an IP address from the DHCP servers properly and the Internet connection works fine (until you shut down or restart). The 8.5.1 update generally fixes this problem, but you MUST delete the old preferences file!

The login software appears to fail. Unfortunately, the log-in software doesn't even come close to adhering to Apple's interface guidelines. The wait icon for the cursor general does not revert to the arrow after successfully logging in and you can't quit the log-in app using Command-Q because none of the holy listings are implemented in the file menu.

Apple's Discussion Forums Also check out Apple's Discussion Forums (such as a and b) for more on this issue, including Apple's response that "we are looking into it." (Thanks, Jim Muha.)

I have received still more suggestions as to the source of the problem (including information about different versions of the login client used in different locales). But I think this is enough food for thought for now.