Puzzling Issue w/Internet Sharing between 2 Macs via Airport, Safari & iTunes

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Your Mac's Specs
13" MBP 2.4GHz 4GB OS X 10.6 | 20" iMac 2.4GHz 2GB OS X 10.5
I think I have a puzzling situation, which all started less than 48 hours ago and I can't seem to figure out.

I have an iMac (OS X 10.5) with high-speed Internet (over 20 Mbps) via Ethernet connection. The iMac shares this through the built-in Internet Sharing via Airport (no separate Airport Extreme or Express) to a Macbook Pro (OS X 10.6). This set up has worked well for the past few months (since I purchased the MBP), allowing me to share a laser printer (wired to the iMac) and external hard drive (1 TB LaCie, wired to both, one at a time). With high-speed broadband, Time Machine backups for both, Dropbox ... well, I wasn't complaining.

Suddenly, about 48 hrs ago, both Macs were only able to connect online sporadically using Safari and iTunes (unable to connect for somewhere between just seconds to minutes to hours). I initially thought it was the ISP due to some strong winds and rain here during the last couple of days. Now, the MBP IS able to connect to the Internet (typing on it now), but the iMac has been UNABLE to connect at all (Safari, iTunes, Software Update, widgets) for the last several hours. Network Diagnostics says the iMac IS connected and that the connection "appears to be working correctly," and I CAN connect somewhat with Chrome and Mail. The ISP's broadband speed test requires Active X here in Korea (don't ask ..) but I already know the ISP isn't the problem because the MBP is getting its Internet connection from the iMac.

Here are some of the things I tried with the iMac:

- restore (with Time Machine) Safari in the Application folder
- delete Safari cookies
- Verify Disk (ran Repair Disk Permissions a week ago)
- tried, but unable to run Software Update (see previous paragraph)
- reboot iMac

Here are some things that puzzle me even more:

- With the iMac, iTunes and Safari have quit unexpectedly once each in the last few hours (iTunes after unsuccessfully trying to access the iTunes Store for a long time).
- With the iMac, the amount of free memory (according to iStat Pro) seems to go down fast even after rebooting (probably due to Safari trying to connect endlessly to Google Search, the default Home Page).
- With the MBP, I go to iTunes Movie Trailers (trailers.apple.com/) but can't view any trailers (not launching QuickTime X or 7) suddenly. However, I can view trailers via the Open Recent menu.
- With the MBP (as well as iMac), Software Update says "can't check for updates because of a network problem." What? I can go online and search Mac-Forums?! Are Apple's servers down or something? But I can open Apple's online store ...

The few things that I can think of as the slightest potential causes:
- repartitioned external hard drive
- downloaded and installed Perian on MBP about 4 days ago
- downloaded and installed DivX on MBP about 2 days ago

Notice that the iMac did not get either of the installations; no Perian and DivX was installed more than 2 years ago. Otherwise, I have no clue. I feel like I'm forgetting something simple yet significant. I would like so much to just know what I did. Many thanks in advance to any replies, if anyone has any ideas.

---
Here's an update. Since I posted the above about 12 hours ago, I went to bed, got up this morning, did a few other things, then woke up the iMac and MBP from sleep to: successfully get new mail; run Software Update (no updates available); update podcasts in iTunes and search the iTunes store; open Safari and surf the Net like nothing was wrong (including iTunes Movie Trailers and viewing QuickTime trailers). I did NOT reboot, log out & back in, or reinstall anything .. simply let 12 hours pass, which makes me think the problem must've been the ISP and/or Apple's servers. If so, then:

- why couldn't Safari even open the Google Search page?
- why couldn't QuickTime open at all?
- how could I refresh/download podcasts at almost 10 Mbps (speed according to iStat) or view HQ clips on YouTube if it was the ISP?
- why does everything go back to normal and simply work again suddenly?
 
Joined
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09 MBP 8GB ram 500GB HD OS 10.9 32B iPad 4 32GB iPhone 5 iOs7 2TB TC Apple TV3
It was probably able to run Maintenance Scripts in the middle of the night and correct things there is a widget for it so you can run it manually if you shut your computer down
instead of sleep.
 
OP
D
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
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Your Mac's Specs
13" MBP 2.4GHz 4GB OS X 10.6 | 20" iMac 2.4GHz 2GB OS X 10.5
Thanks for the thought, osxx. Care to provide a name or link for the widget so I can read about it and perhaps try it?
 

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