google.com blocking all attempts to search with it?

[jimmosk]

Whenever I try to search for anything on google, it takes me to a screen that just reads "Our systems have detected unusual traffic from your computer network. Please try your request again later."

It also has a More Information link, which explains that they believe the IP address I'm connecting from is generating too many searches -- when I'm never doing more than a few a minute, at worst.  They say that my next step should be to contact my service provider. Before I get in touch with Verizon... has anyone here experienced the same issue, and is there a fix?  Thank you!

(this happens with both Chrome and Firefox. I'm on a Mac, running OS 10.6.8)

[ElizabethS]

Have you cleared your browsers' caches? If not, clear it, shut the browser down and start again.  You can also try rebooting your computer, and lastly, rebooting your modem/router.

[jimmosk · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm afraid I have an unhelpful "the problem fixed itself" report.  I tried clearing Firefox's cache, but clicking Clear Now didn't seem to do anything (the prefs screen still said "current cache size 350MB"). I restarted and had the same google block. Before trying to work on why the cache didn't seem to be clearing, I went to Chrome... and google was searching just fine. I hadn't cleared that cache, or in fact done anything with Chrome, so I'm guessing Google's lockout-timer had expired, and it was allowing me to search again. I verified that it was now letting me search google on Firefox as well.

So I'm not sure whether any of your suggestions would have done the trick; at the moment "just wait a while" seems to have been my solution. Unhelpful, I know...