Cant purchase / check downloads in iTunes or cant perform software update

Question

Have had huge issues with my internet over the last couple of days!
i have a wireless router that was working fine yesterday!
Now today if i try to log into iTunes I can no problem, but when i try to make a purchase or check downloads i get the error
"Make sure your network settings are correct and your network connection is active, then try again"
I have no issue with my connection as I can go to other websites!
Firewall has been turned off completely
I then tried to see if there was an update for the problem or for iTunes and through Apple > Software Update and I get the error
"Software Update can't connect to the update server. Make sure your're connected to the Internet and then try again"
I clicked on Network Diagnostics to see if they could identify the problem but it said that the Internet and everything is working fine and there were no issues.
Could anyone please tell me what is going on, so confused and upset cause I cant purchase or update my laptop!

Answer 1

Hi, sakwilla1980 -- this has been happening to pretty much everybody since Sunday (29 August); there's a thread further up in this forum about it (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2560634&tstart=0). Here's what I posted there as my solution to the problem...
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O.K., I FINALLY got my problem fixed. Based on what I had to do to fix this problem on my end, I suspect that this may be related to some kind of security validation routine that got recently installed or "patched" or "fixed" (as buttermaker and windycity75 surmised). Here's how I did it (thanks, Josh from iTunes Support, for kind of back-dooring into the answer by suggesting I check out all my information stored at the Apple ID website):
-- Sign out of iTunes. Reboot your Mac (or whatever device you're using to access the iTunes store).
-- Open a web browser and go to http://appleid.apple.com (or Google "Apple ID" and choose the "My Apple ID" option).
-- Sign in with your Apple ID and click "Manage your account".
-- Verify ALL of your user information. Seriously, verify and validate EVERYTHING--your name, your e-mail address, your mailing address, your shipping address, your phone number, all of it. Make sure your Primary Address EXACTLY matches the address your bank has as your primary address; if those don't match, your purchase will be refused. Make sure your Apple ID is linked to a valid e-mail address; if not, your purchase will be refused because there will be nowhere to send purchase information and other Apple e-mail. Make sure your date of birth is correct and not missing any part of it (like your birth year; mine had somehow come un-set); otherwise, your age cannot be verified and your purchase may not go through. Click "Save Changes" whenever you change something.
-- Once all that is done, sign into iTunes, then click on the little downward-pointing triangle next to your Apple ID in the upper-right corner of iTunes and choose "Account".
-- Click "Edit Payment Information".
-- Choose "None" as your payment option, make sure all your address and phone number information already listed is correct, fix anything that isn't correct, and click "Done". This will force iTunes to verify your account information as it exists in iTunes with what is registered for your Apple ID at http://appleid.apple.com.
-- You may be asked to verify the county for your billing address (for sales tax purchases); make sure this is correct, or transactions could be refused. Click "Done" when finished.
-- Go back to the "Account" screen and choose "Edit Payment Information" again.
-- Choose either the credit card logo of the card you want to use or choose "PayPal".
-- If you choose PayPal, follow the directions on the web page that pops up in your browser to verify your PayPal account and link it with your Apple ID. Click "Return to iTunes Store" inside the web browser to return control to iTunes, then click "Done".
-- If you choose to enter a credit card, make sure EVERYTHING is correct on the page--your credit card type, account number, CVV, billing address, etc.--and then click "Done".
If you did everything right AND all the information for your Apple ID is verified and correct AND matches the information you entered on the "Edit Payment Information" screen, the next time you check the "Account" screen, you should see your default payment information listed in the "Payment Information" block. If you don't see anything in your "Payment Information" block after all of that, it means iTunes can't match your default address information and your banking information, and you'll have to start all over again from the top to purchase.
I haven't tried doing this with a prepaid iTunes gift card, so I don't know if that would be a workaround, but I do know that the iTunes store is suddenly a LOT more picky about making sure all the addresses, date of birth, etc. are correct in the Apple ID DB and match what is being entered inside iTunes.
Good luck!