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Mosaic Musings...interactive poetry reviews _ General Site Information -> Scribe's Stylus _ Access Issues

Posted by: Imhotep Dec 17 08, 07:37

Hi all,

Pami (Lady Poet) had started a thread as a welcome back to MM last week in the newbie forum. The discussions have veered off the welcoming her back to her having access issues. Others have joined in so I want to start a separate thread here to continue the discussions.

I'm merging some of those replies into this thread and ask that you post here should you have any issues, concerns or questions about the site.

In order to diagnose the issue, we need SPECIFIC details from you, i.e. what you are clicking on, where you are in the forum and what is happening. This is crucial in helping to determine what may be happening.

Thank you!
~Cleo and Imhotep

-----------------------------------

This is the first 'moved post from Pami's thread:

Interesting. I've rebooted the server just to make sure anything that might not have been showing up in task manager was cleared out. It also applied another couple of minor updates while it was at it, so we'll see.

I've also been poking around some of the website speed testing sites and you can see a fairly typical load time report at http://forums.mosaicmusings.net/~pclark/testhttp.htm (ignore the pop up or active content prompt, something with how Word saves web pages I think). To me those numbers seem pretty normal for the graphic nature of the site (and pretty average to other Invision forums I pointed that site at for comparison) but I'll keep digging. Abnormally slow page loads (more than 10-15 seconds) are annoying to all and will be rectified..

Next time slow page loads happen, it would be nice to know if those having problems with the forum URL have any issues with http://www.mosaicmusings.net at the same time. Feel free to use the contact link over there to report issues with the forums, we like to know when these things happen. Since we're on the same physical network as the server, we don't run into any of these issues locally and so unless the site is completely offline it's difficult for us to know if there are issues.

Thanks.
I

Posted by: Arnfinn Dec 18 08, 03:24

Hi all,

Dunno, why?

I use Bigpond Security. Australia Telstra.

Things have definitely slowed down for me.

Though, as with Pam, I had difficulty today with my runtime when downloading updates for Bigpond.

I had to 'take out' Bigpond Security, then go back into e-mail and do a fresh download with my (Licence Key) to reinstate my security files.

Dunno, seems to be a barrier around MM?

Which could be a + as far as your security goes. Doesn't matter, perhaps make a few enquiries with other members. Though, Pam's one hour caper, seems over the top.

Maybe, something from my end?

It used to be 'one click' and success.

You, of course, must keep in mind 'MM' security must prevail over those seeking access to the MM site.

Regards, John

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 18 08, 06:46

I'm puzzled on this loading problem - some of our skins are very graphically intense I admit. One of the lighter skins is called Holiday Lite, can you try that or Silent Night? Another option would be to use the link at the bottom that says 'low-fi version' which would eliminate ALL graphics completely.

Peter states there's no server load issues, and wherever we've both logged in from (remotely), the site seems fine. I'm going to change the skin default this morning to see if that might help. We've also just tested the loading time by going to www.megaproxy.com and then enter our site URL: http:// forums.mosaicmusings.net and the entire page loaded within 15 seconds.

We'll keep looking and see if we can find anything on our end. In the meanwhile please do keep me posted on this matter (email: cleo_serapis@yahoo.com).

Please let us know how it is. We're trying to figure this out but need your detailed descriptions as we go (as we cannot reproduce it).

Thx

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 19 08, 06:14

Peter added a little whatever you wanna call it at the footer (the bar where the skin selection list and low-fi version appear) that measures how quickly the page is generated on our end. It's been reading at 3-5 hundreths of a second for the system to shove it out our connection. We haven't been able to diagnose why it's not loading within 1-5 seconds on some remote member's systems. What does loading www.mosaicmusings.net site look like? Does that take as long as well? Has anyone tried Firefox to rule out IE issues? Have you deleted your temp files and reloaded the page? Can you try using the absolute lightest graphically intense skin we have called IB.Board Pro or the next lightest call Holiday Lite skin to see if that loads quicker? The other thing is to try clicking the "Lo-Fi Version" link also located in that footer next to the skin selector (which dispalys raw text only).

Peter would also like to remote desktop to someone's computer who's having this problem to see if it can be diagnosed from the other end. When you are planning to log in again, please PM Peter (Imhotep).

TTYL
Lori

BIG STORM COMING AGAIN TODAY...

Posted by: Arnfinn Dec 19 08, 06:16

Nah, Could be somthing from my end.

I think I may have downloaded a file that screwed up my security.

Still getting Alerts. May have to flush out my hard disk.

Entry tonight was quicker though.

My security files are very sensitive, owing to past troubles.

John

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 19 08, 06:20

John - How does the home page load? Have you tried using Firefox instead of IE?

Posted by: Psyche Dec 19 08, 11:33

Hi Lori and all with SLOW SYNDROME!!

No, I don't think it can be our PC's, there's a glitch somewhere. At times it's a little bit better, but far from acceptable...I feel as if I were using my old Win98!!! Just binned it...LOL...

I'm using Lunimar Blue, which seems pretty 'light', but I'll try the others you suggest. I'd be disappointed to have to use the 'only text' or whatever other default options there are.

It's weird, sometimes I can begin to write a post, while avatars and emoticons and other stuff are still loading. At the bottom of my PC I read that MM is still loading just about forever...(In Spanish!!). I really can't find time to post replies in the forums at this 'speed'...LOL...

BTW, I accessed www.mosaicmusings.net (the old green one) immediately, but as soon as I tried to get into the forums (with my Luminar Blue skin), everything practically came to a standstill.

I've cleaned up my PC this morning, removed temps & cookies and whatever, then re-started it. As I said, a tad better, but not right. Strange about the "dark green" access working splendidly?!

Well, now I'll go to sleep on the keyboard until I make sure this reply gets posted!!!

Sorry about this trouble, just when I have a bit of time to help out on the site...BTW, is it normal for it to say "unknown zone" in the explorer bar at the bottom, and all this 'pishing testing'? I don't remember that happening before..

Cheers, Syl***

Posted by: Psyche Dec 19 08, 12:00

It's a no-no thing, Lori, I've tried all the other light skins and Lo-Fi version...ugh!!!, but the difference is slight, no good.

I'll go back to my Lunamar Blue and stay logged in, perhaps somebody can let Peter know that I'm logged in, altho' I shan't be sitting here all day!!! Hope he can access my computer and figure out the glitch....I shan't PM him coz I might have a fit loading my Controls...LOL....

Oh, dear, I'm sorry Pami, what with all this trouble I forgot to say HI!!!! and Welcome Back to MM!!! I saw you in the forums yesterday, but had no time to do much with this loading problem.

Cheers & good luck!
Syl*** Sh....ush! Just burnt my steamed carrots!!!

Posted by: Imhotep Dec 19 08, 12:28

Hm, definitely something strange going on then since www.mosaicmusings.net and forums.mosaicmusings.net are both physically sitting on the same server at this end.... What's baffling me is that we did a couple of spot checks this morning and from the places we tried from pages were up within 2-3 seconds <sigh>.. Digging continues.

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 19 08, 12:58

Syl - I think it's your Phishing software - I thought you turned it off? There should be NO difference in performance between www.mosaicmusings.net and forums.mosaicmusings.net - they're on the same box, same internet link. It has to be a security setting somewhere on your pc. DO you have MM as 'aalow' ? Did you try using firefox instead of internet explorer?

You're not logged in now but when you are please PM or email Peter please. He'll need to remotely log in to your pc. Have you recently changed ANYTHING on your PC) or added anything?

-Lori

Posted by: Psyche Dec 19 08, 14:06

But Lori, I've been logged in since hours ago. I told you I wouldn't log out so that Peter could do whatever's necessary. I just checked my e.mail & you say I'm not logged in, whereas I AM!!!! I see myself logged in down below, in fact I even played around clicking to see who the anonymous member was...ooops, shouldn't have said that in this forum.

Fact is, I'm one of the very few people who doesn't login as Invisible: me, Wally & Peggy are often in full view!

Look, concerning my Windows Firewall and/or I.E., I'm not willing to switch to any other ones right now, sorry about that. We could talk about that in P.P., I have my reasons...

I did turn off my pishing software & it made no difference, so I re-activated it. These are matters to talk about in PP, what do you say?

I'll try to check that aalow thing, frankly I've never classified any website at all, no idea!

Hope to hear from you, remember I'm not login out, but I shall be away until the evening, so if Peter can do anything on his own, do go ahead.

Thanks and sorry or whatever, good luck!
Syl***
PS: This began after your big power cut! And I CAN login to www.mosaicmusings.net immediately, no trouble at all! But I can't reach the forums easily from there, that's where it all slows down. bye...!

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 19 08, 14:14

Hi Sylvia,

Yes- we can work this out further in PP. Peter needs to remotely access your PC so he'll need to get some info from you to do that.

The board only shows people as 'active' for a further 10 minutes (after your last click, post or page refresh around the forum). So, unless one refreshes/reloads the page, no one can see the members in the 'whose logged in' list as they are considered inactive.

Peter is on his way to pick me up at work - we're getting hammered again with another storm today and again Sunday.

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 19 08, 17:07

Just to be clear, we're not asking for any permanent changes to anyone's settings. Until we understand exactly why some set of people running Internet Explorer are having strange load problems and other people aren't, the only option we have here is to compare settings and see which ones on the slow loading computers are possibly affecting them. Once it's known and understood which specific setting(s) is(are) affecting the speed at which our pages are being loaded, an intelligent discussion on the merits of that setting being on or off can be had.

Installing Firefox ( www.firefox.com ) and attempting to load the forum with that browser changes no settings from Internet Explorer in any form. It's a completely separate program which can be immediately uninstalled once a test of page load speed has been made, presuming one desires to uninstall it. It's a program with identical functionality to IE, and they can happily live side-by-side on the same system without bothering each other. Just don't click any "make Firefox my default web browser" buttons, but even that can be quickly fixed in Internet Explorer's tools->internet options->programs tab ("make IE my default browser") if inadvertantly changed.

Another quick one-time test would be to go to start->program files->accessories->system tools->internet explorer(no addons) and see if the pages load quickly there. That doesn't change any settings either, it just disables any addons (Java, etc) for that Internet Explorer window. Close the window, or even open IE using the normal icons, and it runs with all the addons enabled.

Posted by: Imhotep Dec 19 08, 22:27

And for those who do use or have converted to Firefox, supposedly a way to make it even faster (from www.hackaday.com) is:

1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 8. This means it will make 8 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

I've put the above in and haven't seen any ill effects, but haven't done any extensive testing so keep notes and be ready to return stuff to the defaults

Posted by: Imhotep Dec 21 08, 08:42

For those users out toward the Eastern side of the Atlantic, you might have some additional speed issues (not only affecting MM) because of a major cable outage in the Med:

http://www.besternews.com/article/Bester+News+-+Markets/UDPATE+3-Undersea+cable+breaks+cut+Internet+in+Mideast%2C+Asia/

Depending on how your ISPs are connected and how traffic is routed to the US, you might have issues through the end of the year apparently.

Fun for those on the boat who have to find the cable ends, drag them up to the boat, splice them back together, and put the cable back.

Posted by: Cleo_Serapis Dec 27 08, 08:46

It seems we've been able to work through Arnfinn's (John) and Lady Poet's (Pami) issues and I believe Psyche (Sylvia) is also getting pages loading faster now too. It's one of these things where every person's computer settings are different and it CAN affect how the forum works for them. We've not changed a thing on our end, so the first question we always ask is, "Has anything changed recently on your end, your ISP, your PC, new software, updates, patches etc.?"

One tip I'd like to share that I use myself when traveling to see my folks (as they're on dial-up):
Go into your control panel and scroll down to the section on the left with the heading: OPTIONS
then click on Board Settings

In the section titled: Board Display Settings, the following three questions can be changed to NO. That way, you won't get all our mini-plaques to load, avatars and other images.

Do you wish to view members signatures when reading topics? Yes or No
Do you wish to view images in posts, such as smilies and posted images? Yes or No
Do you wish to view members avatars when reading topics? Yes or No

Another tip is to use either the Holiday Lite skin or the IP.Board Pro skin as they are less intense on graphics.

This will speed up things considerably.
Give it a try!
~Cleo