Trouble getting forum to load properly

[TraceyHand]

got something you can't quite fit in a small file, Darren?


hehe

[TraceyHand]

ok..this is verging on ridiculous now.
I've repaired my connection, flushed my dns thingie etc and nothing makes any difference.
I'm still getting slow loading, timing out and general "you're not coming in" from the forum.

It's loading as if it's on dial up.
I have to say that other sites seem slow too tonight. Nothing else is timing out like the forum is but Facebook, for example, is taking aaaaaaaaaaages to load up.

I obviously have something wrong with my connection on this computer...at home anyway. I just have no idea what to do next.
It's actually just taken 3 minutes to load this page and even now it's full of broken images

Maybe I'm destined not to surf at home!

*Makes a point of copying before hitting reply...just in case*

[Stereo Steve]

Try using openDNS temporarily and see if that helps. I've never had a single problem with the forum so it must be something, DNS most likely.

[TraceyHand]

ok...have tried openDNS and getting the same problems.
So that means it HAS to be something on my laptop. But it's only evident on my home connection (wireless broadband) and not my office connection (also wireless broadband but significantly faster)

It's really pissing me off now and I'm running out of ideas.

According to my wireless connection...my signal strength is "excellent"
Pah!!

[pinbrook]

According to my wireless connection...my signal strength is "excellent"

signal strength is irrevelevant.

try plugging a cable into the laptop and connecting via the modem or whatever you plug the router into. try pluggin it into the router too

ie take the wireless out of the equation. I had to do this once, i could not get my laptop to connect to the wireless router until i hard wired into the router and aquired the network address.

[leehack]

Tracey dear, a little patience please, i've had that crap for 6 months at least and i have remained calm. GRRRR it does drive you fkin nuts though lol

I wrote a massive shipping guide and lost the lot, never again will i type anything long without copying into Word first, seriously soul destroying.

[Duncan Rounding]

As I said earlier I also have the same problem - Like Lee I'm also with Virgin. I do believe it's DNS related. I did look into trying to get it sorted out but gave up. If I'm writing a reply now that's of any depth I always use notepad first just in case it 'happens' as it often does when I want to post the reply.

It is more likely to happen when I refresh the forum pages very frequently - what I do to 'briing ot back' is to open FF and IE (I normally use Avant's version of IE) and try and refresh the timed out pages a number of times. I usually find that this helps - maybe just psycological and passes the time I don't know.

I've though about contacting Virgin - but I'm sure that would be a complete waste of time.

Off-topic but whilst talking of Virgin - I've noticed a big slowdown in browsing speed between about 6 and 11 at night - making a farce out of my 20Meg download speed. FTP is good but http is terrible. I'm thinking of downgrading my package but don't want to loose the 768Kb upload speed. Is it just me?

[pinbrook]

I've though about contacting Virgin - but I'm sure that would be a complete waste of time.

i'm with Virgin too, and do not experience this, but i used to be Telewest which used to be South West uk and Crawley only, are you and Lee ex NTL? thus you could be using different DNS servers etc

Off-topic but whilst talking of Virgin - I've noticed a big slowdown in browsing speed between about 6 and 11 at night - making a farce out of my 20Meg download speed. FTP is good but http is terrible. I'm thinking of downgrading my package but don't want to loose the 768Kb upload speed. Is it just me?

I commented on this several months ago. There was a news item somewhere about how Virgin are throttling large users. My backups over my network take me over their limits and i get classified as large user. But then i have 2mg connection and not 20 mg! But virgin does get slow in the evenings.

[Duncan Rounding]

I am ex-NTL so maybe the DNS servers are different. What IPs are you are using for DNS servers Jo?

The download speed frankly is farcical. The point of having a fast download speed is to be able to stream video or other content but it's not possible to even stream at 500kb during peak times. I can get 1Mb streaming but only way off peak times. I don't know how much this is Virgin dependant of course but the marketing focus is on speed which is misleading.

FTP is always fast (I can acheive up to about >12Mb down from 1and1 for example) but browsing is slow (relatively) at peak times. The contention ratio definitely seems to have been changed in my area at least.

[leehack]

As I said earlier I also have the same problem - Like Lee I'm also with Virgin. I do believe it's DNS related. I did look into trying to get it sorted out but gave up. If I'm writing a reply now that's of any depth I always use notepad first just in case it 'happens' as it often does when I want to post the reply.

My shipping guide must have been close on 3 A4 pages long, i couldn't believe it. Whenever a submit on a post used to fail, i could always click on 'back' and it would still be there, not anymore i lose the lot. I can now tell in an instant on the progress bar if it is going to happen and CTRL-C immediately.

It is more likely to happen when I refresh the forum pages very frequently - what I do to 'briing ot back' is to open FF and IE (I normally use Avant's version of IE) and try and refresh the timed out pages a number of times. I usually find that this helps - maybe just psycological and passes the time I don't know.

The forum is my home page, i sometimes press the home page button like a nutter too, we can relax Duncan we are not the only pratt having and doing this lol.

I've though about contacting Virgin - but I'm sure that would be a complete waste of time.

Likewise, i'd expect a 'huh'.

Off-topic but whilst talking of Virgin - I've noticed a big slowdown in browsing speed between about 6 and 11 at night - making a farce out of my 20Meg download speed. FTP is good but http is terrible. I'm thinking of downgrading my package but don't want to loose the 768Kb upload speed. Is it just me?

Big time, so slow at peak times, i'm looking into other providers now. I'm on 4MB and get 480kb when it's playing ball. NTL were great, Virgin are just plain shite.

[TraceyHand]

The forum is my home page, i sometimes press the home page button like a nutter too, we can relax Duncan we are not the only pratt having and doing this lol..

hehe...nahh..there are lots of us

I am finding that repairing my connection works a lot more effectively in the office than it does at home. Maybe due to network provider, I dunno.

Might have a play with the other laptop this evening, see if I can get a better result on there. I may have to use 2 side by side..one for Actinic (which runs ridiculously slow (yes...slower!) on the other lappy) and one for the forum!

[pinbrook]

What IPs are you are using for DNS servers Jo?

automatic

I've also been considering other providers as Virgin service is definately c**p in comparison to what i used to get from Telewest. Trouble is I prefer cable to BT. I can't help thinking going to BT will be like fryingpan to fire. Hence i will put up with c**ppy Virginm but stick with 2mg as i don;t think paying for more will get me more. I just walk away and make tea or do something else when theservice declines - it forces me to take a break which can't be bad

[george]

Pipex (at home) has been superb for us from day one. Not the cheapest but we need to get online 24/7, and it does. Same for BT at work, can only remember being offliine once in about five years.

[leehack]

BT can only provide 0.5mb connection here, useless.
I have just noticed on Virgin site that you can upgrade to the 20mb service for just an extra £4 per month for the first 12 months, that might be worth a gander, £10 off if you do it online also.

DUNCAN where for art thou, i want to upgrade, what's this 20mb mallarky like?

[TraceyHand]

BT can only provide 0.5mb connection here, useless.

that's the best I can get on my home line anyway! (too far from the exchange)