Tattoo

Although RCU is increasingly getting better, I'm still having trouble getting around. The delay between the header and the ads and forums is still real bad at times, and using the back button often causes unbearable delays also. What gets me though is that it's about 50-50 no problems vs. slow and delays. When things are slow, it's not uncommon to get "stuck" and not be able to move forward or backward, and the only resolution is to get out of RCU and start over. I've also noticed that the bar at the bottom of the screen flickers like crazy and seems to work much harder loading pages that other forums I visit. I'm trying not to be negitive, but these are reasons I don't spend as much time here as I used to or would like to. But my biggest problem has been posting, and it's happening more frequent. There is nothing more irritating than spending considerable time making a post, only to loose it. Whenever I'm on RCU I've gotten into the habbit of C&P'ing my post before posting it just incase the following happens. When it does happen, I'll some times successfully hit back, repaste my post in the box, and the second time it more often than not works fine. Here's the screen I'm getting after unsucessfull posts:

I do use Norton, but I have no blockers turned on and use no other blocker type programs. I always come here through a straight link in my favorites. This is a random thing, and I'd say I get this screen about 20% of the time while posting...and as Murphy would have it, it's usually after a long thought out post. That's why I've started C&P'ing all my posts before transmitting[8D] No need to answer this, it's mainly FYI as you guys are sorting things out. I wouldn't have posted this if this was happening on other forums, but this is the only place that I'm experiencing the drastic slow downs stalls. I also visit regularly from home and work, and experience the problems on both computers. Both are cable internet.

mvigod

I am looking at potentially porting the entire forum system to something like the old platform if we cannot get this one figured out. I'm already in the investigation stage in case we have to take this route. It may be less expensive to actually migrate all the data back to a hopped up vbulletin based platform then to fix the issues that we just cannot seem to locate here since they are sporadic and don't happen to everyone. I can't duplicate what you describe since the forums load almost instantly 99% of the time for me. This makes it near impossible to find the source of why you and others have these issues. Needless to say I'm not going to rest on my laurels. I'm a speed freak when it comes to page loads and won't rest until RCU's legendary speed is at 100%

Tattoo

Update:

Got home from work last night, entire enternet was slow as a dog. I could get on a couple other forums, but couldn't get past the background on RCU. My modum kept getting kicked off line, and was searching for a new IP every 10 minutes or so. Got up this morning, no internet whatsoever. Called the cable guy. He shows up with all his gizmos and starts working. The stuff was way over my head, but he started at the computers (we have two) to confirm they were set up properly and were clean from viruses or spy ware. Check. He then confirmed the modem and hub and cables were working. Check, but not receiving an incoming signal from the company. He then hooked up his test modum, and called the "home base" or something...and detected a very weak intermittant signal. He then "rung" the cable in my house, it was good...so up on the pole outside he goes. In the mean time my neighbor comes out and says "I was gonna call you guys, my internet isn't working either". The cable guy calls home base back again...yep...they tell him our whole street is down. He was out there climbing poles and changing cables for 3-4 hours. Here is what I learned from him. Some of the coax that was strung on this side of town (which includes where I work also) is going on 15-20 years old...when cable TV was young! (our ISP and cable TV is the same company, same cables). A cable connection, especially an internet connection, is only as good as it can be when it's new, and it degrades from there. He showed me one of the outdoor cable connections (jumper) he replaced, it was oxidized and crusty and rusted to the max. The old connections may work, but will impeed the speed with age and corrosion etc...until they get to the point over the years, that the modum can no longer pick up the signal. Simple web pages will seem fine with a download speed of several seconds, but newer code intensive pages will be much much slower. There is no "monitering" of the condition of the cables throughout the city, and the cable company only checks/repairs/replaces them when there is a complaint.

Needless to say, I ran to my computer to check things out. YEAH BABY!!! I once thought 5 seconds was a good download speed for a forum page. My gosh...it's now instant. And yes, that includes RCU So unless someting changes...the problems I've had with download speeds have been the condition of our city's/cable company's out door coax all along!

Just letting you know. The cable guy was very matter of fact about it, as if it was quite common and he deals with it all the time. If everything keeps working as good as it is now, I'll be one happy camper!

mvigod

Tatto! I was about to spend 20 grand to revert back to vbulletin before I read your post! Glad you found the problem! Anyway we are intensitvely looking at streamlining code and graphics and if all fails we will go with something like our previous platform for the discussion forum component of this site.

mvigod

Tatto,

are you using the dynamic header menus on this site? disabling them makes page loads faster but if your connection is fast and computer is fast you should turn them on for faster navigation.

Tattoo

I turned them off a long time ago. May have to check them out again. Man, I've had cable internet for almost 3 years now...and it was always better than dial-up, but the improvment today it incredable. When you power surf, the difference between 5 seconds and instant is huge. This leads me to wonder what the condition of the cable internet companies stuff is in around the country. I know that a lot of newer housing developments put the cables underground, but my house was built in 47, and everything, including cable, is outside on the poles...blowing in the wind and getting snowed/rained/hit by branches/etc.. on all the time. It would be interesting to know, of all the people having speed issues, how old, and weather or not they have pole/underground type cables.

Tattoo

Anyone with cable who is having problems with slow download speeds on more modern code and graphic intensive web sites, don't take this lightly. Never in a million years did I think the problem was on my end. I've been like a kid in a candy store for the last couple days. I would also like to add that I haven't seen the posting problem I mentioned return yet either. I was also having some problems with uploading stuff to my own site, which I thought was due to high traffic volume...but those problem have also dissapeared. Oh yeah, another thing I learned is that if your internet and cable TV comes through the same cable, the first indication of a decaying signal is anything less than a perfect TV picture, especially on lower number or local stations. I don't spend a lot of time watching TV, but even the picture quality is crystal clear and noticably much better.