Forum very slow

[Luddite]

Wait.

The interweb isn't magical?

You jest sir.

What do the machine spirits live on then?

[Steve J]

I've noticed over the past few days that the forum has been very slow, with it taking ages to load pages I've selected. This has happened both at work (very high speed connection) and at home (pretty normal speed). Has anyone else had this problem?

[Nosher]

Yup, same here. Very sluggish and from time to time I get booted off

[Leon]

Might have to ask Matt to check with the server folk, make sure there's no problems there.

[Techno]

Haven't had any problems for the last week or so....(Famous last words  )
I have a sneaking feeling that Ian might have been right and there was a problem with the line over here in the Preselis.
Maybe something's dried out !
Cheers - Phil.

[fred.]

It has seemed slow to me over the weekend.

[WeeWars]

Has anyone else here noticed that this forum has become increasingly slow in the past couple of days (or weeks)?

You're not alone, Peter. Annoying 'you may not enter' pages for a bit but everything's back to normal now.

[Hertsblue]

Yes, my link has been somewhat haphazard. I put it down to Virgin, although on reflection other sites came up normally. 

[WeeWars]

Off and back on again today... all other sites fine.

[Techno]

Just as a possible explanation......

Just found out from a neighbour (farmer) that Orange/Freeserve/whoever..(I've lost count).....who are now called  EE (how bloody apt !) have been having big problems since November last year (2012) when they (Hah !) upgraded their mobile phone network from 3G to 4G. (Have I got that bit right ?...I dunno)

Hadn't noticed here until today, that my mobile phone...(which I only use in an emergency)....USED to have a signal....But now hasn't at all.
Supposedly because Orange removed one mast....But EE, haven't bothered to replace it.

As you will easily be able to tell....I don't really have the slightest clue as to what I'm dribbling on about...But as I'm on 'Orange' as far as my 'intraweb' connection is concerned...I wondered if this could help explain things ?

Confused, in the backwaters of the UK - Phil.

[OldenBUA]

If it were due to an iffy signal on your end, I would expect it to impact all your interweb activities. Every site you go to should be slow and/or unreliable, not just the forum. Even your research of correct anatomy, erm Top Totty inspiration, erm daily weather update. Also it wouldn't explain why it is also slow for others users, unless they all live very close to you and you haven't noticed yet. Which is unlikely, as some of em are even bloody furreners, you know!

So, a problem on the server/hosting end is still the most likely explanation.

[Techno]

 
What you say, makes a great deal of sense 'O'.

Sometimes (not always) out here in the wilds of Wales everything regarding the net seems to be rather slow...I often think it's the anti-virus software on my PC kicking in because it thinks it's time it should do something....Other times, I assume that folk have woken up/gone to work/switched on their PCs and (how dare they  )  slowed my computer down, because there's a finite limit of information that can channel through our little local exchange...which is only about a mile away.

You're right.... It isn't on EVERY site that things seem to slow down..... Perhaps it's just the most popular ones that get the most traffic. (My better half complains about Faceachebook a lot of the time.....(Personally I don't DO Faceache, so I wouldn't notice.)

....Never seem to have a problem with BBC sites....Or Amazon, which I think reinforces your point.

Dammit !.... I thought I'd sussed it out.
I wish I understood this technology.

Thanks - Phil.

[fred.]

Phil, I think you're mixing up a couple of different things here.

Mobile phones - use masts to send out signals over radio wave frequencies (a bit like traditional broadcast TV). Your neighbour is right that Orange have become EE (everything everywhere, which is a highly aspirational name to say the least), as part of the 4G frequency sale. Switching off of a mast could definitely explain why your mobile handset is showing no signal. But I would try a switch off / switch on to confirm its not just some glitch with your handset. Next time you are in a metropolis check to see if you're phone is getting a signal, if it is then it is a local issue with Orange. Which would suggest it is time to get a new mobile service provider. You should just be able to get a new Sim card, no need to get a new phone. If your phone is locked to Orange, then there is usually a chap on a market stall who will unlock it for £10.

Broadband - is nearly always through a fixed telephone line, Freeserve, of the companies you mentioned, is likely to be the company involved here (though it is possible that you could get this as a service from Orange). It is possible to get internet connection over mobile, but it is usually both slow and expensive. If you were getting internet access over the mobile network, then nothing would be working if you are getting no signal. It just wouldn't work, it wouldn't be slow.

Broadband speed is usually down to two main factors, distance from the exchange (which I'm guessing in your cases is miles, not yards) and contention (i.e. how many other people are using the same connection) if you are with Freeserve then the answer is likely to be lots, which is bad. All of this can cause slowdowns, the second especially at peak times.