Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations please help us keep an eye on the site

My first 3 tries to access the forum were timed out this morning. The strange thing is that once I load the forum I can use it at normal speed until I post. Every time I've posted in the last 5 or 6 days it appears to time out me out again, but the post gets through. Also, after posting I have trouble accessing the forum again.

In summary; hard to get forum loaded, works fine until posting, returns to difficulty accessing forum.

This time was an exception in that I'm able to access the forum a few seconds after posting. Intermittent problems are the worst!

I first tried to log on about 8:30 AM today, and it timed out. I tried again about 9:00, 9:15, 9:30, and 9:45. I finally got logged in now, at about 10:00 AM.

Obviously others were able to log in, as several posts were made during this time.

The forum seemed to work at a normal speed during this time.

Ken

I too can no longer use Mozilla Firefox to log in or to post. I must use Internet Explorer.

EDIT: I had a lot of trouble posting this. It hung up IE and when I closed out and restarted, I found that it had actually posted.

All OK for now????

Check that. Seized up on posting.

That last one was lightning quick.

I have had a heck of a time trying to get logged on the past few days. When I try and log on it says "Page can't be displayed" or something like that. Back when everybody else was having trouble I was doing ok.

Been real hard for me to get on this site the last two days.

I access PB from a few different PC's (work, home etc). I can no longer log in via my work PC. Home is still OK except I get locked up after posting. I know Bob Lusk said they're working on it. Hope it gets fixed soon.

YES, this is very trying for everyone. We have to be patient until Lusk gets back from Mexico.

For me, I can never log on through a bookmark or my favorites list.

I have to go the main Pond Boss home page and then try to click on "Ask the Boss."

The lowest "Ask the Boss" in the lower left corner seems to work the most.

My posts don't always lock up. Sometimes the post goes through lightening quick.

I'm betting it's a DNS problem rather than too much traffic. When I'm lucky enough to get on the site, it's always fast.

bobad, forgive my lack of knowledge, but what's DNS?

Sunil,

It's "Domain Name System", and basically converts a computer-ese name into a friendly name like "pondboss.com". If there are any glitches in the server software, it can get really freaky. It's similar to phoning home and getting a "this phone number doesn't exist, please try again", when you know your phone is working.

Sometimes software can cause conflicts on a shared server. For example, when a certain script is running, it may be monopolizing or temporarily killing another range of addresses.

It's all way over my head, I just know the basics. I have seen DNS problems on other web sites cause the same symptoms.

Thanks bobad.

This is what I mostly have to do to get on the site:
1) Go to the Pond Boss home page.
2) Click on the upper "Ask the Boss."
3) That locks up, so hit the "stop" button on your web browser
4) Then click the lower "Ask the Boss."

And then it loads.

Still seizes up when I make a post most times.

Well, that one worked just fine.

It has been working good this morning.

Edit: It froze when I hit submit.

Yeah, me too..on the post right before yours.

I'm still having a few problems. Long log in times and submit issues are getting frustrating.

Reason I don't think it's a traffic issue is that once I get on the forum, I can read articles, refresh, and do everything fine. Only when I leave the site is it difficult to get back on. Posting appears to hang, but actually posts correctly.

I have had trouble with log in for the past 10 days. I have used 3 different computers. A very slow log in, then when 1/3 done & after 5 minutes the site can not be found page comes up. I was very surprised with an instant log in.

Just bringing up a page is now giving me probems. Very slow load & the dreaded can not find this site.

I haven't been able to logon for several days, though I have attempted many times. This occurred after I posted a new topic. The post timed out and after that I have not been able to log back on until now. About 50% of the time I cannot even get to the Forum page just for reading posts.

Using a saved link to access the PBS site almost never works. If I type in the URL from scratch or type “pondboss.com” in Google it will work most of the time.

Logon to the Forum happens rarely enough that I can’t come up with a standard scenario that would make troubleshooting easier.

I have tried multiple computers on multiple networks with similar problems where ever I am attempting to logon.

I fear that this isn’t an issue with too much traffic but some combination of routing and/or DNS issues. Has an escalated trouble ticket explaining these problems in detail been submitted to the Hosting Company engineers, or is the hope that the “New Server” bullet will clear up these issues? This is something their network engineers should be able to sort out without much problem. I am supposing they have network engineers.

Very frustrating, I must say.

Buck won't even get out of bed anymore knowing he can't log on anyway.

...in order to offer another view:
I use 2 different PC's with IE and get the same reaction on both. I have the PB forum bookmarked in fav's. 1st click goes nowhere fast, but 2nd click on bookmarked fav flies right to the forum and logs me in like lightning. Once on the forum, everything runs fine...except...posting. I get that same issue posting that I have read here already. I submit and it appears to be thinking, thinking, thinking... I open another IE window (maybe 15 seconds later), do the double-click thing noted above to get in, and go to the thread that I posted on. The post will be there. Not only will the post be there, but I can edit immediately and re-submit without any interruptions.

Same for me - I've had no problems at all by second left click that brings forum up fast.
When posting bring up another window the same way and find that post is displyed.

Thnx for your explanation Brett - I didn't know how to explain as well as you did.