Logging on to Winnip.com

[Oletimer]

Anyone else having problem logging onto the web site.It seems to take a rather long time to finally appear on screen. I don't have any malware that I know of. Used to log on very quickly. I use Firefox. Thanks.

[webmaster]

I've also noticed some slow response problems in the last few weeks. I'm working on getting it fixed.

[Oletimer]

Thank you.I'm glad it's not my pc!

[tis]

I have noticed it when I try to open a thread. It seems it takes forever. The other forums don't seem to be slow so I was hoping it wasn't me.

[SIKSUKR]

I thought it was me.I bought a new pc and it runs fast but opening threads seems to be a lot slower.

[wifi]

I got a trace when it was slow, looks like some congestion right within the data center:

7 pos-1-15-0-0-cr01.atlanta.ga.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.85.69) 21.921 ms 21.915 ms 21.903 ms
8 pos-1-15-0-0-cr01.dallas.tx.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.85.149) 42.869 ms 42.858 ms 42.848 ms
9 theplanet-cr01.dallas.tx.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.88.50) 45.816 ms 46.801 ms 46.789 ms
10 te9-1.dsr01.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.6) 41.780 ms te7-1.dsr02.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.18) 42.759 ms te9-1.dsr02.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.22) 41.756 ms
11 * * *
12 te1-2.car06.dllstx6.theplanet.com (70.87.254.182) 52.946 ms te1-1.car06.dllstx6.theplanet.com (70.87.254.178) 67.916 ms 63.879 ms
13 * * *
14 * * *

[brk-lnt]

I got a trace when it was slow, looks like some congestion right within the data center:

7 pos-1-15-0-0-cr01.atlanta.ga.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.85.69) 21.921 ms 21.915 ms 21.903 ms
8 pos-1-15-0-0-cr01.dallas.tx.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.85.149) 42.869 ms 42.858 ms 42.848 ms
9 theplanet-cr01.dallas.tx.ibone.comcast.net (68.86.88.50) 45.816 ms 46.801 ms 46.789 ms
10 te9-1.dsr01.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.6) 41.780 ms te7-1.dsr02.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.18) 42.759 ms te9-1.dsr02.dllstx3.theplanet.com (70.87.253.22) 41.756 ms
11 * * *
12 te1-2.car06.dllstx6.theplanet.com (70.87.254.182) 52.946 ms te1-1.car06.dllstx6.theplanet.com (70.87.254.178) 67.916 ms 63.879 ms
13 * * *
14 * * *

Where do you see congestion? A 50-65ms pingtime from you to a router in Dallas seems reasonable, not congested.

[NoBozo]

My nifty New Dell Studio XPS 435 (i7) Vista computer was a slow this morning as well. I still have Dial Up so it's slow anyway....but slower than my 6 year Old .. XP computer. One reason could be my New computer is "updating" marginally Old software that came installed on the computer, off the Internet, while I try to do "other" stuff....like come to the forum. Again using Dial Up..excruciating.

My new factory installation of "Windows Defender" just updated today... the last update listed was 3 years old yesterday. :)

[BroadHopper]

When I tried to open the website. After that, opening web pages appear normal. This is on my Compaq Presario F700 with Vista SP 1 and Metrocast High Speed. I switch from Fairpoint (Verizon) DSL and I see a difference. Not a lot in opening web sites.

I was told by a BestBuy geek that if you have Windows Defender running with a seperate antivirus software and or Adware, the system slows down substantially. No matter how powerful your cpu. Metrocast allows me to download McAffee suite for no cost. It has antivirus, malware and ad aware bundled in. It is much faster!. I notice it has nifty maintenance tools such as disk cleanup and disk fragmenter. My machine runs wicked nice since downloading Mcaffee and using the maintenance tools.

I was also told not to download Explorer 8 until a service pack is released.

[WinnDixie]

I thought it was me.I bought a new pc and it runs fast but opening threads seems to be a lot slower.

Oh whew! We just got new PC a couple months ago, and I have noticed the Forum is slow to open and some threads are slow, too. I'm a total "consumer", so the technical jargon escapes me...I'll just be patient and glad it isn't "corruption" in my new PC already! Got enough trouble just trying to become friends with Vista!!

[Oletimer]

I'm still quite slow. My trace shows route goes Bos-NYC-Hou and Bos to Abidjan-off the African coast. May be an island or a ship?!

[Oletimer]

Dawned on me! Could that last trace site off Africa mean I (we) have been hijacked? Webmaster-maybe you can tell us the correct route. Wonder why my trace is different from others if correct!

[Oletimer]

Update again re trace of route. Now I just did another trace and it shows Dallas instead of Houston but still shows Abidjan off Africa.

Listing shows just about the same as listed by WIFI ending with Planet.com

[NoBozo]

I was told by a BestBuy geek that if you have Windows Defender running with a separate antivirus software and or Adware, the system slows down substantially. No matter how powerful your cpu. I was also told not to download Explorer 8 until a service pack is released.

I am running AVG 8.5 (free) on the OLD computer AND NEW computer. I am very satisfied with AVG. I paid for Norton for a few years until I discovered AVG. Norton updates were very big..not uncommonly over 2+MB. AVG updates every day and are commonly much less than half MB.

My old XP computer is running Spybot S&D 1.6.0,..updated weekly to level 1.6.2. Had it for a few years. It's Non Intrusive.

I am about to download SpyBot 1.6.2 and put it on the new computer. I think it's about 14+ MB. Funny how you look at the file size when you have Dial Up. For the meantime I figure Windows Defender will take care of me.....but I will move away from it.

SO: Why don't I get a FAST Connection..??? Not any viable options. We HAD Cox Cable for TV a few years ago and dropped them. Currently have DirecTV for TV (Not HD..even though we have an HDTV ...but they are expensive)

AND: I am a stuborn Old Fart.

[WinnDixie]

I continually get Windows Updates notices, and just downloaded four...BUT...I always uncheck IE-8, as I have heard nothing but horror about it. Can I just keep adding the other updates and bypass IE-8 for a long time? Even the words "service pack" scare me...we usually just chug along courtesy of Heaven Above! So far have not gotten into trouble, but we are a couple of "older-than-NoBozo (I'm pretty sure!)-farts", and I'm the one just barely "maintaining" the PC. BTW, I thought the Forum loaded on a little faster this time...even with Norton. I do have the high speed connection.

[NoBozo]

I have IE6 on the old computer. I tried IE7 for about three months (2+ years ago) and it would constantly crash to a Blue Screen of Death. I had no idea what was causing it. I tried everything else I could to fix it. Then I found a way to Un-Install IE7. Underneath IE7 ...was IE6. :) Not knowing a lot about how computers work, trying to un-install IE7 was a big risk.... BUT: Microsoft actually had instructions on their website on How To un-install IE7.

I've been using IE6 ever since....and picking the Windows Updates that I want usuallly based on my usage of features or programs. If I don't use a particular program , I Don't download any updates for it..UNLESS the update is Critical. File size it a big factor as well..with Dial Up.

My New Vista computer has IE7 installed and Windows Update keeps prompting me to download IE8. NOPE. If for no other reason, I think it's 247MB. The other reason is IE7 seems to be working fine so far. It Ain't broke. :)

[WinnDixie]

I have the Vista with IE-7 on mine. I will do any Windows Updates with more caution now (shoot, one thing I downloaded last night, I have no idea what it does...something with "killbits") and I will stand pat with IE-7. Appreciate the input!!

[NoBozo]

I have the Vista with IE-7 on mine. I will do any Windows Updates with more caution now (shoot, one thing I downloaded last night, I have no idea what it does...something with "killbits") and I will stand pat with IE-7. Appreciate the input!!

Something I veered into yesterday in Vista (64) while Exploring: If you put the cursor directly ON the Update in question, and Right Click, a Little window will pop up giving you a couple of options...One of which is 'DETAILS". Left click on that and it will tell you exactly WHAT the update is supposed to do and how big the file is.

PS: I have my Windows Update settings SET to "Notify Me of New Updates, But DON'T Install them."

[Merrymeeting]

Hi Don,

FWIW, I've been seeing noticable slowness in response from winnipesaukee.com in the last week or two. I have pretty much discounted pc or config issues on my end as other sites are running fine.

Time of day, from home or work, lake or home doesn't seem to matter. So many different ISP's and traffic patterns.

It does seem to be an issue on your server side.

For those experiencing browswer issues and slowness, one thing to increasingly look at is what add-ins you have loaded and are using. One way to test if this is your issue is to disable all of them and see what you get.

[webmaster]

Most of the IT world is now recommending the IE8 upgrade. It is much more secure than IE7 or IE6 (EEK!) and Microsoft is quickly winding down support for those previous versions. I have been testing IE8 both at home and at work since it was released and have installed it on dozens of computers. Although I've read a few horror stories we are not seeing any problems, just some small annoyances. If your computer is in good working order before the upgrade the chances are it will work fine after the upgrade. If your computer is a mess now it could be a bigger mess when you're done.

Any time you do an IE upgrade you are making important changes to Windows and there is some risk. However my feeling is that a small risk of installation problems is better than sticking with obsolete and possibly unsafe software that bring risks of their own.

Those of you running Firefox should still do the IE8 upgrade since it makes Windows more secure, not just the browser. Firefox fans should also know that Firefox has fallen behind IE and Chrome since it lacks multithreading support and is unable to support multiple core processors. That means that if you have a nice new dual or quad core computer Firefox will only use a single core. They are talking about fixing this in Firefox 4 but those running versions 2 and 3 aren't able to take advantage of all the power available in newer computers.

[brk-lnt]

Those of you running Firefox should still do the IE8 upgrade since it makes Windows more secure, not just the browser. Firefox fans should also know that Firefox has fallen behind IE and Chrome since it lacks multithreading support and is unable to support multiple core processors. That means that if you have a nice new dual or quad core computer Firefox will only use a single core. They are talking about fixing this in Firefox 4 but those running versions 2 and 3 aren't able to take advantage of all the power available in newer computers.

Has IE8 removed the 4 concurrent *session* limits as well? Not really sure why you would need to use multiple cores for web browsing. Unless you live in a datacenter, I don't think your download speed or ability is going to be enough to saturate even a single core for 99% of the cases.

Interesting point though.

I don't really use PCs, but when forced to, I still much prefer Firefox over any IE version. Haven't tried Chrome though.

[trfour]

Most of the IT world is now recommending the IE8 upgrade. It is much more secure than IE7 or IE6 (EEK!) and Microsoft is quickly winding down support for those previous versions. I have been testing IE8 both at home and at work since it was released and have installed it on dozens of computers. Although I've read a few horror stories we are not seeing any problems, just some small annoyances. If your computer is in good working order before the upgrade the chances are it will work fine after the upgrade. If your computer is a mess now it could be a bigger mess when you're done.

Any time you do an IE upgrade you are making important changes to Windows and there is some risk. However my feeling is that a small risk of installation problems is better than sticking with obsolete and possibly unsafe software that bring risks of their own.

Those of you running Firefox should still do the IE8 upgrade since it makes Windows more secure, not just the browser. Firefox fans should also know that Firefox has fallen behind IE and Chrome since it lacks multithreading support and is unable to support multiple core processors. That means that if you have a nice new dual or quad core computer Firefox will only use a single core. They are talking about fixing this in Firefox 4 but those running versions 2 and 3 aren't able to take advantage of all the power available in newer computers.

Also read this; http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=4921

If you can't do the work around, Microsoft will do it for you. Stay up to date using IE, or whatever else. Those Hacks just like to mess with us, and they are not going away anytime soon.

[Chickie]

I downloaded I.E. 8 in May after receiving a prod from Microsoft as to its superiority to I.E.7. I have regretted it ever since. In the beginning it took close to a minute to come up and once it finally appeared, the Menu and Favorites Bars were just black strips all the way across the screen. I tried downloading it again but this did nothing to correct the problem. Not being too computer savvy, I was fearful of trying to restore I.E.7, even though Microsoft says it can be done and gives instructions. In reading a few computer site message boards, I found that others were experiencing various problems with IE 8, as well. Instead of tinkering with it any further and perhaps making things worse, I decided to leave well enough alone and downloaded Firefox. Have been using Firefox as my default browser since and have had no problems whatsoever with it.

When I received the Microsoft automatic update in June, I noted there was one relating to I.E. 8 in the mix. After receiving that update, it sped up the loading process, but the Menu and Favorites bars are still blackened most of the time. They will sometimes appear for a couple days, but then revert back to being just black marks again. Now you see them, now you don’t sort of thing. A couple people I know of locally have had similar experiences with it and have had it removed and gone back to I.E. 7

[Oletimer]

It appears that an update to Firefox browser tonight has fixed the slow loading of Winnipesaukee web site. It even said the update would repair this slow loading of web pages! Hooray.

[trfour]

It appears that an update to Firefox browser tonight has fixed the slow loading of Winnipesaukee web site. It even said the update would repair this slow loading of web pages! Hooray.

of the very latest Browsers today! Just remember as any Browser gets more use, the Hacker's are gearing up to exploit them all. All that we can ask is,.... Keep them patched and opperable!! Stay up to date!! :rolleye2:

[Oletimer]

My browser works better but still a little slow loading. Seems that every other time I log onto this site I get a different opening page! Is that supposed to happen? The two web pages alternate in loading.Each is the Home Page.

I think the slowness in loading could be due to all the thumbnails on left side and maybe the ads on right side.

Overall though, it's much better.

[jmen24]

Been using IE8 since first offered and after a week of interesting loads everything cleared up with a little sweeping of the PC. I know just enough about IT to cause some serious issues for my IT guy, but fortunately for him, when he speaks, I listen and remember what he says.

This website just today started loading faster for me and it was about 1 1/2 weeks of painfully slow startup and refresh.

Oletimer, sounds like you have some demons in your PC's closet, take a trip to microsofts site and download the latest malicious software removal tool and run it right then and there. If that shows nothing than have an IT person look it over and see if they can help.

Just as an FYI this page loaded for me minutes ago in about two seconds, that is with the fastest of the three DSL options that TDS offers (do not know off the top of my head) and 2GB of memory with BIG Database programs running.

[trfour]

Logging On To Winnipesaukee.com
Must read; http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=3757

PS, we do try through education to enhance,.... Lovedone's, Friends and foe

[Oletimer]

Thanks to all who responded one way or another about the Firefox problem and slow loading Winnipes.web site (among others).

jmen24, I think Trfour's link to zdnet security article is what the problem was all about. After the FF update my browser now loads all web sites real fast-in fact better than ever! Such a pleasure now.

Thanks again to all.

[BroadHopper]

I downloaded Explorer 8 and it boots up fine. I was able to get to most of my website fine. I don't see any speed difference nor do I have a problem with display. However, my AOL desktop freezes when I start it. Luckily I can kill the program with Task Manager.

When I tried to access Winnipesaukee.com, I got a network diagnosis screen. After running the network diagnosis, the program says there is a firewall between the website and my site preventing access. It also states my Windows firewall is set up properly.

I contact Metrocast, my IP provider and they claim they don't have a firewall. They suggest I contact the website. Don, do you have any ideas?

I had to get this message out via Mozilla.

[Oletimer]

The Winnip.com site is back to slow loading!

If it might be due to my ISP, verizon, they wouldn't admit to it readily so hope sombody finds the answer.

[webmaster]

Here is where I'm at with this problem:

Right now the server response varies. Sometimes it is fast (normal) and sometimes it's slow. I've been researching some options that would give me better and more consistent performance and in the next few weeks I'll be moving the site again. Unfortunately this has been necessary every few years as conditions change.

There will be some downtime involved with the move and I'll announce it on the site when I'm ready. I'm sure they'll be some glitches so your patience is appreciated.

I'm going to close this thread. Please look for an announcement when I have more information.

[webmaster]

I've been working hard to prepare a new environment for the site that should resolve the performance issues. This weekend I'll be moving the site and there will be service disruptions.

When the migration is completed the site will have dedicated high-end resourses and will no longer be affected by other demands on the server and bandwidth.

During this time I've been focused on the preparations and can fall behind on emails and approvals. Thanks for your patience.

Look for an announcement about the weekend maintenance late this week.