RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Pels. on Friday 29 February 08 17:31 GMT (UK)
-
I hope I'm not going to confuse you .. but here goes ..
At the moment I'm having problems with AOL and RootsChat .. yesterday it was almost impossible to view a topic .. post a reply or send a PM, due to everything being so slow.
It isn't my wireless/internet connection because the speed improves significantly when I use an alternative browser.
The real issue is when I use IE .. for some reason it won't allow me to quote more than one reply, open a link and nor will the Spell Check work?
I've run through the list of Advanced Settings on Internet Options and I can't see anything that should be be ticked .. but isn't?
So two queries really .. is anyone else experiencing issues with AOL and what could be the RootsChat conflict with IE ..?
Pels :)
-
Hi
I'm with AOL and don't have any major problems with Rootschat. I have on occasions experienced very slow response times but put that down to the Rootschat server as other websites response times were fine at the time.
-
Nothing wrong with IE7 either.
-
Thankyou both very much for your replies! :)
To cut a long story short regarding the AOL issue .. I phoned them up and asked if they were having problems. Standard answer .. no problems, apart from in Gillingham and Vauxhall!
They then had me tinkering about with everything they could .. ::)
At one point last night I could see myself online .. in actual fact .. I wasn't at all because it kept logging me off?
It now seems to be flying along and I'm waiting for them to phone back .. because I played war about the cost of the call!
Still can't work out the problem with IE, but I'll have another mess around.
Thanks once again.
Regards,
Pels :)
-
Hi Pels
Was this happening with all sites or just Rootschat? Did you get my e-mail?
Roots does somehow recognise that you've tried to login , even if you haven't. i remember last year when PaulE was trying to get in but couldn't, it showed him as in and also when Jane forgot her password and tried with many different ones, she seemed to appear online.
I would suspect that there something wrong with the settings on your computer.
Not much help but a few thoughts.
Gadget
-
I've just lost one reply .. so I'll make this shorter! :-\
An example:
Logged on and it took forever .. when I tried to read my unread replies I got the following message:
Please login below or register your membership with RootsChat.Com. Login
I then logged back on .. tried to read a PM but it took me to this ..
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register for free.
Did you miss your activation email?
Friday 29 February 08 19:44 GMT (UK)
I could read all the topics you can read as a guest albeit very slowly .. but it wouldn't allow me to see anything as a member? I copied the above last night when I was getting so frustrated with it all.
I would suspect that there something wrong with the settings on your computer.
I think there is too .. but what .. I haven't altered anything.
Everything's been emptied that should have been .. I think?
Thanks for replying Gadget .. :)
-
This started middle of the week, didn't it?
Did you have any IE updates since then?
Have you blocked pop ups from Roots?
Can you think of anything at all that you've changed :-\
Gadget
-
Thursday .. I assumed Roots was having a slow day .. but then when everything seemed to slow down .. I blamed the internet as a whole.
I kept looking for someone to post a thread about how slow it all was .. my pop up blocker has always been on and the settings haven't changed?
No updates from IE .. only ones from AOL last night after I'd phoned?
-
Just a thought
Try logging in as your Chatroom name :-\
Gadget
-
The other possibilty is that you have a virus or some other form of malware like a Browser Help Object (BHO) which becomes active once you connect to the Internet.
Download and install Hijack This and run a scan and see if anything suspicious turns up.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=3155
-
I'll give it a go and let you know .. I already have McAfee Virus Scan and Firewall .. plus the AOL spyware keeps checking everything the minute I log on .. but no harm in trying every option .. thankyou. :)
-
Had an idea to hopefully prove how slow it's going at the moment ..
Type Speed KBPS
56k modem 56
256k DSL 256
512k DSL 512
1Mb DSL/Cable 1024
2Mb DSL/Cable 2048
4Mb DSL/Cable 4096
8Mb DSL/Cable 8192
You 90
Results 816 kbits downloaded in 9.046 sec
The above was me less than five minutes ago .. but this was me on the 4th January ..
Type Speed KBPS
56k modem 56
256k DSL 256
512k DSL 512
1Mb DSL/Cable 1024
2Mb DSL/Cable 2048
4Mb DSL/Cable 4096
8Mb DSL/Cable 8192
You 1316
Results 7816 kbits downloaded in 5.937 sec
It isn't like this all the time .. earlier on it was quite fast .. :-\
-
Hi
Have you cleared out your temporary internet files and done a disk cleanup?
Start/Control Panel/ then switch to Category View if you are in Classic View
Select Performance & Maintenance
Select Free up space on your hard disk
A little brush should appear at the very bottom of your screen with Disk Cleanup and it takes a couple of minutes before you are presented with a possible "cleanup" I usually just click OK and then confirm. It doesn't delete any passwords etc
I do this every night before I switch off and it seems to keep things running ok
-
You had me wondering there .. I usually find the Disk Cleanup somewhere else .. I didn't know there was two ways! ;D
Start/All Programmes/Accessories/System Tools/ and then either Disk Cleanup or Defragment.
I do all that quite regularly Carole, not every night though admittedly .. and delete the Temporary Internet files.
This is the link I used to test the speed ..
http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/speedtest/?r=2
I'm wearing it out at the moment! :D
-
That's a useful website to have - my download speed for 7816 was 4.2 secs
-
Just done it on this laptop - OK - wireless:
7816 kbits downloaded in 5.406 sec
a bit faster than yours but not all that much and I've not had any problems at all ::)
Gadget :)
Added - now it's getting faster:
7816 kbits downloaded in 3 sec
i usually use:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html
with this:
Downspeed - 1763.14 Kbps ( 1.7 Mbps )
and I'm paying for 3-6 :( :( :(
-
I had the same thing at the beginning of the week.
I'm fairly sure it was caused by a roll-over ad at the bottom of a Rootschat page, which said 'is your internet connection slow? click here to clean up your computer'. I didn't mean to rollover it and although I didn't click on it it started downloading anyway. Norton threw up a minimized message which I couldn't enlarge, and then I couldn't post anything at all as I was continuously returned to the 'Welcome Guest' page. I did eventually manage to post one reply to an RAF page but it appeared as a separate topic.
Nothing showed up on a scan so the only way I could return to normal was to start using my spare hard disk (my computer has two, both identical).
Michael J.
-
Just done it on this laptop - OK - wireless:
7816 kbits downloaded in 5.406 sec
a bit faster than yours but not all that much and I've not had any problems at all ::)
This was mine Gadget .. the one below was taken in January ..
Results 816 kbits downloaded in 9.046 sec ..
I don't remember that roll over advert Michael .. :-\
-
Think 'Tricia might be having the same problem:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,289720.0.html
Oh dear, is Roots crumbling at the edges :-\
Gadget
-
The rollover ad was at the bottom of one of the photo-restoration, armed forces or technical help topics - most probably the 'pre-war RAF' topic by Stumped! as that was the one I was trying to reply to..
Michael.
-
Hello Pels,
I just popped in for a minute.
Remember I sent you a copy of that email I got from my daughter who is also on AOL ? Would your problems have anything to do with that ?
I can't remember what it said, and I'm on a friends computer at present, so can't check. Something about AOL having been bought out and she was experienceing problems since ?
-
Hi Lydart .. here is a copy of what you sent me ..
Sorry I haven't emailed for so long - we are having serious probs with internet at home. Got my mate in on Monday (IT guy), who has checked all our equipment, and advised that it is actually our AOL broadband connection. I have read up on this, and it appears that AOL was sold to Carphone warehouse last year, and all our accounts are currently being transferred (causing untold problems with broadband etc!!!). I have only just been able to get a complaint email through to AOL, as all their online complaint systems have been down for over a week!! Can't be bothered phoning AOL, as costs 5p/min, and you can be queueing for hours!!
Am going to give it another week, and then look at other broadband providers (although I believe from reading various forums online, that transferring away from AOL is also very tricky). So may have to change email address, will let you know if I do
I did ask about this and was informed nearly all the change overs have now taken place.
A lot of people who have modems still have modifications which are ongoing .. but because I have a router they said mine should now be complete?
Next major change will be to the actual Carphone Warehouse but this shouldn't affect anyone.
-
I managed to get 7816 kbits downloaded in 8.86 sec.
Getting rid of your browser cache actually slows your computer down rather than speeds it up. The whole idea behind client/server technology is that you download files to your C drive in a first pass when you visit a website but when you revisit a site you do not have to download all the files from the server again so it loads a lot faster.
This is probably an ISP issue rather than a cache problem.
-
My son, who had a different problem with IE and AOL (see a topic about Monaronadora, which he's now solved, rang AOL on Saturday and someone there told him they are having problems in all areas of the country with their ISP.
As he only signed up for AOL 2 weeks ago, he told them to cancel it and he's choosing another ISP supplier. He also downloaded Mozilla Firefox and he said that is much quicker. It seems a combination of AOL not working properly and IE being older and not having been brought up to the standard of Mozilla Firefox could be the problem.
Lizzie
-
Hi
We have been having problems with AOL being slow. Help line told us AOL were having problems and if we contacted the customer support we could get a refund for the period. When we contacted customer services they denied all knowledge of a problem and said it was our computer. They had us doing all kinds of things - including emptying cache etc (which we do anyway) and it was still slow.
It does seem much quicker today.
I have to say, though, that we have been with AOL for years and years and have never had any problems until this.
Bottom line is I still don't really know whether it was them or us ??? ::)
-
This is very interesting Lizzie .. and it does sound more like it, especially with downside also agreeing it is an ISP problem
I haven't experienced the recurring problem I had on Friday with regard to RootsChat logging me on and off .. but the speed sometimes is crippling .. at the moment it's fine .. but later it might become impossible to post a reply at all.
I will go and read that topic now .. thankyou! :)
-
Hi
We have been having problems with AOL being slow. Help line told us AOL were having problems and if we contacted the customer support we could get a refund for the period. When we contacted customer services they denied all knowledge of a problem and said it was our computer. They had us doing all kinds of things - including emptying cache etc (which we do anyway) and it was still slow.
It does seem much quicker today.
I have to say, though, that we have been with AOL for years and years and have never had any problems until this.
Bottom line is I still don't really know whether it was them or us ??? ::)
Reading this, it must be them .. but why can't they be more honest?
Like you I haven't had any major issues before .. only minor teething problems which have been sorted by one phone call .. regardless of what everyone says I've always felt comfortable using them as an ISP supplier .. now I'm not so sure!
I've just agreed a new contract too .. :-\
Thankyou very much! :)
-
We started with AOL over five years ago, but since the UK side was sold off - service (how many additional programs do you need to download from them and how many processes running in the background ?) and speed has got slower and slower (as slow as 900 kbps when paying for up to 8000 kbps). We gave them an deadline to resolve issues, but got nowhere.
So we moved and now are getting 7816 kbits downloaded in 0.89 sec - at a lower price than we were paying with AOL.
If they cannot supply what you are paying for, we suggest it's time to move.
Al & Al
-
Al and Al who have you moved to?
I have been with aol for some years broadband. And it has been terrible this last few days for me. I only go on there to check my emails, and normally use firefox. Have just clicked on it and the opening page is still loading - 2 minutes now) and still not there.
Would this have anything to do with cpu usage as that is varying wildly too.
-
I'm having no problems whatsoever with AOL, although my daughter is (see the email I forwarded to Pels).
I'm not on AOL broadband tho' ... we use BT and their broadband.
-
Silvery,
We have moved on to use "Be There", who offer up to 24mb download - but you will need to check that they cover your area.
There is a small charge up front to get their equipment, but got a speedy service of conversion and they have an excellent help centre (which does not cost 5p a minute!).
(The only drawback we found was with AOL - as when we tried to "uninstall" their numerous programs, we failed. In the end we had to save our data and reinstall Windows)
Al & Al
-
Nothing wrong with IE7 either.
Oh, really?
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/12/internet_explor.html
The only time I use Internet Explorer is when I'm testing my web sites to make sure they display properly.
Original poster, I recommend you connect to the internet as normal and install a third-party browser like Firefox and use that instead of AOL.
As for the connection issues, that's probably down to Carphone Warehouse and their wonderful way of treating their customers.
You see, AOL UK suffered some financial difficulties and put themselves on the market. Carphone Warehouse bought them out just like they have with Talk Talk and some others. I was with one ISP just before Carphone Warehouse bought them out and after they changed we had problems like yours on web sites and thongs slowly got worse so we changed ISP. Guess who we're stuck with now...
>:(
-
Original poster, I recommend you connect to the internet as normal and install a third-party browser like Firefox and use that instead of AOL.
Thanks Zeb .. to be perfectly honest that's what I've been doing since Sunday .. I'm now jumping from one to the other and it's working .. it's been quite an education though!
As for the connection issues, that's probably down to Carphone Warehouse and their wonderful way of treating their customers.
You see, AOL UK suffered some financial difficulties and put themselves on the market. Carphone Warehouse bought them out just like they have with Talk Talk and some others. I was with one ISP just before Carphone Warehouse bought them out and after they changed we had problems like yours on web sites and thongs slowly got worse so we changed ISP. Guess who we're stuck with now...
>:(
I must admit when Carphone Warehouse took over Talk Talk they didn't do themselves any favours in the popularity stakes .. and I remember reading a lot of complaints which were posted at the time. :-\
-
I've just agreed a new contract too .. :-\
You should never have to agree to a new contract. This is their way of keeping you locked to them for another term which is mostly 12 or 18 months. What was their reason for asking you to sign up to a new contract?
AOL UK used to have an uncapped service now they ARE capped. Download too much and you'll have slow speeds during the day time. We get about 285Kb/s during the day and up to 500Kb/s during the night/early hours.
Here's some other information which may help...
Don't go with Virgin (aka Telewest Broadband, NTL, Eurobell) as they severely cap their customers. We were with Virgin with a 20MB line and got as fast as 50Kb/s during the day and only twice did we hit max line speed of 2100Kb/s during the night/early hours with about 300Kb/s at other times. We were with them for about 1 month until we terminated their contract for them.
I know a few people with Be There (https://www.bethere.co.uk) and they don't care what you download or how much at a far cheaper price than anything I've seen. This is who we'll be moving to when our AO(hel)L contract expires.
-
Oh, really?
The context of that statement was that I had no problems accessing and navigating my way around rootschat.com using IE7.
-
Okies :D
-
You should never have to agree to a new contract. This is their way of keeping you locked to them for another term which is mostly 12 or 18 months. What was their reason for asking you to sign up to a new contract?
It was my fault .. the Newfster and one or two others advised me against it at the time, but the terms were already agreed.
I was given a new laptop for Christmas and I wanted to change from the modem to a wireless router. The router we bought wasn't somehow compatible with my PC .. a friend sent me a link regarding an offer that AOL were advertising to new customers.
On the strength of that I ordered a new router and as an existing customer they gave me a deal which meant I didn't have to pay anything for the first three months.
-
Oooooo dear !
they gave me a deal which meant I didn't have to pay anything for the first three months
Never buy special offers of that type ... but I suppose your poor service now is free for three months ! Look on the bright side Pels !
-
Oooooo dear !
they gave me a deal which meant I didn't have to pay anything for the first three months
Never buy special offers of that type ... but I suppose your poor service now is free for three months ! Look on the bright side Pels !
I suppose you pay for what you get Lydart .. in my case I'm not paying anything at the moment .. and I'm getting very little .. ::)
-
Don't go with Virgin (aka Telewest Broadband, NTL, Eurobell)
Zeb - We've were with NTL since 2000 when we had cable at a previous house and had broadband, tv and telephone, when we moved we stuck with NTL although we don't have cable here and now we're with Virgin. We've never had any trouble with them.
Lizzie
-
I'm not paying anything at the moment .. and I'm getting very little ..
Like I said, you're onto a winner ... for now.
-
Re my earlier posts saying there is sometimes a problem advert that seems to cause all the trouble, here are a couple of screenshots showing normal ads and the interloper.
Michael.