Resolved Weird Evening Slowdown Issue

[VashTheStampede]

This could totally be just a Me problem with my internet/phone service, but the last several nights, in the evenings, I have had a lot of issues using the GWF app on my phone.

Pages take a very long time to load. Frustratingly long. Worse than accessing old GW on AOL dial-up slow.

Typically I'll open the app and the first page I try to access loads relatively close to normal speed, then the following ones are on sloth mode.

When I get up the next morning, everything works fine.

I haven't noticed an issue with literally any other site or service during these slowdown times.

Before I start tearing things apart in my house I was wondering:

1. If anyone else has run into a similar thing

2. If there is an "off the top of my head" thing that someone thinks could cause it.

Please don't waste time poking around to see if it's some weird deep coded issue, I'm just eliminating possibilities.

 

[shortkut]

I have as well, but I’ve also been having internet issues in general so I assumed it was just me

 

[TD]

I've had no issues with browsing speed myself at any points. I do sometimes get issues if I'm not on my home wifi but I chalk that up to internet.

On a maybe related note - I saw an article this week that a geomagnetic storm is coming and may mess with some electronics.

 

[Mark]

I haven’t noticed, but my time has been kinda sporadic the last few days while I’ve been trying to play catch up in the real world after being sick all last week. I’ll definitely keep an eye out today, though. Around what time would you say you first begin noticing it?

 

[VashTheStampede]

I haven’t noticed, but my time has been kinda sporadic the last few days while I’ve been trying to play catch up in the real world after being sick all last week. I’ll definitely keep an eye out today, though. Around what time would you say you first begin noticing it?

I wanna say it starts like around 8pm CST?

It was definitely happening last night around then through at least 9:30 or so because it prevented me from drunkenly sparring with Jon

When it stops I have no idea because I sleep

 

[Mark]

I wanna say it starts like around 8pm CST?

It was definitely happening last night around then through at least 9:30 or so because it prevented me from drunkenly sparring with Jon

When it stops I have no idea because I sleep

Well, that’s just fucking unacceptable and has to be stopped at once… you shouldn’t have to not drunkenly spar with Jon. It’s your right as an American.

 

[Ben]

I don't notice any spikes in the activity logs to suggest it's a server thing.

The only place I've noticed substantial load slow-down was in the big shitposting threads, especially when they're image heavy pages. It seems to hang until it's cached everything on the page before making it scrollable.

Otherwise my thoughts are;
Is it any specific forum you're generally checking first off?
Does Christina have the same issues at the same time, also browsing from phone?

 

[VashTheStampede]

Otherwise my thoughts are;
Is it any specific forum you're generally checking first off?
Does Christina have the same issues at the same time, also browsing from phone?

1. Not a specific forum as it's also impacting me when I try to load the main page.

2. So yeah, this has been a weird thing. @Christina was having the same issue like a week or two ago and I wasn't having any issues. Now the problem has swapped. That's mainly why my first thought was that it's a Me Problem. Just on a fact-finding mission right now.

 

[VashTheStampede]

1a. I do typically try to load a D&D forum page before going back to the main page.

 

[TD]

2. So yeah, this has been a weird thing. @Christina was having the same issue like a week or two ago and I wasn't having any issues. Now the problem has swapped. That's mainly why my first thought was that it's a Me Problem. Just on a fact-finding mission right now.

What about wifi signal interference?

 

[Jon]

Are you sure it's not just you drinking and YOU'RE the one slowing down?

I mean, you're old too now.

(I haven't experience this.)

 

[VashTheStampede]

What about wifi signal interference?

I dunno...like I said, I haven't had issues with any other service or site. That's why I'm so confused lol

 

[VashTheStampede]

Are you sure it's not just you drinking and YOU'RE the one slowing down?

I mean, you're old too now.

(I haven't experience this.)

Pretty sure it's not my one evening of drinking a week that's doing it but who knows

 

[Ben]

1. Not a specific forum as it's also impacting me when I try to load the main page.

2. So yeah, this has been a weird thing. @Christina was having the same issue like a week or two ago and I wasn't having any issues. Now the problem has swapped. That's mainly why my first thought was that it's a Me Problem. Just on a fact-finding mission right now.

Connecting on your phone via WiFi or mobile network?

I took a look over the IPs you've been logging in from. Primarily it seems you're connecting through this MediaCom out of Pensacola, or AT&T through Mobile, Alabama. Some of the AT&T ones, and perhaps some of the ones that align with your reported slowdown, are connecting you through Redmond, Washington.

That's my main thought right now, is for some reason your network traffic is getting routed through a stupid access point and making it take longer than it should. But it's just a theory.

 

[TD]

I dunno...like I said, I haven't had issues with any other service or site. That's why I'm so confused lol

Have you tried uninstalling the app, restarting the phone, then reinstalling the app?

 

[VashTheStampede]

Connecting on your phone via WiFi or mobile network?

I took a look over the IPs you've been logging in from. Primarily it seems you're connecting through this MediaCom out of Pensacola, or AT&T through Mobile, Alabama. Some of the AT&T ones, and perhaps some of the ones that align with your reported slowdown, are connecting you through Redmond, Washington.

That's my main thought right now, is for some reason your network traffic is getting routed through a stupid access point and making it take longer than it should. But it's just a theory.

View attachment 7754

Now we're cooking.

My dumb ass hasn't even tried disconnecting from the WiFi during these issues. Something to play with tonight.

@Christina did you ever try dropping off the WiFi during your issues?

Have you tried uninstalling the app, restarting the phone, then reinstalling the app?

Me? Try basic IT methods?

Nah I'd rather bother a bunch of my friends with my problems.

I'll try that later

 

[Christina]

Mine was doing it like every night for that last couple of weeks and just stopped doing it the last few days. I might get a little slow down when pulling up the reactions. It was always at night starting about 5pm and if I took my phone off wifi, it would stop doing it and just load pictures the normal slow of bring on 4g or 5g.

My biggest theory is my phone was trying to upload things at night on the wifi and if you take it off wifi it would stop and get better. I didn't think about AT&T routing through some dumb place.

 

[Christina]

Also to add, it effected no other app or website on my phone at all. Just GW.

 

[TD]

Me? Try basic IT methods?

Nah I'd rather bother a bunch of my friends with my problems.

I'll try that later

I've had to reinstall the app from time to time myself.

Also the app gets really weird if you go to another app then back to the GWF app.

 

[shortkut]

Have you tried turning GWF off and on again?

 

[VashTheStampede]

Have you tried turning GWF off and on again?

I'm sure my posts do a good enough job turning GWF off. Maybe I need to post more pics to turn it back on.

 

[shortkut]

I'm sure my posts do a good enough job turning GWF off. Maybe I need to post more pics to turn it back on.

Just make sure they are tasteful

 

[VashTheStampede]

Just make sure they are tasteful

I can only promise tasty

 

[shortkut]

I can only promise tasty

 

[Jon]

Wait, we have an app?

 

[Ben]

I went through and summarized the recent locations for Christina, too. She's definitely getting routed through Redmond, Washington at some points, but not as aggressively, I'd say. The Mobile, Alabama access point is the primary one for her.

If either of you notice it running slowly, you could always try to check https://whatismyipaddress.com/ and see what it pulls up at that time.

 

[TD]

Wait, we have an app?

 

[Christina]

Haha. You can see how much I turned off my wifi and was using Verizon. I was getting super annoyed with.

 

[Ben]

Wait, we have an app?

Jon rolls a perception check.

 

[Jon]

Listen, an app to me might be something different than it is to you. An app is something you download from the app store and is separate from a browser or saving a link to the browser on your home screen.

It's a legit question.

 

[TD]

Haha. You can see how much I turned off my wifi and was using Verizon. I was getting super annoyed with.

I use a Google Mesh system for the WiFi in my house.

Sometimes the stability causes issues and the WiFi dips for a few seconds at a time or my phone loses connection to it for that few seconds.

This also slows browsing.

 

[TD]

Listen, an app to me might be something different than it is to you. An app is something you download from the app store and is separate from a browser or saving a link to the browser on your home screen.

It's a legit question.

Any time I visited the forums on my phone with my browser, the app was advertised.

 

[Jon]

Any time I visited the forums on my phone with my browser, the app was advertised.

I've never gotten an app advertisement and 95% of my time on the forums is on my PC.

 

[Ben]

I've never gotten an app advertisement and 95% of my time on the forums is on my PC.

I've only been prompted if using Google Chrome on PC. It does it with most browsers on mobile though, from what I recall.

But it is basically just putting a shortcut to the forums on your PC/phone with a separate browser window to the standard one.

 

[Lee]

Enables you to receive push notifications to your device though, if you wanted to...

 

[Lee]

My thoughts - there are lots of background tasks that xenForo runs at certain times of the day with cron jobs. I wonder if any of those are causing an issue, which is exasperated by the number of addons installed.

Might be time for a little server upgrade @Crystal - or, a clean up of the server at least.

 

[Jon]

I've only been prompted if using Google Chrome on PC. It does it with most browsers on mobile though, from what I recall.

But it is basically just putting a shortcut to the forums on your PC/phone with a separate browser window to the standard one.

View attachment 7757

View attachment 7758

Ahh, ok, then yes, not an app to me. A shortcut.

 

[VashTheStampede]

 

[Christina]

So if the app is really just a shortcut...why is TD having to uninstall and reinstall it?

 

[TD]

The app does make the phone experience better. You see more without needing to have it within chrome.

Plus I like that it's a button on my home screen.

Oh and notifications.

 

[TD]

So if the app is really just a shortcut...why is TD having to uninstall and reinstall it?

Asking the right questions right here.

 

[Crystal]

My thoughts - there are lots of background tasks that xenForo runs at certain times of the day with cron jobs. I wonder if any of those are causing an issue, which is exasperated by the number of addons installed.

Might be time for a little server upgrade @Crystal - or, a clean up of the server at least.

A server upgrade isn't in the cards financially right now, but if it's feasible down the road a bit, absolutely. I'll take a peek through the files and such and see if I can offload some junk to clear things up a bit from the other sites on this server.

Ahh, ok, then yes, not an app to me. A shortcut.

It's a progressive web app, so a semi-app

 

[TD]

A server upgrade isn't in the cards financially right now, but if it's feasible down the road a bit, absolutely. I'll take a peek through the files and such and see if I can offload some junk to clear things up a bit from the other sites on this server.

I'll also add that this doesn't seem to be a widespread issue and is only impacting some.

I suspect part of the issue is the app, it's fickle.

For example, if I have the app open, switch to chrome, then come back to the app, I can't hold down my finger on 'Like' to select reactions.

 

[Ben]

So if the app is really just a shortcut...why is TD having to uninstall and reinstall it?

It's probably achieving the same effect as clearing his cache, etc. At least that's my off-the-cuff guess.

My thoughts - there are lots of background tasks that xenForo runs at certain times of the day with cron jobs. I wonder if any of those are causing an issue, which is exasperated by the number of addons installed.

Might be time for a little server upgrade @Crystal - or, a clean up of the server at least.

This is also fairly likely. Looks like a lot of the file health-checks, statistics calculations, daily clean-up, etc. are run around 7pm. We could try shifting those cron jobs to run overnight where it's going to impact less people?

 

[Crystal]

This is also fairly likely. Looks like a lot of the file health-checks, statistics calculations, daily clean-up, etc. are run around 7pm. We could try shifting those cron jobs to run overnight where it's going to impact less people?

Yeah, let's spread the cron jobs out a bit and see if that helps.

 

[Lee]

I think that we can clean the server up quite a bit too, some of the sites hosted aren't in use any more for sure.

Yeah, let's spread the cron jobs out a bit and see if that helps.

 

[Crystal]

I think that we can clean the server up quite a bit too, some of the sites hosted aren't in use any more for sure.

Yeah, but let's make sure to back everything up if we're going to remove anything. Never know when we'll need some of it again

 

[TD]

Yeah, but let's make sure to back everything up if we're going to remove anything. Never know when we'll need some of it again

TD is accidentally deleted.

 

[Ben]

TD is accidentally deleted.

She's talking about useful things.

 

[TD]

She's talking about useful things.