PDA

View Full Version : Stuck for 3/mo could it be the Satellite ISP



jamie.brwr
13 Jan 2011, 10:05 AM
This is the closest forum I could find for my post. If there is a better placed to post this please let me know!

Hello and thanks for taking the time to read my post. It maybe long but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.

The Problem
I've created a website for a client and it will not finish loading for them. It seems to timeout.

The Low Down
The client has a really bad Internet connection. Their current ISP is wildblue.net (which I've read bad things about). This is a satellite connection. I have used a WooTheme for their website (as I've done with multiple other sites) and it breaks when they try and load it through the browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Explorer) installed on their computer.

The problem appears to be that the website is timing out/giving up and not finishing loading all the components (i.e. styles, javascript etc.). Also the problem is very random and intermittent. But only when troubleshooting with their machines and their ISP. That said the website works every where else that I have tested it (work, home, 3G, netrenderer). I'm from Saint Joseph, MO and they're in Springfield, MO.

To remedy the problem we have tried several things:

1) Trying a new ISP
They have made visits to hotels and other places locally to try a different ISP. Some of the places they visit are also using a satellite connection but from a different ISP. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I have been unable to recreate problem on any of the machines I have tested on. I have spent hours upon hours doing remote desktop trying to troubleshoot the problem on their machine to no avail. Again it just seems so random and intermittent I can't put my finger on it.

2) Starting Over
I have also started the site completely over rebuilding it from scratch 2 or 3 times now (fresh install of WordPress, fresh install of WooTheme and brand new database) with the same exact results on their machine and ISP. Works great for me and my machines. I cannot recreate the problem their having.

3) New Theme
I have downloaded a completely different theme which was not from WooThemes and still the same problem on their machine and ISP. Again it looks great on my end.

4) Bare Bones Approach
I reduced the site to a fresh install of WordPress, removed all 3rd party plugins and used the current database (very minimal content, only a few pictures and some copy) using the default WordPress theme Twenty Ten 1.1. The site still breaks with their machine and ISP. Looks great on my end.

5) Troubleshooting With Developer Tools
I have used the Firefox extension yslow to troubleshoot my efficiency. I have tried consolidating javascript file and trimming fat anywhere I could to try and raise my slow score. I got it up a little but not much.

With all this effort I still have the exact same problem and feel no closer to knowing what the problem is without blaming the ISP. Honestly I want to blame the ISP simply because I have some information to back it up (ping tests, traceroute to the domain. results in zip file). But they just won't buy it. Their argument to me is "I just don't understand. I can pull up any of my competitors websites or any other website on the web and I don't have this problem.".

I've literally spent hours and hours and hours of time on this project over the last few months trying to find a solution and have come to a dead end. I don't claim to know everything and that's obvious here but I do not consider myself to be a beginner either. As I said I have created multiple websites (20-30) using WordPress and themes from all over the web and have never had this problem.

I am a new member so I cannot post a link to download the zip file containing screen-shots of various tests I've ran and other information I have gathered over the last couple of months for reference. So I'm going to break up the url below. You can view the site for yourself at wbaryfence.com.

Thanks again for the help. I'm really hoping someone can give me an answer to this problem!

Download zip file
Part 1) triggerfishbackup.net/
and append Part 2) wbyfence/wbary-troubleshooting-assests.zip