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I have an issue whereby web pages are not loading correctly. I can't spot a pattern (yet) but for example:
- On my Facebook News Feed some images are missing
- When browsing a Facebook album occasional images don't load
- Some web pages load only in simple "site map" layout with text and hyperlinks only.
- Some thumbnails of apps in the App Store do not display
- Emails from Amazon have some thumbnails missing
- When downloading an MP3 album from Amazon a few songs fail and I have to retry several times
The issues are not consistent so I could try the above another time and have no problem.
This is affecting multiple browsers and multiple hardware on the same network (Android phone, iPhone, XP laptop, Win 7 laptop, iMac) and is random in the sense that I can't reliably reproduce it on the same site for example. However it happens often enough to be irritating.
I've tried Googling and find lots of people with similar problems but not many solutions that work. I've also spoken to my ISP who has tested my connection and says it is fine. I've even factory reset my router.
This has started happening since I got a new computer (iMac) and work laptop (Win 7) within the same week. Various cables were therefore unplugged and plugged back in, but like I said the ISP has done various tests on the internet connection and it is OK.
Baffled
step 1 - disconnect iMug and work laptop and see if you still have the problem.
Is it a speed thing? what is your download speed?
http://speedtest.net/
If its not the speed of your broadband could be a DNS thing.
Try flushing your DNS
http://www.azroc.co.uk/networking/tcpip/ipconfig_renew.php
6.79Mbps
As for DNS flushing, does this only need to happen on one device or all of them? Remember this is an issue on all the devices in the house: Android phones, iPhones, PCs, Macs...
PS Mac and new laptop disconnected from network and still not fixed it
If you get a page where some images/thumbnails are missing, and you refresh the page, are the same images still missing? or if you get a page where the formatting is missing and you refresh does that correct it (some, if not all of the time)?
Have you tried running a ping to see if your internet connection if going up and down?
Using the win7 or xp machine, go to the 'Run...' (XP) or 'Search...' (Win7) line on the start menu, type CMD, press OK/enter and then when the command prompt box appears type:
ping google.com -t
you should get....
Pinging google.com [74.125.230.148] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.230.148: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=52
Reply from 74.125.230.148: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=52
Reply from 74.125.230.148: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=52
Reply from 74.125.230.148: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=52
Any line where you get 'Response timed out' are potentially your line dropping, enough of this or prolonged periods and you'll start getting issues surfing.
Pinging is OK, although I'm getting a response from .112 not .148. My ISP tried that too (from them to me) and found no issues.
Refreshing a page sometimes sorts it...and sometimes doesn't. More usually the latter.
Any firmware updates for your router?
Any equipment in the house running p2p apps, and consuming bandwidth?
Open WiFi connection, and your neighbours stealing your bandwidth?
If you change ONE PC to use OpenDNS, instead of the router, does it still happen?
What DNS does your router use? Can you change it, or is it locked down?
( Might be a slow/poor DNS service from your ISP )
OK some hopefully good news. I changed the DNS (in the router settings) to use Google's Public DNS. Touch wood I have been unable to replicate the problem. I think you're bang on with the ISP's DNS being to blame. My router was set to get the DNS details automatically from my ISP, but when I added (my ISP's) DNS in manually I could not load any web pages at all.
Google DNS does seem to be loading pages slightly slower, so I wonder whether my ISP's DNS were timing out before the full page had loaded.
Is your ISP talk talk?
No, Zen. I have used them for years and they have been excellent. I'm actually a tad disappointed if it does prove to be their DNS, since they have been very reliable and very helpful if I have ever needed advice. To be fair to them they did suggest it could be a DNS issue, but they weren't sure. Anyway, if this fix works I will be a happy bunny again 🙂
Sounds like the ISP's DNS might be at fault.
We [at work] used to be with Zen ADSL, but it was very unreliable. Up and down like a yo-yo.
Now we use EasyNet (SureStream) with OpenDNS - very reliable and fast so far. Never rebooted the router/firewalls since installation 6 months ago...
Manually setting DNS to either / both 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 (both googles) has always been my preferred option, and also helps pinpoint connection issues (one less thing in the equation to go wrong)
if the ISP is relying on caching then it could be the cause of some problems ?
Try openDNS, never had any issues with their servers for years.
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Most weird problems I've had in the past have been resolved with an MTU size reduction - google it and try dropping it to 1400 ish - doubt you'll notice the performance drop and it may make it a little more reliable. There are a few little apps to do it easily on Windows, or you can do it manually.
Your router is supposed to automatically negotiate this sha-mo up the chain between you and the source, but sometimes it goes wrong (if ICMP is blocked somewhere I think?) - dropping your local packet size can fix it.
http://www.speedguide.net/articles/windows-7-vista-2008-tweaks-2574
Although if the issue is consistent with all devices on the network, I doubt it would be MTU (unless the router has some funny config)
Although if the issue is consistent with all devices on the network, I doubt it would be MTU (unless the router has some funny config)
Exactly right - it was my shagged router in the end. Reducing MTU fixed the problems (mainly with https sites, iTunes Store etc.) - changing the router fixed it permanently. never got to the bottom of it as changing MTU on the iPhone was a non starter and the new router was £4.99 delivery from my ISP. I did have it configured to not respond to ICMP, but switching it back on didn't fix it.. I had a right old mix of devices on there.
I had already tried changing the MTU on the router, before posting on here, to no avail. Google Public DNS seems to have worked a treat though.