Firewall/browser settings

[jandtjil]

Hey Steve

I seem to have lost the drop down menu that allowed navigation

to areas like classifieds, control panel, the whole deal.

I have relaxed a few of my firewall/browser settings as they are locked down pretty tight.

Which in particular do thing might be the culprit?

I could relax the settings specifically for the TDR page, but since I do seem to spend a great deal of time here am not sure that is the best answer.



Even with DSL it seems to be running faster, good job! Hang in there.



JJ

 

[Headshot zod]

I am certain that isn't a firewall setting. Are you using a "software" firewall? I have problems with the drop down menus too. Sometimes there is a grey area and the menu drops down about an inch from where it is supposed to. So I think its a software thing.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

You probably have pop-up ad killer software on their which is seeing the menus as pop-ups. I use Zero pop-up and it does that. Usually there is a way in the software that you can exempt a specific site - in zero pop-up it's called a "white list". The other thing that could kill it is something that blocks javascript - you should also be able to exempt the TDR site from that. This version of vB uses a lot of Javascript.



That grey box thing that happens occasionally is something I haven't been able to figure out yet. It happens (at least to me) very infrequently - maybe once a day and I spend several hours every day on the site. I'm still looking into it though. BTW, software firewalls do cause a LOT of issues all the time. Zonealarm is famous for causing problems because it locks things down so tight that many functions sites use to functions won't work. If people are having problems one of the things I ask is if they have zonealarm and if they do to try disabling it first - often that solves the issue.

 

[jandtjil]

Getting there. . Any chance that the new software requires updated flash/java or other code. I can now see the menu buttons but the drop downs , dont appear. I did try disabling to no effect. I will keep tweaking.



JJ

 

[John - K5AWO]

Javascript version

Getting there. . Any chance that the new software requires updated flash/java or other code. I can now see the menu buttons but the drop downs , dont appear. I did try disabling to no effect. I will keep tweaking.



JJ

JJ,



I had to update my Javascript package to make the new version of TDR software run acceptably fast. My pages were taking from 20-45 seconds to load. I was falling asleep while waiting



Also had to "whitelist" TDR in all of my security packages. It's a PITA what with all of the Malware junk out there we have to isolate ourselves from.



I can unload everything (security stuff) and TDR pages will load in less than 2 seconds about 75% of the time. But that is a danerous condition to opeate under.



I have Ad-Watch monitoring all traffic, PCcillin virus software, Ad-Subtract, a firewall in the DSL router... . and still stuff comes thru that I don't want.



No viruses though, not for over three years now. Knock, Knock...

 

[jandtjil]

Thanks John

I am checking now for my Java status, that is the only thing that makes sense.

Likewise, I dropped shields for a bit and restarted the browser and loaded TDR, but no change. I too am Very security conscious, and run with it locked down pretty tight, regulalrly removing trackers and the other cholesteral that seems to make its way into the PC.

For being so convenient, they sure can be a hassle.



JJ

 

[jandtjil]

Okay I cheated, I ended up just doing a restore to an earlier setting.

Never figured out what was different.



JJ

 

[John - K5AWO]

Well, Steve, I finally got my work PC to load the TDR website fast like it should. I just totally disabled JavaScript altogether. Boom! Pages come up like lightning.



If I need to see something in JavaScript, I just run FireFox as I have it configured to run everything.



It is a poor fix, but it is the only one I am willing to do for now. I am not even interested in reloading all of my apps to fix it right. (reformat HD and start all over).....



So, if anyone else out there is still having the slow loading symptom, this is one way to "fix it". I don't think the phrase "fix it" is appropriate, it is more like a crutch.



John

 

[TinCanTourist]

Steve,



Like many others, I'm still getting errors on the loaded page from the dropdown menus. I've tried different java settings in the tools/internet options/security settings, but to no avail. Also turned down norton security settings. Any other ideas?

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

What internet related software do you have installed on your pc? List everything including virus scan, pop up blockers, spam blockers, internet security, firewalls, etc.

 

[John - K5AWO]

Macintosh Safari browser download speed: Can you say greased lightning?

Steve,



I just bought my wife a G4 PowerBook laptop running 1 gHz. Under Safari the web pages load in less than 2 seconds flat even though it is running thru my wireless router with 802. 11g protocol.



An interesting thing though, the Safari presents all of the threads first and loads the banners last. I have always said that it is the banners loading that is making the pages load so darned slow. The banners don't finish loading for at least another 10 seconds or so. But I don't care because I can read the threads and by the time I get thru with the first thread, the banner is loaded and I can click on it if I want to.



Is there anything you can do from the server side to force the banners to load last? I feel that if that were done, things would run much more smoothly for the users.



I have tested this web site on many PCs around the valley here. At every firestation I visit (all on T1 lines), and now at a friends house on Cox Cable 3. 0 gHz access rate. If it is running Windows, it is slow. The fastest I have ever witnessed a thread load up is about 5 seconds and that seems to greatly depend on the number of posts in a thread. The average time seems to be between 7-10 seconds.



Obviously all of the city owned PCs use virus protection (McAfee Corporate Edition). This borrowed PC is running Norton Antivirus software. The Norton software firewall and Windows XP and Java 2 vs 1. 3. 1_02



All for now,

-John

 

[Big MAK]

I have to completely disable Norton Internet Security in order to get the drop down and menu bars. Selecting "Permit" for every single thing at this website (circumventing all security) doesn't make a bit of difference -- still don't get any menus. As long as I know the link and can type it out I can go anywhere; just no menus.



I can access from other locations that aren't running Norton Internet Security and there's no problems.



Anyone know exactly what I need to update? Must be some flag/option somewhere I'm missing.



Alternatively; any chance we can get an "HTTPS" (SSL Enabled) website so I can add this to my "Trusted" list and not have to deal with all these hooks and options?



Thanks!

 

[TinCanTourist]

What internet related software do you have installed on your pc? List everything including virus scan, pop up blockers, spam blockers, internet security, firewalls, etc.

Steve,

I'm using IE5. 50. 4522. 1800IC on Win 98. 4. 10. 1998 with norton 10. 0. 1. 13. No spam blockers, no pop up blockers, and no firewalls.

 

[Marco]

Same problem.

I'm in the same boat.



The machine with WIN 98SE , no way to get the drop down menu to work.

Often problems with some unknown caracter during the uplolad, often very sloww.



Another machine with XP. Problems = Zero.



Whass up?



Oh, yeah, Steve that flashing bar "You have a new private message" is very annoying at best. BTW that thing flashes red with the stock settings. Can you immagine what that could do to someone who's eplietic?



Marco