Is this a server or firewall problem?

[lukeh]

Hi all,

I am brand new to this site but utterly desperate for help. I have never had this problem before, and found this site after searching for help, I hope you can.

I have four sites hosted with a UK company called Streamline. The sites names are (aenglish /cvsolution / tomholden / holdenteas) I live in China in a university which has it's own server and firewall. Sorry, but I can't post links, but they can be found easily from google (first 3 are all net, last is co uk).

Until recently the sites were quite fast at loading except for cvsolution. After weeks of communication between streamline and myself to move it to another of their servers, all the four sites suddenly failed. After a week of this, they email to say it's now fixed. BUT, all four sites load very slowly or fail to load. Strangely, their ftp control panel (Streamline FTP) now also loads very slowly and fails, but their main site works okay.

I have asked others in China. Some say that they are slow but work, others say they all fail. I have asked in the UK, and they say that they load fine.

My question is this, is this a hosting issue, or is it a China issue, or my university's issue. I am stumped and don't know how to check or what to check for. Can anyone help???? Please help me, I am very confused and Streamline keep sending me around in circles with no answer.

Luke

 

[temi]

Luke,
Welcome to UK WW, we will be happy to help but first one need to be sue exactly what your sites are.
Can you post them in this format, for example, my site is temi.co.uk or temi dot co dot uk.
Without being sure one is looking at the correct site, one cannot do any useful test on your site for you.
Thanks

 

[lukeh]

Hi Temi,

Thanks for your message. The sites are;

www dot cvsolution dot net
www dot aenglish dot net
www dot tomholden dot net
www dot holdenteas dot co dot uk


the ftp page is www dot streamlineftp dot net
the main page is www dot streamline dot net

Another strange thing is, even though I have redirects in my .htaccess to go from non-www to www (and they worked before), they fail now and non www versions won't load at all.

 

[temi]

I loaded the 4 sites, they are not super fast but they load in fairly reasonable time for a budget hosting company like Streamline. But it bank holiday weekend, demand on Streamline servers will not be at peak so perhaps the sites may be very very during normal working days. You may want to try a comprehensive site monitoring tools like the one provided by internet seer, I think the basic version is free, it will test connectivity to you site at regular intervals and give you a report. From the test I did just now, you site works fine.

The reason your .httaccess redirect does not work could have something to do with moving from one server to another serve. You may just want to update and reupload your .httaccess file again.

 

[lukeh]

thanks demi, and here the problem lies. No ftp means I can't change anything. It might be an issue with my uni server having limited traffic, so I'll go and see.

I'll check that tool, thanks.

 

[temi]

If you can send me you ftp address via PM, i can test it for you from here. Please do not post you ftp details, send it to me via a secure means or if you have a friend who can test it for you in UK, ask him/her to test it for you in case you are not sure of giving you ftp access to a stranger like me.

 

[lukeh]

thanks demi. Actually, the site streamlineftp dot net no longer loads for me at all, not even allowing me to enter my login details. Thats why I think it may be a local problem

 

[DanielEZPZ]

They seem to load for me, but very slowly. I'd imagine being so far from the server, that its timing out for you.

 

[DanielEZPZ]

By the way, have you noticed this on any other sites from the UK, or just streamline?

 

[lukeh]

Hi DanielEZPZ,

Only my sites and streamlines ftp access page. Everything else loads fine for me. I even tried them in ff, IE and netscape.

 

[temi]

I have been trying very hard not to say this but streamline is one of the crappiest hosting company in UK, you may want to shop for a better host.

 

[lukeh]

Really, I didn't know that. This is the second time I have changed servers (1st time China). Any suggestions??? I'm so fed up with their 24 hour response, with nothing useful and never having read my complaint.

Don't expect I'll get my money back from them either. Can you suggest an alternative, so I don't waste more money later on.

 

[temi]

I hesitate to recommend a particular company but I will NOT RECOMMEND
Stremeline
Heart Internet
1 and 1
Fast Hosts
UK2.net

I am sure there are lots of quality hosting company out there, perhaps another member who has had good experience with a UK hosting company would like to recommend the host ?

Really, I didn't know that. This is the second time I have changed servers (1st time China). Any suggestions??? I'm so fed up with their 24 hour response, with nothing useful and never having read my complaint.

Don't expect I'll get my money back from them either. Can you suggest an alternative, so I don't waste more money later on.

 

[DanielEZPZ]

I agree with temi, but didn't want to say

I've used UK2.net in the past and they were okay.

Its likely that Streamline have oversold the server you are on, therefore its crammed full of websites that are putting too much stress on the hardware.

 

[lukeh]

I'm back with a little more information which might be useful.

I spoke to my university server people and they said it was not their fault. They showed me a command prompt called tracert which shows that for streamlineftp dot net that it always times out at 82.33.208.14, which ip locator websites show me is in the UK (company called telewest). What can this mean? Is it a whole new problem or still connected with streamline?

Any advice would be great, I'm a little out of my depth...

 

[temi]

The interpretation is that when trying to access your site via FTP, you are blocked at Stremeline connection from telewest. This could could me?
1. Stremeline has a connection problem at the lop that connects them to telewest.
2. It could mean that telewest are clocking attempt to connect to Stemeline ftp from China. (For security reason, hosting companies do block countries where they do not have customers (99% of Stremeline customers are UK based) from connecting via ftp and other ports intruders can can abuse.

You need to do the test I suggested to you yesterday to find out if this is true, either use a UK proxy server to try accessing your ftp site or ask a UK based person to access it for you, if the UK proxy or person connects successfulluy, then it means your Universities IP address has been banned by Telewest/Stremeline.

 

[lukeh]

Hi Temi,

I signed up for that site yesterday but it only gives me basic info.
Sun/ Mon
Outages 000
Time on error00:00
% Uptime100.0
Connect time0.11

Does that tell you much??? I think it just says everything is fine. I asked a UK person to check the ftp page and they could access it. Besides, if UK people couldn't I'm sure they would quickly be inundated with complaints.

I expect you're right, that my IP is blocked. I have contacted streamline, and hopefully that will get better. I don't think it will speed up the awful speed of my sites though. I remember being flagged when I paid as I was in China, so I guess they reset the privileges or rights a week ago.

Thanks for all your help so far, I hope streamline get back to me with a message other that 'IP not blocked'.

 

[temi]

ukeh? I asked a UK person to check the ftp page and they could access it.
Temi> It means access to FTP site from outside UK is restricted.

ukeh> I don't think it will speed up the awful speed of my sites though. I remember being flagged when I paid as I was in China, so I guess they reset the privileges or rights a week ago.
Temi> Stemeline is clearly not the site for you, you need to shop around. Most good host give you 30 days free, so test a few host and settle for the one that best meet your needs.

 

[arunpattnaik]

Did you say you're from china. then i believe the chinese firewall is responsible for this. The official firewall of china is the most strict in the world. can you just check if your sites pass the firewall at www dot greatfirewallofchina dot org . It works most of the time. even some of my own sites are blocked in china.