Any other AOL users having problems after the recent maintance?

hoytinak · November 14, 2008, 11:22 PM

Using AOL (I know it sucks but I get it free) TFL won't load the page fully (ie...report button, smileys, edit button, the red circled cross showing new post and the ones I've posted in, pretty much everything but the links themselves)....I can see where everything should be though as it's got a white square with red cross in the middle of it. Everything comes up fine when using Windows Internet Explorer though.

hogdogs · November 15, 2008, 12:48 AM

Can you use Mozilla firefox? I couldn't even remember how to fire up explorer even if my life relied on it!
Brent

hoytinak · November 15, 2008, 12:51 AM

Not on this computer, it's either AOL or IE. On my laptop I use FireFox though.

rem870hunter · November 15, 2008, 03:09 AM

it may be something in your aol settings. i sometimes have trouble loggin in. both aol and ie. i'll login in, try to reply to a thread and it will ask me to login again, and again and again. each time after i enter my username and password. so iclose the page wait a few minutes and then it works. what i don't like is the page timing out or expiring,especially within a long post reply.

**tyme** · November 15, 2008, 04:42 PM

The maintenance was unrelated. /var was corrupt for some reason so TFL was temporarily down to fix that. Then the database server's new kernel had the wrong network driver (intel 1000mbit ethernet chips now have different drivers depending on whether they're pci or pci-e), and I'd forgotten my password on that machine which led to an annoying time trying to get back into that machine to fix the kernel, because grub was horked and I couldn't see the menu to get it to boot from the old kernel, so I could log in remotely.

I started thinking about implementing some network filtering on clients that initiate a ton of simultaneous TCP connections, and AOL would in fact be slowed down by that, but right now that firewall rule is only logging so I can gauge what effect it would have.

TL;DR: Nothing I'm aware of should be affecting AOL users.

AOL is terrible in a number of ways. Its browser is perpetually behind in features and security; its proxies initiate ridiculous numbers of simultaneous connections (most from slightly different IPs) to cache webpages and content for AOL members. Haven't they heard of PIPELINING? The only thing keeping me from blocking AOL outright is that their users don't deserve to be banned from TFL because of AOL's stupidity.

AOL users need to be aware that their internet experience may be negatively impacted by common sense measures taken by webservers, measures that shouldn't negatively impact any properly-behaving web cache or web browser.

Humor of the day: try a whois for the IP 219.134.242.67, which was doing some SSH login bruteforcing against TFL:
netname: BIG-CUSTOMER-DEPARTMENT
descr: BIG CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT IN COMPANY
address: INFORMATION VITAL POINT MANSION 18TH FLOORS
country: CN (no surprise there)

November 14, 2008, 11:22 PM	#1
hoytinak Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 5,721	Any other AOL users having problems after the recent maintance? Using AOL (I know it sucks but I get it free) TFL won't load the page fully (ie...report button, smileys, edit button, the red circled cross showing new post and the ones I've posted in, pretty much everything but the links themselves)....I can see where everything should be though as it's got a white square with red cross in the middle of it. Everything comes up fine when using Windows Internet Explorer though.

November 15, 2008, 03:09 AM	#4
rem870hunter Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2007 Location: N.J. and trying to decide what state to move to. Posts: 973	it may be something in your aol settings. i sometimes have trouble loggin in. both aol and ie. i'll login in, try to reply to a thread and it will ask me to login again, and again and again. each time after i enter my username and password. so iclose the page wait a few minutes and then it works. what i don't like is the page timing out or expiring,especially within a long post reply. __________________ BEAR Bows,Remington shotguns,Marlin rifles

November 15, 2008, 04:42 PM	#5
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Posts: 3,355	The maintenance was unrelated. /var was corrupt for some reason so TFL was temporarily down to fix that. Then the database server's new kernel had the wrong network driver (intel 1000mbit ethernet chips now have different drivers depending on whether they're pci or pci-e), and I'd forgotten my password on that machine which led to an annoying time trying to get back into that machine to fix the kernel, because grub was horked and I couldn't see the menu to get it to boot from the old kernel, so I could log in remotely. I started thinking about implementing some network filtering on clients that initiate a ton of simultaneous TCP connections, and AOL would in fact be slowed down by that, but right now that firewall rule is only logging so I can gauge what effect it would have. TL;DR: Nothing I'm aware of should be affecting AOL users. AOL is terrible in a number of ways. Its browser is perpetually behind in features and security; its proxies initiate ridiculous numbers of simultaneous connections (most from slightly different IPs) to cache webpages and content for AOL members. Haven't they heard of PIPELINING? The only thing keeping me from blocking AOL outright is that their users don't deserve to be banned from TFL because of AOL's stupidity. AOL users need to be aware that their internet experience may be negatively impacted by common sense measures taken by webservers, measures that shouldn't negatively impact any properly-behaving web cache or web browser. Humor of the day: try a whois for the IP 219.134.242.67, which was doing some SSH login bruteforcing against TFL: netname: BIG-CUSTOMER-DEPARTMENT descr: BIG CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT IN COMPANY address: INFORMATION VITAL POINT MANSION 18TH FLOORS country: CN (no surprise there) __________________ “The egg hatched...” “...the egg hatched... and a hundred baby spiders came out...” (blade runner) “Who are you?” “A friend. I'm here to prevent you from making a mistake.” “You have no idea what I'm doing here, friend.” “In specific terms, no, but I swore an oath to protect the world...” (continuum) “It's a goal you won't understand until later. Your job is to make sure he doesn't achieve the goal.” (bsg)

November 15, 2008, 12:48 AM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Can you use Mozilla firefox? I couldn't even remember how to fire up explorer even if my life relied on it! Brent

November 15, 2008, 12:51 AM	#3
hoytinak Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 5,721	Not on this computer, it's either AOL or IE. On my laptop I use FireFox though.