Site speed test

[Guest]

Due to the feedback that some people are finding the site slow I have just run a comparison on the site and 9 others. The results show that on a speed by kb basis we are better than ocado, the same as facebook and slightly slower than bbc and a few others. Our total load time for the first page is slower as we have one of the larger page sizes but given the budget these guys have and the budget we don't have it does seem we are doing ok. 

 

if you are experiencing slowness let me know on this thread and I'll do my best to find out if theres any reason our end

 

[bugmeister]

Is it worth telling how you did the test so we have a means of comparing if we notice a problem?

[Guest]

i used a website that does the test, i gave it 10 url's it does the rest

[Korky]

I have a very speedy Virgin Media web connection but I find that TIPF is sluggish most of the time.

 

Earlier this evening (around 7.00pm) it was very bad and I gave up and came back later.

 

Korky

[ChrisLumix]

I suppose, given the sheer volume of media involved, it shouldn't be surprising that TIPF is the same speed as Facebook (which also has a lot of media). Most other forums I frequent don't have a huge amount of media so unsurprisingly they are quicker to load.

 

I do find TIPF a bit slow, but not impossibly so. The particularly annoying thing is how long it takes to "Like" a post - why does something so minimal take so long? In Facebook it's instant.

[DaveS]

Richard, its not a speed issue, but one of the time it takes the server to respond.

 

As I said in the 'shout box', I think that this forum is hosted on 'shared server', in which case response time will be an issue, because you are sharing the server bandwidth with multiple other forums etc.

 

I moved my forum onto a VPS because of this, and now its responds instantly.

 

The downside is that a VPS cost significantly more than does shared server space.

 

DAve

Edited September 12, 2013 by DaveS

[geodar]

thinks that my life can spare 0.5sec's for a page or two come up after clicking on it, don't notice that it is any quicker or slower then any other site I use.

geoff

[colinb]

can't say I have ever really found this site slow?

 

One suggestion I think it worth mentioning is modems - if your modem is older than 3 years you really should consider an update and I would advise getting in touch with your service provider who may supply one for free.

You may need to agree to stay with them for 12 - 24 months so if you are thinking of switching you'll need to take that into account.

[Guest]

correct Dave its a shared server and as you say a VPS is considerably more expensive

[DaveS]

Thanks for confirming that my thinking was correct Richard.

 

The following might help explain the situation for some members:

 

The cheapest way to have a forum 'hosted', is to go down the 'Shared Server' route. This is one where the server is shared with many other users, which includes forums.

 

When the server is busy, a forum may have to wait in the queue with others, before it can communicate with its users.

 

When this happens, the user will experience a delay in opening pages on the 'board', up uploading data, and or images. This can make the forum seem slow in comparison with others, that are hosted on a Virtual Private Server (VPS).

 

Its not a case of the 'board' running slow, or a problem with your own 'router', but just a matter of TIPF waiting its turn at the server.

 

When a forum is independent from sponsorship or advertising revenue, and totally reliant on the good will of its management team, and donating members to fund it, the 'shared server' can be the only affordable option.

 

So yes, the response time of this 'board' can be frustratingly slow at times, but its a small price to pay for what it has to offer.

 

Dave

Edited September 13, 2013 by DaveS

[ChrisLumix]

Thanks for confirming that my thinking was correct Richard.

 

The following might help explain the situation for some members:

 

The cheapest way to have a forum 'hosted', is to go down the 'Shared Server' route. This is one where the server is shared with many other users, which includes forums.

 

When the server is busy, a forum may have to wait in the queue with others, before it can communicate with its users.

 

When this happens, the user will experience a delay in opening pages on the 'board', up uploading data, and or images. This can make the forum seem slow in comparison with others, that are hosted on a Virtual Private Server (VPS).

 

Its not a case of the 'board' running slow, or a problem with your own 'router', but just a matter of TIPF waiting its turn at the server.

 

When a forum is independent from sponsorship or advertising revenue, and totally reliant on the good will of its management team, and donating members to fund it, the 'shared server' can be the only affordable option.

 

So yes, the response time of this 'board' can be frustratingly slow at times, but its a small price to pay for what it has to offer.

 

Dave

 

I'm not sure about this Dave? TIPF is consistently slower, where your post suggests it would vary quite a lot especially at busy times. But your last half sentence is true enough