xmarks forums problem?

[ardchoille]

How about your ISP? Do they firewall at that level?

You have narrowed down every other possibility to just this one.

The only way we can prove that theory wrong is for you to either A) log your computer in via another ISP, or B) allow me access to your account to see if I can recreate the issue on my own computer.

I've talked this one over with techs at Jelsoft (the company that sells the vB software) and also with a third party that has written several add-ons for vB software. In every instance, we come down to the same common possibilities -

1. Browser settings
2. Security settings
3. ISP
4. Browser cache
5. Firewall
6. Anti-Spyware and/or ad blockers

In your case, we can clearly rule out nos. 1,2,4,5 & 6, leaving only your ISP as a possible suspect.

I display a logo for one of my affiliate advertisers on my own sites. If I use the computer at my work office, the logo does not display. Everything is identical about that computer and the one in my home office - same browsers with the same configurations, same local firewalls with the same configurations, etc. The only difference between the two installations is the ISP. I can examine the page source code from the office box and see the lines calling the logo, but it will not display.

If you are interested in my testing it further, I can change your account password to allow myself access to your account. Once we are finished with the testing, you can change the password back to whatever you want to use. Or you can take your box to a friend's home and log in via that ISP to perform your own testing. Barring that, we will have to simply assume the ISP is the culprit and consider the matter closed.

I just tried this using a Linux livecd (same browser settings) at a friend's house and there were no problems at all.. the site even loads faster. So, I am assuming the problem is at my ISP (figures it's MSN).

Thank you for taking the time to troubleshoot this

[Abax]

Abax, if you will please post a screen shot of an incorrect image and its properties in that same forum, perhaps we can sort this out.

99% of the errors I've been getting are on 2 out of 3 machines, and the number of errors I'm getting in the last few days is crazy (each page takes 5 or 6 refreshes to display properly).

The third machine - the good one - is running a different version of Java (Sun Java 2 v1.4.2_03). I notice the error-prone machines always report a Java error on the page when the wrong images are displayed. I'll have to look tomorrow and see what version of Java the error-prone machines run.

The error-prone machines don't have any graphics software on them, so if you really want screenshots, I'll have to move them to another machine, process them, then post them. I suggest chasing down the Java issue first, since all a screenshot is going to show is a bunch of pictures in the wrong place (but with the right name).

Abax

[Abax]

Just saw this post. Sorry it took so long to reply.

Abax, you're seeing this on three different boxes, so I have several questions for you.

Are all three using the same ISP?
Are all three running behind the same firewall on your end?
What firewall/s are you using? If multiple, please identify as Machine X/Browser X/Firewall X
Are all three running the same anti-spyware script/s?
What anti-spyware script/s are you using?
Are you blocking JavaScript?
If you see a bad image, what result does a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5) produce?

Two of the machines are identical, running on the same network operated by my employer. (Reading XMarks on breaks is a permitted use.) I'll try to provide detailed info on them within a day. These machines are where I'm seeing most of the errors.

The third machine is my home machine. This machine experiences relatively few errors (once every week or so).

- It is MS XP Pro, service pack 2 using the built in Windows firewall, sitting behind a NetGear FR114P router connected to a local ISP (GCI in Anchorage, AK).

- I use Internet Explorer 7 and I don't run any anti-spyware scripts or any other bug smashing stuff except Trend Micro's antivirus. I allow Java scripts to run for the XMarks site and have Sun Java 2 v1.4.2_03 installed.

- <CTL> <F5> and <F5> produce identical results: The first refresh never fixes the display problem, it's usually the 4th, 5th or 6th refresh that gets everything looking as it should.

The errors on this machine are pretty low, so this is not the one that is much trouble. I'll report on the other two in the next day.

Abax

[Mike1]

...so if you really want screenshots, I'll have to move them to another machine, process them, then post them.

It won't be necessary, as we have already managed to identify this as a local issue.

[Abax]

The systems at work on which I've had problems are running Windows XP Pro (service pack 2) and MS Internet Explorer 6 running the built-in java. The sysadmin just switched from Novell to Microsoft networking software. I don't know how the network is configured, but there isn't a local machine firewall or anti-spyware script, just an antivirus.

This seems promising . . . I just changed the browser's java from the built in version supplied with IE6 by Microsoft to Sun JRE 1.6.0_01. I've accessed about a dozen XMarks pages without one error. I would have normally seen at least a 50% error rate. I'll test for a while and update next week about whether or not the Sun java resolves my problem of displaying incorrect images.

Abax

[James MacMillan]

I log on and post from several different machines and operating systems. Of the windoze machines, Win 2000 is, by far the most stable. I don't have any Vista machines yet, and will still wait for service pack two, and even then for a few months later.

The most stable and most accurate of all my platforms, here in the house, at Lodge and at the Shrine, is Ubuntu.

Linux is the way to go. Sure the learning curve is steep........but......?

[Mike1]

This old dog would really like to learn Linux, but being an old dog...

[James MacMillan]

This old dog would really like to learn Linux, but being an old dog...

Ubuntu in a free version of linux and they will send you a cd, which you can try out, with out changing anything on your machine.

Take the leap!

Visit:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

[ardchoille]

This old dog would really like to learn Linux, but being an old dog...

Bah, I've got you beat. I'm 44 years old, impatient, and extremely picky. Linux is as easy or as difficult as you make it.. all you need is the willingness to learn something new.

[James MacMillan]

Bah, I've got you beat. I'm 44 years old, impatient, and extremely picky. Linux is as easy or as difficult as you make it.. all you need is the willingness to learn something new.

Now guys - I'm sixtyone - I made the switch!