Topic: Timeout error when posting

[ChalkCat]

A couple of days ago my co-admin pointed out that she is frequently receiving the error message "Your request timed out.  Please retry the request" when she tries to submit a post.  I posted on another thread

My co-admin is having the same error message nearly every time she posts.  She's using Chrome.  I'm with GoDaddy for my hosting, but mine is a closed forum of 4 members including myself and my co-admin, so overcrowding on the host cannot be the problem.

Interesting that Vlada87 comments on it being the Chrome users.... sounds like a Chrome issue to me....

then realised that the topic I posted on is marked as solved so I figure I'm more likely to get a response by starting a new thread.

Now the issue has escalated as I have started getting the same error when I try to post from my iPhone!  Of course my iPhone is using Safari, my co-admin is on Chrome, but I haven't seen the error once on my Firefox!

As I said in my other post, my forum was created only three weeks ago and has only four members including the two admins.  We are closed to guests and registration is disabled, which is exactly how we want it for the time being.  So why are we seeing this timeout error in certain browsers?

Please help, thanks

[K@]

Do you have access to your site's php.ini file?

If so, you can edit the max_execution_time.

The default is 30. Try increasing that to 60.

If not, you'll have to get your host to do it, for you.

[ChalkCat]

Thanks K@, I do and have just made the change you suggested.  I'll let you know if it works

[K@]

[ChalkCat]

No, no coconut I'm afraid     We're both still getting the error, and again even after I upped it to 90 with:

max_execution_time = 90
max_input_time = 120

My co-admin has noticed that the likelihood of her getting this error message increases the longer she spends composing her post, which seems odd.  Surely the script isn't running the whole time she's writing?  As for my iPhone, I just get the error with most posts regardless.

Have you any other suggestions?

[Roph]

Is that the exact error, word for word?

It's not a standard error from PHP or SMF, or even from Apache to my knowledge. When googling it, a lot of godaddy results come up. If you're hosting with godaddy, there is your problem. Godaddy massively oversells their hosting, which means they sell more resources than are actually available. You should begin looking for another host.

[ChalkCat]

Is that the exact error, word for word?

It's not a standard error from PHP or SMF, or even from Apache to my knowledge. When googling it, a lot of godaddy results come up. If you're hosting with godaddy, there is your problem. Godaddy massively oversells their hosting, which means they sell more resources than are actually available. You should begin looking for another host.

Yes that's the exact wording of the error on Chrome (I think my iPhone gives something slightly different, will make a note next time I see it, typically I now can't trigger the damn thing...), yes I'm with a subsidiary of GoDaddy and damn they've just sold me a hosting plan for two years paid up front    But if it's the host then why does it only seem to be certain browsers?  I have made nearly double the posts my co-admin has made and I haven't seen the error once on Firefox....

[K@]

Trouble is, I get that exact-same error, when I post here, using Opera.

We've never been able to figure-out why, either.

If it's happening to one browser, with one person, I have to suspect the browser settings.

I never use Chrome, myself, coz it seems like a toy, to me.

[ChalkCat]

I can't be doing with Chrome either, but she's found that it's the only browser that doesn't crash her computer....  I'm at least taking comfort from the knowledge that you get the same unexplained error too K@

Thank you both for your help, if anything occurs to you please let me know, but in the meantime it looks as though she will just have to accept it - at least when she hits the back button her text is still there so she just has to resubmit, but it's very odd...

[K@]

Yeah, it is. It's had us scratching our heads, here, too.

The only other things I can suggest are that you adjust the cookie length setting, in Admin>Server settings>Cookies and Sessions.

In the same place, you'll see:

Enable local storage of cookies
(SSI won't work well with this on.)
 
Use subdomain independent cookies
(turn off local cookies first!)

One will be checked and the other won't be. You could try swapping those over.

Also, there's "Use database driven sessions", which you could, again, switch over, and "Seconds before an unused session timeout". You could always try increasing that.

Bit of a minefield, I'm afraid.

By the way, if the Chrome user wants a version that doesn't spread their private details all over the net, let them see this:

http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php

[ChalkCat]

Thanks, I've passed on the link

I increased the session timeout when she first told me about the error so that's already quite high, but looking in my server settings, I found something of interest.  You said:

Enable local storage of cookies
(SSI won't work well with this on.)
 
Use subdomain independent cookies
(turn off local cookies first!)

One will be checked and the other won't be.

I have neither of them checked so the first thing I've done is to check one.    I shall keep playing around with all of it to see whether I can have any effect.

Thanks again

[K@]

Pleasure!

For what it's worth, I have "Enable local storage of cookies" checked and it works fine.

But, then, I don't use SSI.

[ChalkCat]

SSI?  I shall have to google it 

[K@]

I had to, too!

It's a programming language that SMF can utililise.

[ChalkCat]

Thanks, I wondered what it was...

My co-admin and I have just tried every permutation of the things you suggested and she's still getting the same error 

[K@]

I really have to suspect that there's something wrong with her browser, or her computer.

Has she tried a PROPER BROWSER?

If it works, for her, using that, we'll have to suspect that Chrome is the pile of poo that I consider it to be.

[ChalkCat]

I already suggested she try Opera - I'll mention it again   Just found out today that my other two members are both getting the same error    One is also on Chrome but the other is using IE!  That Chrome user is now experimenting with different browsers which may be interesting.  But that means that I am the only one without the problem!!  Good old Firefox   It really isn't acceptable for a forum though

I phoned my hosting people this afternoon, and the guy not only told me that it isn't their fault and there's nothing he can do to help - he also recommended that I ditch SMF and switch to BB Board instead!!!  I pointed out that SMF was available as a one-click install on their hosting system whereas BB Board is not.  Morons....

[Eudemon]

hmm.. check mod_security?

[ChalkCat]

Ooh I haven't heard of that.... Please can you be more specific?  What is it, where is it and what am I checking for?

[Eudemon]

what kind of host do you use
if it is a shared host it is likely to have a mod_security placed by your host
you should ask your host to disable it if you have one