View Full Version : PPRuNe appears as text only
remoak
4th Feb 2009, 03:50
Hi folks,
Wondering if anyone might know what causes this.
All my computers route through a Belkin N1 wireless router. My main PC, which is connected to the router via a cable, can see any and all web content with no issues.
My laptop uses a wireless connection, and sees most websites fine, but with some - including PPRuNe -takes an age (well, a few minutes), and when it does eventually display, it is a text-only version with no eye candy at all.
Laptop is a near-new Vaio PCG-6S7P (also known as a VGN-SZ58), Core 2 Duo, 2 Gb RAM etc etc. Running Firefox (latest version with all the updates and relevant plug-ins) on Vista.
The same lappy sees PPRuNe fine on other wi-fi connections.
Anyone have any ideas?
Something glitched in the wireless router, by the sound of it. Turn it off and on again. If it works, shrug and move on.
remoak
4th Feb 2009, 09:10
That was the first thing I tried. Didn't work...
I'm wondering if it is a DNS issue...
Saab Dastard
4th Feb 2009, 11:46
I'm wondering if it is a DNS issue...
No - just to prove it, ping www.pprune.org and if you get a response with the IP address resolved that proves that DNS is fine.
More likely a browser cache problem. Flush the cache, clear the cookies.
Then try a different browser. Presumably IE7 is still there?
SD
remoak
5th Feb 2009, 02:32
Hi, and thanks for that. Did all those things, no difference, problem the same with IE7.
As I said, it works fine using other wi-fi points, and works fine over a cable connection to the router.
PPRuNe Pop
5th Feb 2009, 08:56
I have noticed this a couple of times this past week and I have also noticed that the site is slow now and again.
I would guess that some maintenance is being done and we get these problems.
As someone suggested, close PPRuNe and start again - that seemed to work for me anyway.
remoak
5th Feb 2009, 10:55
No can't be that as if my laptop doesn't load PPRuNE, I go straight to my desktop PC and summon PPRuNe, it loads fine with all bells and whistles intact.
With the laptop and the wi-fi connection, PPRuNe NEVER loads the graphical version, whereas my desktop PC ALWAYS loads the graphical version.
It has to be an issue with the way the lappy talks to the internet via the wi-fi connection.
The reason I mentioned DNS earlier, is that I found that in order to get a wi-fi connection at all, I had to specify different DNS servers to those used by my broadband connection. This was after over an hour going through it with the Belkin call centre in Mumbai. In other words, my desktop PC uses one pair of DNS servers, and the laptop another pair.I can only assume that this is a router thing, but my knowledge of networking just doesn't have enough depth to explain why.
Saab Dastard
5th Feb 2009, 12:19
Do the different DNS servers resolve the name to the same IP address?
To be told to use a different DNS server to that of your broadband provider by Belkin suggests a tacit admission that their product is seriously flawed - at least in the combination of Belkin router, Vista - and Windows firewall, if running.
What OS is the desktop?
SD
Different DNS servers? That sounds very odd. Either the router should handle the DNS, or it should point all the PCs at your ISP's DNS server.
Mind you, I had nothing but trouble with Belkin kit, and in the end I gave up on it. I've not had many problems since.
WhatsThatNoise
5th Feb 2009, 21:06
Saab Dastard
What do you use to set up the web pages?
I only ask as I have the same problems at work. We are heavily restricted by IT on what we can or can not view.
Therefore PPRune shows up as text with non of the fancy boxes.:confused:
Saab Dastard
5th Feb 2009, 21:47
The site runs on Jelsoft's VBulletin software.
Right click anywhere and select "View Page Source". Enjoy! :}
HTML, Web design and coding, javascript etc. isn't my thing - I'm just the moderator on here!
SD
remoak
7th Feb 2009, 03:07
Do the different DNS servers resolve the name to the same IP address?
Yes.
Desktop is XP Pro SP3.
Now wondering if the router is blocking the images for some reason.
It isn't just PPRuNe, I can't get other sites too... for example I can't get the adobe website to show up either, and that isn't exactly an insignificant site!
jimtherev
7th Feb 2009, 10:03
Just a thought... no-one has mentioned firewalls yet. Is it worth looking to see if some restriction has been imposed by the Belkin on the MAC of the lappy?
remoak
7th Feb 2009, 10:15
I'm going to start digging around in the router config... however I have certainly not restricted the lappy MAC, and if a general restriction was in place, the desktop PC wouldn't work properly either.
The lappy works fine when connected to the router via a cable, just not via wireless.
I did think that maybe Belkin was just crap, but I have had the same problem (in another part of the world) with a Netgear router... so...
I find it astonishing that after so many revisions to Windows (from 3.0, which is what I started with), they still haven't managed to make networking a relatively simple and bulletproof task. just try getting XP to talk to Vista properly...