Problems Accessing guildwars.com - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

03 Apr 2005 at 16:52 - 1

Am I the only one who has been having trouble trying to navigate www.guildwars.com recently? For the past month or couple of months, whenever I try to access any of the pages, all of the graphics in particular load extremely slowly. It's taking probably 2-4 minutes for a page to load completely. Sometimes pages that I've already taken the time to load come up quickly, but sometimes it seems like they download themselves all over again.

I'm also having problems downloading the videos from the video section. The kingdom of ascalon videos will download fine but the other ones won't even start. I think it may have something to do with fact that the links that aren't working start with "ftp" instead of "http" but I don't know much about ftp or what that implies is wrong with my computer/settings.

I have not had any problems at all with any other websites except for guildwars.com. I'm using Firefox 1.0.2 with a dsl connection.

DarkWasp

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2005

Paradise

Agency Of Forbidden Fruits [Oot]

R/A

03 Apr 2005 at 16:59 - 2

I had that problem, but then it happened with every site. It was BellSouth's fault, the servers were going crazy on them.

bobert

Core Guru

Join Date: Feb 2005

TX

R/Me

03 Apr 2005 at 18:20 - 3

guildwars.com loads in about .5 seconds for me

March Hare

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

Wonderland

Knights of Ascalon

W/Me

03 Apr 2005 at 18:34 - 4

It could be FireFox... Double cheack that you are running the current version, if not try Maxthon, I've benn running that without to many problems (other than multipopup sites that open Explorer - THE BANE OF MY SURFING EXISTANCE

)

See if that helps

Kirbie

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2005

03 Apr 2005 at 18:43 - 5

im having similar problem too
either with IE or Firefox, guildwars website loads "slightly slower" than other websites. (if cache is all cleared..so that everything has to load. if cache is not cleared, then page loads faster, since some informations are stored in your computer for faster viewing.)

but for downloading video stuff...it works fine for me

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

03 Apr 2005 at 18:47 - 6

it takes me about 4-5 seconds before it has loaded everything and after that anything else on the site menu is a blink and it is there

Nascent

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2005

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The Shi Mai

03 Apr 2005 at 19:01 - 7

I've actually recently noticed that I'm having the exact same issue, but not with the guildwars site. For me, its the EB Games website.

FireMarshal

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2005

The District Nudists

03 Apr 2005 at 19:43 - 8

I have slow loading times on www.guildwars.com too.

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet

Join Date: Feb 2005

04 Apr 2005 at 01:44 - 9

Hmmmm... Interesting that this seems to be scattered. I'm trying to think of variables, and surely the browser that you use, and the version number, are relevant. During one of our events, the entire state of Arizona had difficulties due to their preponderant ISP taking a dive, but if you've had this problem for a number of weeks, it probably isn't ISP related.

Unless...

My ISP has a tendency to try to "strangle" it's customers for every last drop of bandwidth. Their technician admitted it to me. They start you out with good service and, say, a supply pipe that is more than adequate. But as more people come on board, they try to stretch that supply over the growing number of customers, and eventually everyone is slowed to a crawl. I've had to have service at least three times, because as much as I use the computer, I notice when things change. Each time, they'd shamefacedly admitted I wasn't getting enough bandwidth, and they've done something to the routers or the booster stations or whatevers in order to improve my service.

If your problem is with more than simply www.guildwars.com, try asking your ISP about possible slowages in service for your area. If it's just www.guildwars.com, let me know if the problem improves by late this week. We're making some internal changes and that may improve your upload speed.

Thanks for the reports!

thaumaturge

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Mar 2005

Mo/Me

04 Apr 2005 at 02:26 - 10

Yes I noticed this mainly near the March BWE. I thought it was just excess traffic at the time, but it seems to happen off and on. It doesn't matter which browser I use the site can often load very very slowly. Even today it's slow for me.

Jugalator

Site Contributor

Join Date: Feb 2005

Sweden

The Amazon Basin [AB]

04 Apr 2005 at 03:04 - 11

My brother played yesterday during the BWE, and I was there and saw gw.com loading very slowly, same thing as reported with noticeable slowness on e.g. image loading. When I got home same evening, it was as speedy as usual. So I'm not sure if it's YOUR server getting overloaded. And besides, this recent scandinavian BWE is quite small compared to the others, and when I've been to gw.com on the larger BWE's, I haven't noticed anything special then either.

So to me it seems like routers on the path to gw.com occasionally getting crowded or going bad somehow... Maybe that's hitting entire networks "upstream" getting this slowness.

I don't think my brother is a victim of a "strangled" line; we're usually having just fine in-game download speeds from his house. (according to the GW loading screens)

FYI, my brother uses a DSL connection on swedish Telia, and I use a fiber connection on swedish Bredbandsbolaget. But it could be that he currently has no problem anymore...

Something that can help when diagnosing problems like these, is to use the command "tracert www.guildwars.com". It helps to show congested servers along the path to guildwars.com, and sometimes even in which geographic area they're situated. Unfortunately www.guildwars.com currently doesn't accept PING packets, maybe done by the web admins to minimize the risk of PING floods and such attacks. So this command doesn't work very well.

The site is loading quickly here and now anyway.

Davion

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

wherever the winds take me

R/Mo

04 Apr 2005 at 03:16 - 12

Sometimes I have this problem as well. HOWEVER, I know it is ISP related. My internet provider restricted the bandwidth that I receive to the point that I can nolonger dual access the net. (I run two computers, this one..and another one I use purely for working.) This has in turn impeded my work progress. I now have to run everything off this one computer because the ISP for my other nolonger will carry a sufficient signal for internet use.

Did I ask them about it? Yup.. Not there problem. The inhibitor was put in place to prevent "anyone" from gaining free cable TV access on my line. (assuming they meant me too). The only problem is...... I don't watch TV. Nor do I care for the oblivion channels on it. I watch the news, and maybe I see one or two shows on network a week.

And yes..... am still in a point of contention with my provider over this..but only alternative in my area is to return to dial-up access. Gotta love corporate Demographic Monopoly.

Kirbie

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2005

04 Apr 2005 at 04:39 - 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

If your problem is with more than simply www.guildwars.com, try asking your ISP about possible slowages in service for your area. If it's just www.guildwars.com, let me know if the problem improves by late this week. We're making some internal changes and that may improve your upload speed.

every other website loads very fast...except guildwars.com.(all cache cleared)
whether i use IE or firefox, when i enter guildwars websites, the page loads slow, especially all the pictures(like graphical box of news, gallery, faq, professions, etc, first letters of each news, and beta weekend events logo, etc).
ill let you know if i notice improvements.

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

04 Apr 2005 at 20:45 - 14

I just did a couple of complete refreshes on the home page and it took somewhere between 60 and 65 seconds each time for the page to load. By comparison, the 800mhz computer in school with download speeds of probably 1/3 or 1/4 my real computer loaded the page in about 5 seconds.

I don't know too much about my internet connection... What I do know is that the service is SBC Yahoo SpeedStream and it usually downloads at about 150kbps from average websites. I live in Trumbull, Connecticut which is probably a pretty popular place for DSL, but if my normal download speed on other sites is well over 100kbps, that can't be the problem, right?

I'll try checking back once or twice a day and report if anything improves.

Kityn

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2005

Michigan

Heroes of the Horn [HoH]

N/

04 Apr 2005 at 20:58 - 15

I have some ideas.Not sure if it is or not 100% accurate.Could be version of web browser maybe?I use IE 6.Sometimes the page will lock for about 10 or more seconds,but not a common occurance.If it's a computer at school,how many on the same network?Maybe spyware?Maybe need latest browser updates?Maybe need java updated?(I'm not sure if the site uses much of java).Maybe something else needs an update.I dunno.That's all that I can think of.BTW I have a 700mhz P3 so I don't think that is the prob.

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

04 Apr 2005 at 21:08 - 16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario 64 Master

I don't know too much about my internet connection... What I do know is that the service is SBC Yahoo SpeedStream and it usually downloads at about 150kbps from average websites. I live in Trumbull, Connecticut which is probably a pretty popular place for DSL, but if my normal download speed on other sites is well over 100kbps, that can't be the problem, right?

I'll try checking back once or twice a day and report if anything improves.

are you talking 150 kiloBITS/sec (kbs) or

150 kiloBYTES/sec

the first is 3-4 times dial up (56k)

the 2nd is about 24x dial up

a good site recommended by my dsl tech is

http://www.broadbandreports.com/spee...com/1086203887

to get an accurate idea of what you are really getting

my usual is above 2500 kps and big downloads are around 18 megabytes/min

tastegw

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2005

SoCal

E/

04 Apr 2005 at 21:20 - 17

the only problems i have been having is with guildwars.ogaming.com.
their site only attempts to load about 1/3 of the time i click on it. its really annoying to me, how can you run a fansite with thousands of memebers and have your servers running like bad all the time.

but i have noticed a small problem every so often when i click to get to this site.

sometimes it just dont load, so i reclick it in my "favorites" and it jumps right to it and the site is loaded in .3 sec or so. really odd.

but as far as guildwars.com, never had a problem loading that page. .5-1 sec every time.

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

04 Apr 2005 at 23:31 - 18

Your download speed : 1292734 bps, or 1262 kbps.
A 157.8 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 135455 bps, or 132 kbps.

I am talking about kilobytes...

bobert

Core Guru

Join Date: Feb 2005

TX

R/Me

04 Apr 2005 at 23:45 - 19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario 64 Master

Your download speed : 1292734 bps, or 1262 kbps.
A 157.8 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 135455 bps, or 132 kbps.

I am talking about kilobytes...

I don't think that is your test..lol that's Loviatar's speed results I believe. Because when I click the link he sent i get the exact same thing as you pasted.

anyways... mine is:

2005-04-04 19:43:08 EST: 1806 / 332
Your download speed : 1850111 bps, or 1806 kbps.
A 225.8 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 340164 bps, or 332 kbps.

try this link for the speed test.

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

04 Apr 2005 at 23:53 - 20

Doh.

Well here are my real results...
Your download speed : 683630 bps, or 667 kbps.
A 83.4 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 309307 bps, or 302 kbps.

Edit: This doesn't seem very accurate though, as I just tried the test again and now it's giving me a much lower result, only about 42 KB/sec. I don't know if it has to do with their server load as the test is working but it sure doesn't seem too sure of itself.

Edit: I've run a few more tests on various servers closer to me and the most common result seems to be in the 130-135 range.

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

04 Apr 2005 at 23:56 - 21

nope
edit

mine is almost 4 times that (300-320 KB/sec)

do it a few times to get an average

over time it is very consistant

and it is the one sbc uses

DarkWasp

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2005

Paradise

Agency Of Forbidden Fruits [Oot]

R/A

05 Apr 2005 at 00:52 - 22

I think its how the website is built.

spiritofcat

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2005

Sydney, Australia

Order of the Sanguine Dragon [OSD]

E/Mo

05 Apr 2005 at 02:32 - 23

I had trouble downloading from ftp links in firefox, so I opened iexplore for that instead, though getright worked fine too. I think firefox doesn't have ftp capabilities built in properly.

static deathbringer

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

Ft Lauderdale florida, its hot here :(

The Harpers

W/Mo

05 Apr 2005 at 04:34 - 24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

Hmmmm... Interesting that this seems to be scattered. I'm trying to think of variables, and surely the browser that you use, and the version number, are relevant. During one of our events, the entire state of Arizona had difficulties due to their preponderant ISP taking a dive, but if you've had this problem for a number of weeks, it probably isn't ISP related.

Unless...

My ISP has a tendency to try to "strangle" it's customers for every last drop of bandwidth. Their technician admitted it to me. They start you out with good service and, say, a supply pipe that is more than adequate. But as more people come on board, they try to stretch that supply over the growing number of customers, and eventually everyone is slowed to a crawl. I've had to have service at least three times, because as much as I use the computer, I notice when things change. Each time, they'd shamefacedly admitted I wasn't getting enough bandwidth, and they've done something to the routers or the booster stations or whatevers in order to improve my service.

If your problem is with more than simply www.guildwars.com, try asking your ISP about possible slowages in service for your area. If it's just www.guildwars.com, let me know if the problem improves by late this week. We're making some internal changes and that may improve your upload speed.

Thanks for the reports!

ive hada problem loading only that page since i first heard of the game, it loads witihn 2-4 minutes per page, but every other site loads in .5 secs

*edit* if i try and ping the site from a command prompt i get 50-100% packet loss, again only to that site

Virtuoso

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2005

05 Apr 2005 at 05:13 - 25

I have noticed that the Guild Wars website loads a little slow. I think it's the way they have the menus setup. This problem is also magnified if I try to connect from work on a Mac with an old version of IE or Safari.

-Virt

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

07 Apr 2005 at 02:29 - 26

Well I like the new site layout, it looks pretty nice... but it still didn't fix my problem. The graphics of the new page loaded a little faster, like in maybe 40 instead of 60 seconds, but I can tell there's still something wrong. This is happeneing to me in both Mozilla 1.0.2 and IE 6. I still can't download those ftp links in either of them. When I click them either nothing happens, or the download window opens but it doesn't start transferring information.

I'm thinking maybe it has to be either internet settings or some sort of personal security settings (at least for the ftp part), I just don't know what's up.

static deathbringer

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

Ft Lauderdale florida, its hot here :(

The Harpers

W/Mo

07 Apr 2005 at 02:38 - 27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario 64 Master

Well I like the new site layout, it looks pretty nice... but it still didn't fix my problem. The graphics of the new page loaded a little faster, like in maybe 40 instead of 60 seconds, but I can tell there's still something wrong. This is happeneing to me in both Mozilla 1.0.2 and IE 6. I still can't download those ftp links in either of them. When I click them either nothing happens, or the download window opens but it doesn't start transferring information.

I'm thinking maybe it has to be either internet settings or some sort of personal security settings (at least for the ftp part), I just don't know what's up.

check your security setting on IE if its at medium high or high lower it to medium and also select to recieve cookies if its turned off, this should fix the problem

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

07 Apr 2005 at 02:45 - 28

Nice idea, but my settings were already on medium with all cookies accepted. Even after setting it temporarily to "low" and then restarting IE, I still get the same problem.

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet

Join Date: Feb 2005

07 Apr 2005 at 02:49 - 29

Definitely this isn't a matter of accepting cookies. We avoid them like the plague! (Well, the non-baked kind, anyway.

)

I am intrigued by the situation, but unable really to figure out what the solution might be. If we continue to get reports, I might start asking about collecting more information in an attempt to resolve the issue.

There was some major router work done on the servers today, but I'm not sure if that will affect the website. I rather suspect it will not. Maybe we can remain hopeful that they'll roll out new routers for the website and we'll soon have lightning-fast downloads for all.

Xellos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2005

No Idea

07 Apr 2005 at 02:51 - 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaile Gray

Hmmmm... Interesting that this seems to be scattered. I'm trying to think of variables, and surely the browser that you use, and the version number, are relevant. During one of our events, the entire state of Arizona had difficulties due to their preponderant ISP taking a dive, but if you've had this problem for a number of weeks, it probably isn't ISP related.

Unless...

My ISP has a tendency to try to "strangle" it's customers for every last drop of bandwidth. Their technician admitted it to me. They start you out with good service and, say, a supply pipe that is more than adequate. But as more people come on board, they try to stretch that supply over the growing number of customers, and eventually everyone is slowed to a crawl. I've had to have service at least three times, because as much as I use the computer, I notice when things change. Each time, they'd shamefacedly admitted I wasn't getting enough bandwidth, and they've done something to the routers or the booster stations or whatevers in order to improve my service.

If your problem is with more than simply www.guildwars.com, try asking your ISP about possible slowages in service for your area. If it's just www.guildwars.com, let me know if the problem improves by late this week. We're making some internal changes and that may improve your upload speed.

Thanks for the reports!

And which company was that? Because mine just flat out denies it

static deathbringer

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

Ft Lauderdale florida, its hot here :(

The Harpers

W/Mo

07 Apr 2005 at 03:01 - 31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mario 64 Master

Nice idea, but my settings were already on medium with all cookies accepted. Even after setting it temporarily to "low" and then restarting IE, I still get the same problem.

ok this is gonna be complicated and i dont know how technically adept you are so here it goes

first go to your start menu and click run.
in the run box type cmd and hit enter.
a command prompt should appear.
in the command prompt type ipconfig.
it should provide you with your ip address
now what you need to do is type ping *your ip address here*
if your conection between your computer and your modem is optimal your should recieve 4 packets with no losses.
if not its a problem either sending info from your modem to your comp or vice-versa. if there is no problem onto the next step!!

next type ping www.guildwars.com

the same thing should happen as above, but if you get the message procedure time out more than 4 times theres a problem
if you get no loss then contact your provider.

if you get a loss try ping www.abc.com
and see what happens, try this with a few websites you know to be reliable, if the only time it happens that you lose packets is with guildwars.com then its a problem on there side not yours

hope this helps you out and feel free to PM me for further help

Lansing Kai Don

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2005

Kansas

07 Apr 2005 at 04:02 - 32

Mario 64 Master, may I ask what OS you are using? Just getting an idea of the problem first. Also, have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling your browsers?
I understand if you don't want to do that (I don't think it will help... but you never know). Also, this one is kind of important, I need to know any processes that are holding resources on your computer and system monitoring programs. Basically an image of the task manager will suffice. This will make things go alot quicker... if you don't want to do that please at least give me system monitoring programs (like temperature, anti-virus, spyware detection, etc...)

Lansing Kai Don

P.S. Static Deathbringer, someone already mentioned that guildwars don't acknowledge ping responses. You will get a request timed out, or should rather if you try to ping. And I doubt the problem is his connection, due to every other site is working. It seems to be software related (not the IC, not his router/setup) those can be ruled out under the premise of "every" other site works... so it is guildwars.com that does not. Software.

Mario 64 Master

wats going on

Join Date: Jan 2005

Trumbull, Connecticut

Nuclear Launch Detected [Nu]

W/Mo

10 Apr 2005 at 17:27 - 33

A little update... I've been talking to Lansing Kai Don over PMs and I showed him a list of all the processes my system is running. He gave me a list of all the non-critical processes to close and I did that. Once I closed everything and then restarted my internet connection and restarted firefox, the site works fine. Everything loads at normal speed and even the ftp links to the videos work. Now I think the next step is to figure out which one of those processes is causing the problem...

EDIT: We pretty much solved the problem of not being able to access any of the ftp videos. My computer came with a 90 day trial of Mcafee and I used it until it expired, when I downloaded AGV antivirus instead. Well, I never actually bothered to uninstall Mcafee and apparently it was still opening up Mcshield.exe when I turned on my computer which was giving me some problems... With everything Mcafee completely uninstalled, the ftp works fine.

Still working on the slow loading though. Lansing thinks it might have something to do with AOL which I never use but is also installed on my computer.