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Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

mal0z
Grafter
Posts: 3,486
Registered: ‎02-10-2008

Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Over the last few days and especially the last 24 hours - I and a few others have noticed Plusnet's server getting rather sluggish and sometimes browser just reports network timeout - either here on community or Plusnet usergroups.
Meanwhile access to external sites is just fine
So can someone is Plusnet Towers in Sheffield give the servers a good kicking please.
Mal
9 REPLIES 9
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Well I down here in the South have had time out and funnies with a lot in the last week.
SWMBO uses the Weight Watcher site, - time outs
Google maps not displaying, but Mashups with google maps were
Several othe sites had time outs
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Thinjk this has been raised in the usergroup and siggestion was to add one of the OpenDNS IPs as a secondary and to explicitly put the DNS IPs into the router config and TCP/IP settings.
I apologise sincerely if I'm speaking out of turn but I get the feeling that this problem is way down on their list of priorities and is caused by overworked DNS boxes (it seems to present itself at peak time)  so wont be looked at anytime soon.
The trouble with OpenDNS is if it routes the request to a US DNS node it will block you from things such as iPlayer.
The OpenDNS site is http://www.opendns.com
avalon
Grafter
Posts: 361
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Quote from: techguy
The trouble with OpenDNS is if it routes the request to a US DNS node it will block you from things such as iPlayer.

Well you learn something new everyday.  I thought things like iPlayer checked your location using your IP address and the ISP it was assigned to in the RIPE database, not where you did your DNS lookups. Huh
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Correction, this is what I believe to be happening as I tried using OpenDNS as my primary and secondary DNS for a while and kept getting told that the content could not be served to me due to the fact I was outside the UK!

I recently found this nugget of info which makes me think that what I suspected may indeed be true.
http://support.bbc.co.uk/support/peering/

If a lookup is performed on one of the servers stateside then the prefixes prosented to for example the Equinix Ashburn Virginia facility differ to what is presented to linx and so if this IP is returned then the user will be blocked.

I'd really like PN to look into the DNS issues and maybe upgrade the hosts that support it  as the symptoms seem to indicate that the servers are strained at times.
So if any of the comms team or network ops bods are reading this, please take a look.
I like to leave the DNS IP's dynamically assigned so that if there is some emergency maintainence the router will re-acquire them automatically


Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Quote
I'd really like PN to look into the DNS issues and maybe upgrade the hosts that support it  as the symptoms seem to indicate that the servers are strained at times.

It has been raised internally but we can't find any obvious issues, the graphs look normal with no excess load and monitoring isn't showing anything on there. We'll keep digging and see if anything appears.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Cheers Chris
I come across the sorts of problems with no obvious cause every so often so I do appreciate how hard it can be.
OpenDNS is fine apart from the issue that I mentioned above but their support is dire (tried to get into a section of their site about using it with a mobile and it got stuck in a redirect loop in both FF and IE, mailed them and told them in detail what I'd tried to do to sort the problem and all I got was a stock reponse referring me to the very part of the site I was having trouble with!) so quite frankly I'd rather use PN's cache than some that do it for a hobby.
If I can help with any data from the client side, let me know what you need and I'll happily dig it out.

Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

I've just been told there was some auth DNS query spiking from the 30th until this morning. It's settled down now and is being monitored by our networks team, so it could be related.
*update*
Just had a message from one of the networks guys looking into this, there was a rogue bind process running on the servers. It didn't show any errors during testing but he's killed it now anyway.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
techguy
Grafter
Posts: 2,540
Registered: ‎12-09-2008

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

*techguy ponders whether he is psychic regarding server problems.  Grin
Glad to hear that its been found

Thanks for keeping on this Chris, much appreciated

Now I better get back to work
mal0z
Grafter
Posts: 3,486
Registered: ‎02-10-2008

Re: Plusnet's server getting sluggish ?

Thanks Chris,