cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

watton
Grafter
Posts: 36
Registered: ‎10-01-2008

Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

For several years I have run a website for my dog club on my free webspace. http://www.watton.free-online.co.uk  The site currently uses 52MB of my 100MB free space. The site has been built up over the last few years using NetObjects Fusion, which came free on a magazine coverdisc.  This program creates all the html for me and has its own built-in FTP client.  I just design the pages like in a DTP program and then click on [Publish] and it should just happen.
I upload the files to htdocs at homepages.free-online.net. Originally the site uploaded with no problems, individual pages in seconds, a complete update taking several minutes. For several months now I have had problems updating the website.  Pages start to upload and I can see the packet numbers sent on my network steadily increasing.  Then everything seems to slow right down and stopl.  After a delay of several minutes with nothing happening I get an error report from Fusion saying xx files failed to upload. When I view the site some aspects (buttons, banners etc) are incomplete or updates have not taken effect.  Some uploads attempts are better/faster than others, but time of day makes little difference, even after midnight.
I had been having some other PC problems but following a format & reinstall of Windows XP Home and all programs the PC is now OK.  I also had slow broadband but that has been cured with help from this forum by isolating cr*p old DIY telephone wiring.  Current BT speedtest gives DSL connection 5632Kbps downstream, 448Kbps upstream. IP profile for line 4500Kbps, and actual download throughput 4068Kbps.  Modem shows Noise Margin 26dB up, 15dB down; Attenuation 11dB up, 23dB down and I'm just over 1Km from the exchange.
I have tried 'local publish' of the files to my hard disk and then uploading them using free Coffee Cup FTP program, but that too seems to have problems and stops.
Can anyone offer any help or suggestions? 
John
5 REPLIES 5
samuria
Grafter
Posts: 1,581
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-04-2007

Re: Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

First thing is to make sure you are doing nothing else on the internet if you doing  a heavy download it has to send information up as well so cuts you upload bandwidth. Check for Av and auto updates first.
Make sure your clock is set right sometimes it wont copy if your file is earlier than the one on the net which happens if the clocks are wrong.
Copy one file at a time if its playing up.
It may help to delete the file on the server first before upload (there is a risk with this of coarse if you dont get the upload done) it may have problems updating  the file.
Ensure the problem isnt with AV or the firewall check your software is let passed ok.
What mode are you using to upload
watton
Grafter
Posts: 36
Registered: ‎10-01-2008

Re: Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

I'm not doing anything else on the internet at the time.  Activity on the wireless network shows packets being sent & received until upload stops.  Similarly the Zone Alarm icon in the notification area shows significant upload activity and minimal download activity. Task manager shows less than 1% utilisation of 56Mb/s wireless network, which drops to virtually zero when upload stops.  No other users are on the network, which is WAP secured.
Computer clock is set correctly to within a few seconds, so file creation times shouldn't be a problem.
 
Publishing one page of the website at a time sometimes seems to work, but usually there are still errors reported and I have to retry several times.  The pattern seems to be that some data uploads then everything stops.  The site has over 50 pages and sometimes to maintain the navigation buttons etc I do need to upload the entire site.
I'm not very knowledgeable about FTP because in the past Fusion has automatically dealt with everything, but I think I have tried deleting files from the server before uploading again.  However the website is working and I don't want to risk losing pages.
I'm using the free version of Zone Alarm firewall and both Fusion and the Coffee Cup FTP are marked to allow internet access.  In any case some files do upload, which surely they wouldn't if a firewall was blocking the connection? 
I use AVG free antivirus - not sure how that would affect FTP upload - AVG is not doing a scheduled scan when I'm uploading.
Quote from: samuria
What mode are you using to upload

I don't understand what this means, but looking through the advanced settings in Fusion I see that the Server Port is 21 and there is a tick in a box next to 'Connect passive mode'.
John
samuria
Grafter
Posts: 1,581
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-04-2007

Re: Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

You didnt say you were on wireless there in lies the problem can you try it via a network cable? If you do I bet it will work. Its my guess someone has bought a wireless router near you or there is noise in the area and the time out is the wireless having to keep sending the files over as there is to much noise.
Download netstumbler from
http://www.netstumbler.com/
and see if there is anyone near you on the same channel if so change your channel
watton
Grafter
Posts: 36
Registered: ‎10-01-2008

Re: Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

I know i am surrounded by other wireless networks, but all are on different channels (I am on Ch6).  Have now switched  to a network cable.  Uploads seems a bit better but some files are still failing to upload.  Just before I switched from wireless there was a short period when everything worked beautifully and individual pages flew up the line in seconds, so I know it can work sometimes.  I'm happy that the broadband connection is OK - in fact the stats were so good that BT have just today increased my IP profile to 5500, although of course the upload connection remains at 448 Kbps.
Am I correct in assuming that my problems are unlikely to be caused by PlusNet's server?  I can understand that it may be busy at peak periods but I even have problems in the early hours of the morning when most sensible people are in bed.
To be honest I'm still not sure whether the problem is the upload speed/quality causing timeouts or whether there is something in either the site design, or the Net Objects Fusion program that is causing a problem. These WYSIWYG programs are ideal for people like me with no html knowledge but you can never be sure exactly what the program is doing in the background.  I suspect that with many changes to the site over the last few years there could be some unnecessary rubbish buried in the code.  The site design is starting to look a bit dated and the long term answer is probably to start again and redesign the site from scratch based on a fresher style.
John
dvorak
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29,471
Thanks: 6,622
Fixes: 1,482
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Problems uploading to my FreeOnline webspace - Any advice?

I have had similar issues with FTP clients and found that FileZilla (http://filezilla-project.org/) to be the best, it's open source and free to use.
Customer / Moderator
If it helped click the thumb
If it fixed it click 'This fixed my problem'