Adverts and extreme slowness

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Surfing PH is becoming so slow to the point at which i'm going to give up unless I can reslove the problem.

Every single time I click on a link or page it takes about 30 seconds to load up on my pc.

It seems to be something to do with the adverts, becasue in the bottom box on my browser on the bit which says 'Opening page' the text is stalled on something like http://ad.doubleclick.uk etc...

It's driving me nuts. Is it my pc or the website? No other website is doing it.

Running windows xp with IE7.

TIA

[Mr Will]

It sounds like it is one specific advert which is causing this.

If you can spot which one then let me know and I will get it pulled until it is fixed.

[Mars]

I've had the same problem and fixed it by editing my hosts file to include the following line:

127.0.0.1 ad.uk.doubleclick.net

This fools your computer into thinking that everytime it gets asked to display anything from ad.uk.doubleclick.net, it will find it on your local machine. When it cannot find it (because it's not there) it'll simply give up.

After adding this (and loads of other ad sites I found) my page loads instantly again.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Will - it happens every single page, which leads me to believe it may be my pc rather than a specific ad on your site.

Mars - being a dunce, how do I do what you've just said?

Thanks.

[Mars]

It's not related to your PC, it's related to the advert servers being extremely slow. I've read about it being reported on other sites too, and I've suffered with eBay slowness, always related to the adverts loading.

To edit your hosts file, go into:

Windows/System32/Drivers/etc

Your hosts file is in there, double click on it, then when it asks you to select an editor, select NOTEPAD from the list. Then simply paste the following into your hosts file underneath the localhosts line, and close/save. No need to reboot.

NOTE: To get the spacing right when you COPY, you should QUOTE my post first.

127.0.0.1 ad.uk.doubleclick.net

If you want "protection" against a load more advert sites, paste the following in too.

127.0.0.1 207-87-18-203.wsmg.digex.net
127.0.0.1 Garden.ngadcenter.net
127.0.0.1 Ogilvy.ngadcenter.net
127.0.0.1 ResponseMedia-ad.flycast.com
127.0.0.1 Suissa-ad.flycast.com
127.0.0.1 UGO.eu-adcenter.net
127.0.0.1 VNU.eu-adcenter.net
127.0.0.1 a32.g.a.yimg.com
127.0.0.1 ad-adex3.flycast.com
127.0.0.1 ad.adsmart.net
127.0.0.1 ad.ca.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.de.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.fr.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.jp.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.linkexchange.com
127.0.0.1 ad.linksynergy.com
127.0.0.1 ad.nl.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.no.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.preferences.com
127.0.0.1 ad.sma.punto.net
127.0.0.1 ad.webprovider.com
127.0.0.1 ad08.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 adcontroller.unicast.com
127.0.0.1 adcreatives.imaginemedia.com
127.0.0.1 adex3.flycast.com
127.0.0.1 adforce.ads.imgis.com
127.0.0.1 adforce.imgis.com
127.0.0.1 adfu.blockstackers.com
127.0.0.1 adimage.blm.net
127.0.0.1 adimages.earthweb.com
127.0.0.1 adimg.egroups.com
127.0.0.1 admedia.xoom.com
127.0.0.1 adpick.switchboard.com
127.0.0.1 adremote.pathfinder.com
127.0.0.1 ads.admaximize.com
127.0.0.1 ads.bfast.com
127.0.0.1 ads.clickhouse.com
127.0.0.1 ads.enliven.com
127.0.0.1 ads.fairfax.com.au
127.0.0.1 ads.fool.com
127.0.0.1 ads.freshmeat.net
127.0.0.1 ads.hollywood.com
127.0.0.1 ads.i33.com
127.0.0.1 ads.infi.net
127.0.0.1 ads.jwtt3.com
127.0.0.1 ads.link4ads.com
127.0.0.1 ads.lycos.com
127.0.0.1 ads.madison.com
127.0.0.1 ads.mediaodyssey.com
127.0.0.1 ads.msn.com
127.0.0.1 ads.ninemsn.com.au
127.0.0.1 ads.seattletimes.com
127.0.0.1 ads.smartclicks.com
127.0.0.1 ads.smartclicks.net
127.0.0.1 ads.sptimes.com
127.0.0.1 ads.tripod.com
127.0.0.1 ads.web.aol.com
127.0.0.1 ads.x10.com
127.0.0.1 ads.xtra.co.nz
127.0.0.1 ads.zdnet.com
127.0.0.1 ads01.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads02.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads03.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads04.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads05.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads06.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads08.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads09.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads1.activeagent.at
127.0.0.1 ads10.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads11.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads12.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads14.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads16.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads17.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads18.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads19.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads2.zdnet.com
127.0.0.1 ads20.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads21.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads22.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads23.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads24.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads25.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ads3.zdnet.com
127.0.0.1 ads3.zdnet.com
127.0.0.1 ads5.gamecity.net
127.0.0.1 adserv.iafrica.com
127.0.0.1 adserv.quality-channel.de
127.0.0.1 adserver.dbusiness.com
127.0.0.1 adserver.garden.com
127.0.0.1 adserver.janes.com
127.0.0.1 adserver.merc.com
127.0.0.1 adserver.monster.com
127.0.0.1 adserver.track-star.com
127.0.0.1 adserver1.ogilvy-interactive.de
127.0.0.1 adtegrity.spinbox.net
127.0.0.1 antfarm-ad.flycast.com
127.0.0.1 au.ads.link4ads.com
127.0.0.1 banner.media-system.de
127.0.0.1 banner.orb.net
127.0.0.1 banner.relcom.ru
127.0.0.1 banners.easydns.com
127.0.0.1 banners.looksmart.com
127.0.0.1 banners.wunderground.com
127.0.0.1 barnesandnoble.bfast.com
127.0.0.1 beseenad.looksmart.com
127.0.0.1 bizad.nikkeibp.co.jp
127.0.0.1 bn.bfast.com
127.0.0.1 c3.xxxcounter.com
127.0.0.1 califia.imaginemedia.com
127.0.0.1 cds.mediaplex.com
127.0.0.1 click.avenuea.com
127.0.0.1 click.go2net.com
127.0.0.1 click.linksynergy.com
127.0.0.1 cookies.cmpnet.com
127.0.0.1 cornflakes.pathfinder.com
127.0.0.1 counter.hitbox.com
127.0.0.1 crux.songline.com
127.0.0.1 erie.smartage.com
127.0.0.1 etad.telegraph.co.uk
127.0.0.1 fp.valueclick.com
127.0.0.1 gadgeteer.pdamart.com
127.0.0.1 gm.preferences.com
127.0.0.1 gp.dejanews.com
127.0.0.1 hg1.hitbox.com
127.0.0.1 image.click2net.com
127.0.0.1 image.eimg.com
127.0.0.1 images2.nytimes.com
127.0.0.1 jobkeys.ngadcenter.net
127.0.0.1 kansas.valueclick.com
127.0.0.1 leader.linkexchange.com
127.0.0.1 liquidad.narrowcastmedia.com
127.0.0.1 ln.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 m.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 macaddictads.snv.futurenet.com
127.0.0.1 maximumpcads.imaginemedia.com
127.0.0.1 media.preferences.com
127.0.0.1 mercury.rmuk.co.uk
127.0.0.1 mojofarm.sjc.mediaplex.com
127.0.0.1 nbc.adbureau.net
127.0.0.1 newads.cmpnet.com
127.0.0.1 ng3.ads.warnerbros.com
127.0.0.1 ngads.smartage.com
127.0.0.1 nsads.hotwired.com
127.0.0.1 ntbanner.digitalriver.com
127.0.0.1 ph-ad05.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ph-ad07.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ph-ad16.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ph-ad17.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 ph-ad18.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 realads.realmedia.com
127.0.0.1 redherring.ngadcenter.net
127.0.0.1 redirect.click2net.com
127.0.0.1 regio.adlink.de
127.0.0.1 retaildirect.realmedia.com
127.0.0.1 s2.focalink.com
127.0.0.1 sh4sure-images.adbureau.net
127.0.0.1 spin.spinbox.net
127.0.0.1 static.admaximize.com
127.0.0.1 stats.superstats.com
127.0.0.1 sview.avenuea.com
127.0.0.1 thinknyc.eu-adcenter.net
127.0.0.1 tracker.clicktrade.com
127.0.0.1 tsms-ad.tsms.com
127.0.0.1 v0.extreme-dm.com
127.0.0.1 v1.extreme-dm.com
127.0.0.1 van.ads.link4ads.com
127.0.0.1 view.accendo.com
127.0.0.1 view.avenuea.com
127.0.0.1 w113.hitbox.com
127.0.0.1 w25.hitbox.com
127.0.0.1 web2.deja.com
127.0.0.1 webads.bizservers.com
127.0.0.1 www.PostMasterBannerNet.com
127.0.0.1 www.ad-up.com
127.0.0.1 www.admex.com
127.0.0.1 www.alladvantage.com
127.0.0.1 www.burstnet.com
127.0.0.1 www.commission-junction.com
127.0.0.1 www.eads.com
127.0.0.1 www.freestats.com
127.0.0.1 www.imaginemedia.com
127.0.0.1 www.netdirect.nl
127.0.0.1 www.oneandonlynetwork.com
127.0.0.1 www.targetshop.com
127.0.0.1 www.teknosurf2.com
127.0.0.1 www.teknosurf3.com
127.0.0.1 www.valueclick.com
127.0.0.1 www.websitefinancing.com
127.0.0.1 www2.burstnet.com
127.0.0.1 www4.trix.net
127.0.0.1 www80.valueclick.com
127.0.0.1 z.extreme-dm.com
127.0.0.1 z0.extreme-dm.com
127.0.0.1 z1.extreme-dm.com

Edited by Mars on Wednesday 8th October 10:22

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Awesome! Yeah baby! No more slowness. Mars, you're a star. Virtual drink

Thanks matey.

[Mr Will]

I wasn't here

[Mars]

Will, if you're referring to your having been ignored then I/we apologise but I cannot determine which advert it is. All we see is the majority of the page having loaded, then it stalls while the status bar at the bottom indicates what is being loaded next. In each case is is that damned doubleclick rubbish which is holding up things, and it can take up to a whole minute before control of IE is given back to me.

Surely, with the control at your fingertips, is it not enough info that we have already mentioned which server/service is to blame? Can you not determine which of your ads are causing this problem?

PH is definitely not the only victim though. Believing it might be a problem with my own PC I spent an hour surfing for a solution, and read about many other people's woes with this service on their forums. And I also had exactly the same problems with eBay.

At the end of the day, while any of these advert servers are being used, we are all at the mercy of their efficiency. At the very best, if they are running 100%, the response of a website linking to them will still be marginally compromised in the same way that pages linking to pictures on webshots always take longer to load because their servers are so bloody slow too.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

There's no stopping me now with my exciting new knowledge. I've managed to block the bigger ads in the text of threads now and everything. And on other sites too.

[diabolical laughter] Waahaahaaaaaaahaaaa [/diabolical laughter]

Seriously, this does need sorting Will, I was giving up on PH altogether becasue of it.

[RacingPete]

Mars said:

Surely, with the control at your fingertips, is it not enough info that we have already mentioned which server/service is to blame? Can you not determine which of your ads are causing this problem?

And..

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

Seriously, this does need sorting Will, I was giving up on PH altogether becasue of it.

The Ad Servers are out of our control unfortunately as they are run by third party companies.

The way it works is that we pass all our ad calls to our third party client so we can monitor the clicks - this then forwards the call to the advertisers third party client who monitors thier click rates - and then this goes to the actual advert to serve it back.

As this goes through 3 steps (sometimes more, though for house ads only 2 steps) it is hard to diagnose where the holdup is, as step 2 could be x number of ad agencies monitoring tools, and then the actual advert could come from y number of ad creative sites. So pretty wide scope as you can guess.

We are constantly pestering all the ad sites to improve performance as we are well aware of the impact it has on PistonHeads.

[Mars]

Thanks for that Pete. I suppose the only people who will force the change are the clients/advertisers. If the servers don't improve, people will take their business elsewhere.

[Zeek]

I get an annoying pause while the ad (every ad, on every page) loads. I get all the posts above the ad, and then the page continues to load after the tedious wait comes to an end and the ad displays.

Can't you shift the ads script to the bottom of the page to load last, so that the majority don't have to endure the load times, and can at least be viewing the PH content while the ad they are going to ignore anyway loads?!

[Scraggles]

ended up using a common firefox extension to nuke the ads, hosts file is another option, might just block them from the router

[Mr Will]

We will be changing ad-hosting company soon, so hopefully all these issues should become a thing of the past!