help me post comments

May 18, 2009 9:33 AM

I can't post comments to *.metafilter.com

I'm having trouble posting comments to Metafilter sites. I'm on a Mac OS X 10.4 PPC, and whenever I try to post comments I either get a timeout, or a error saying the server dropped connection or just a blank page. Happens in firefox, camino and safari. The odd thing is that I can post just fine from the University network (same machine), and odder still is that it happens only on Metafilter. No other sites give me a problem. I haven't changed the network, or any settings at home, and the only other clue is that it started to happen after the great server meltdown. How can I fix this? or alternatively, what could be the problem so I can atleast know what to google for? Thanks!

posted by dhruva to Bugs at 9:33 AM (15 comments total)

The odd thing is that I can post just fine from the University network (same machine),

So this only happens on your home network I take it? What are some details of that? DSL/Cable/Fiber/Satellite? What kind of home network are you on? etc?
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:36 AM on May 18, 2009

It's cable. It's one of those bundled deals: cable, telephone, internet. I have a modem that I connect directly to the mac, (i.e. not wireless).
posted by dhruva at 9:41 AM on May 18, 2009

Could be a DNS problem. Try adding the IPs for the site (174.132.172.58) to your local hosts file. Not a long term fix of course but if it fixes it you can get after your ISP.
posted by Mitheral at 9:48 AM on May 18, 2009

Have you tried logging out and logging back in?
posted by ardgedee at 10:13 AM on May 18, 2009

OK I added the IP to the local hosts, and when I do the nslookup I get the right address. But I will try it later (when I get home), and see what happens. Meanwhile, please suggest other things I could do.
posted by dhruva at 10:15 AM on May 18, 2009

Yeah I've logged in and out, cleared cookies, cache with no luck. Sometimes I can post to the front page, but never to the comments. I can read Mefi just fine, it's only the commenting that's causing me the problem.
posted by dhruva at 10:17 AM on May 18, 2009

dhruva: keep in mind these suggestions should only be performed on the computer where you're having problems, not on the computer you're currently using.
posted by ardgedee at 10:17 AM on May 18, 2009

If it's just posting that fails, and you can read fine, it sounds like an MTU blackhole to me. See here, try an MTU of 1300 and see if that helps, and then increment it a bit at a time until you can't post anymore then drop it back down to the last value that worked.

If that doesn't help (if you really want to eliminate MTU, set it at 576, but don't leave it there, that'll slow things down significantly) then put it back up to the default, 1500.
posted by mendel at 11:31 AM on May 18, 2009

Ok Im just checking if i can post now with changed MTU settings.
posted by dhruva at 1:41 PM on May 18, 2009

well whaddyaknow, it works. Thanks all.
posted by dhruva at 1:43 PM on May 18, 2009

If he can browse the site (which is implied by the fact that he has a comment box to type into) but not post then I don't see how that in any way implicates DNS; that just seems like a total red herring.
posted by Rhomboid at 3:42 PM on May 18, 2009

Maybe dhruva (Polaris in Sanskrit) should move to a star closer to earth.
posted by Cranberry at 4:00 PM on May 18, 2009

Heh. I moved half way across the world to be closer to the server.
posted by dhruva at 4:08 PM on May 18, 2009

No matter where you go, there, uh, the server...are?
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:20 PM on May 18, 2009

Uhtheserver, R. No Matter Where You Go. Portland: Mee Fie, 2009.
posted by SpiffyRob at 5:02 AM on May 19, 2009 [1 favorite]