Page Cannot Be Loaded Error

  • Bug
  • Thread starter Vanadium 50
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation discusses an error message that appears when trying to load pages on the Physics Forums website. The error seems to be server-side and not related to the user's internet connection. Other users have also reported similar issues and it has been suggested that it may be due to an issue with the XenForo JavaScript. The problem seems to be cumulative and affects the usability of the site. Some users have experienced slow internet speeds, but the consensus is that the issue lies with the website rather than the internet connection.
  • #1
Vanadium 50
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Education Advisor
2023 Award
33,312
19,831
I often get the following error. It appears to be server-side.

Page could not be loaded​


The requested page could not be loaded.
  • Check your internet connection and try again.
  • Certain browser extensions, such as ad blockers, may block pages unexpectedly. Disable these and try again.
  • Physics Forums may be temporarily unavailable. Please check back later.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I sometimes get stuff like that when my Internet connection becomes unbearably slow and things time out.
 
  • #3
How do you `know "Internet connection becomes unbearably slow" and not "the sever PF is on is overloaded"?

I'm pretty sure the issue is server side, since it says "Physics Forums" and not physicsforums.com. My firewall also tells me my throughput, and I see no signs of saturating my bandwidth - no signs of anything, actually - when this happens.
 
  • #4
Vanadium 50 said:
I often get the following error. It appears to be server-side.

Page could not be loaded​

I agree. I recently experienced the same problem of a PF page not loading. I backtracked and came back, and the page loaded correctly. If it happens to more than one, and I don't think it a traffic issue, then it could be the server, or server-side.
 
  • #5
Vanadium 50 said:
I often get the following error. It appears to be server-side.
Next time you get this, try a different browser and let me know.
 
  • #6
It's too short a time to do this. If I hit reload, the page is there.
 
  • #7
Why would PF servers ask you to check your internet connection? The error message seems to be browser-generated but the problem might be more complicated.

https://forumpromotion.net/forum/threads/not-able-to-access-certain-threads.167366/ has a user with the same problem, it was solved by flushing the DNS cache of the user (see page 2).
This thread had the same error, but here a server-side IP configuration change solved the problem.

Both are xenForo which might be relevant.
 
  • #8
mfb said:
The error message seems to be browser-generated
How does the browser know the site is "Physics Forums" and not www.physicsforums.com?
 
  • #9
Visited the website before?
Today websites are not loaded completely with a single request. It could be that some initial connection works but then additional requests fail, causing the browser to produce that error message (using the name from the connection that worked before).
 
  • #11
I just viewed this thread, then I turned Airplane mode on, then I hit refresh, then I got the same error V50 found. Perhaps it is a new rev of Chrome that shows the error this way.

1624853411384.png
 
  • #12
anorlunda said:
Perhaps it is a new rev of Chrome that shows the error this way.
No, it's not Chrome: how would Chrome know that the site is called Physics Forums and uses buttons with a blue background?

The error is generated by the XenForo JavaScript which is not getting a response to one of the (apparently many and not very useful) requests it is sending in the background, it's one for @Greg Bernhardt to take up with XenForo.
 
  • Like
Likes Vanadium 50
  • #13
I did a Ctrl-U. 3100 lines of HTML on that page.
 
  • #15
Fixed it, there was a job stuck in the db and wasn't clearing. Thanks for the help all!
 
  • Like
Likes Vanadium 50, jim mcnamara, Wrichik Basu and 1 other person
  • #17
PF is practically unusable on a laptop with a poor WiFi connection. It's slow but workable using a phone. Which is how I'm doing this.

For example, it was impossible to search for this thread on my laptop. The site just hung on the search dialogue box.

And, in fact, everything is practically impossible. Other websites are a bit slow, but PF isn't working on a laptop.
 
  • #18
PS anything that tries to open a new window fails. Like the search function.

Also, generally it seems to be cumulative. The first page (new posts) loads quickly, if you click on a thread that's a bit slower. Click on a second thread and it fails. I can only ever get one or two pages at most before it fails.
 
  • #19
I would chalk it up to an Internet problem rather than any particular website.

I had a less severe version of that problem last evening. Very slow, but the lights on my router were going like crazy.

However even the Google home page was replaced by a different page, and their News page was slow after leaving PF.
 
  • Like
  • Skeptical
Likes Greg Bernhardt and PeroK
  • #20
Tom.G said:
I would chalk it up to an Internet problem rather than any particular website.
The problem is consistent and renders the PF site unsuable when other sites are a little slow but otherwise working fine. I can't see any sense in deciding that's a general Internet problem.
 
  • #21
Well, I got this yesterday and it was seconds before my internet connection went out.

Googlebot is slamming this site every minute and they are reporting no connection issues.
 
  • #22
Greg Bernhardt said:
Well, I got this yesterday and it was seconds before my internet connection went out.

Googlebot is slamming this site every minute and they are reporting no connection issues.
If I were to guess, I'd say that on a slow connection it seems to lose the place. For example, something as simple as "liking" a post causes it to hang. The same with opening the search button.

It doesn't happen on a phone, which should be a clue to the techies: what happens different when you're on a laptop?

It can't be simply the Internet if it works on a phone but not on a laptop. Same wifi.
 
  • #23
It's back.
 
  • #24
My wife had a similar problem, in reverse, yesterday. Amazon locked-up the browser on her tablet, but worked fine on this tower machine I'm on. Amazon works OK for her today.

(The Internet poltergeists must have been tamed, for now. :rolleyes: )
 
  • Skeptical
Likes PeroK
  • #25
I'm on a train and have successfully video streamed the highlights of yesterday's golf. But, PF is unusable.

This is not an Internet problem (and I wish some people would stop saying it is).

My guess is that PF is getting tangled up in public wifi security/protocols in some way. You always get one post, but after a short time it just freezes up. It's always on my laptop, not on my phone.

@Greg Bernhardt can someone look at this? I'm on public wifi a lot these days.
 
  • Like
Likes Vanadium 50
  • #26
PeroK said:
This is not an Internet problem (and I wish some people would stop saying it is).
This.
 
  • #27
PeroK said:
@Greg Bernhardt can someone look at this?
To be honest, I don't really know how to diagnosis this. I'm going to get some help on this one. Hold tight.
 
  • Like
Likes PeroK
  • #28
Our web server has been updated. Fingers crossed that maybe that helped. Please update if you receive the error again.
 
  • #29
Greg Bernhardt said:
Our web server has been updated. Fingers crossed that maybe that helped. Please update if you receive the error again.
It's still happening. I had to close the browser window and fire up PF again in order to open this thread and, hopefully, respond.
 
  • #30
Then I clicked "What's new", chose "New posts" and got the "Page cannot be loaded error". So, I closed that window and started again. And, hey presto.
 
  • #31
This seems to be a workaround: close PF and start again repeatedly. Which is what I did to post this!
 
  • #32
  • #34
Did it 5 or 6 minutes ago.
 
  • #35
Vanadium 50 said:
Did it 5 or 6 minutes ago.
Why? I already did the search for you...
 

Similar threads

Bug 'Contact' page broken
    • Feedback and Announcements
Replies
5
Views
49
Should I be worried that I contracted malware?
    • Computing and Technology
Replies
3
Views
1K
Complaint Facing problems while reaching PF
    • Feedback and Announcements
Replies
6
Views
1K
Physics Forums Privacy Policy
    • Feedback and Announcements
Replies
0
Views
94K
Diagnosing intermittent "can't find IP" errors
    • Computing and Technology
2
Replies
35
Views
5K
Website denies responsibility for 403 forbidden error
    • Computing and Technology
Replies
22
Views
5K
Problems with a USB network adapter for a PC
    • Computing and Technology
Replies
15
Views
2K
Bluetooth malfunctioning in Ubuntu 20.04 laptop
    • Computing and Technology
Replies
15
Views
4K
Thread closed for the 3rd time
    • Feedback and Announcements
Replies
21
Views
2K
BLDC Motor - Finding out how many Pairs of Poles and the difference with PMSM
    • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
5
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top