Image Content Slow to Load

Glendon CDN · 16 Jan 2015, 09:07 AM

In the past couple of days, I've experienced a problem with images in HTML messages being very slow to load in the web interface. Im using Safari 8.0.2 with OS-X 10.10.1 as my primary browser but the same problem aries in Firefox.

When I select a message in the INBOX place holders appears for some images. Other times there is nothing bur empty space where there should otherwise be content. "Display images from known senders" is selected and the from addresses are in my Addresses. I'm using the new CardDav address option.

Sometimes if I wait 2-3 minutes, the image will appear, Other times nothing appears [or maybe I just run out of patience].

Using MAIL app in OS-X and iOS; all the content, including images, appears quickly as expected. Other webpages are loading normally.

Have others experienced this slow-down? I'm looking for advice on if/how things can be speeded-up; whether it's an isolated or temporary problem.

Thanks for your responses.

robn · 16 Jan 2015, 10:56 AM

Yeah, I've got a few reports of that too. Unfortunately I can't see it in my own email, and the basic tests I've run are working out fine. I'm now running some deeper tests.

nighthawk700 · 16 Jan 2015, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glendon CDN

Have others experienced this slow-down? I'm looking for advice on if/how things can be speeded-up; whether it's an isolated or temporary problem.

Thanks for your responses.

I'm getting it too. I thought something was wrong with my Daily Dilbert strips! :-) I'm not using CardDav, but my other settings are similar to yours. I'm on Chrome (both home and my office, and noticed the problem in both locations)

bitflipper · 17 Jan 2015, 07:44 AM

I am seeing this too on both the beta and prod servers. Beta is showing pictures intermittently, prod isn't showing any pictures.

Location: Portland Oregon.

robn · 17 Jan 2015, 09:37 AM

I've made a change which I expect to improve things, though I'm not sure yet if it will fix it outright. And I still don't understand the underlying problem. It appears to be a very occasional timeout within our own network, but we haven't made any related changes and it happens so rarely (relative to the number of requests) its very difficult to diagnose.

Hopefully the change I've made will let us limp along until Monday and then I can tackle it properly from the office. We'll see.

Glendon CDN · 20 Jan 2015, 12:38 AM

There seemed to be some improvement over the weekend. There is still a noticeable lag in images appearing in the web interface but the time-out/complete failure isn't happening as often. Selecting another message and then coming back to the problematic message usually gets a normal response now.

Appreciate your attention to this "bug" despite it limited effect and look forward to the "resumption of normal service".

robn · 24 Jan 2015, 06:29 PM

Problem seems to be resolved.

We eventually isolated the problem to images served from the Akamai CDN. That's no small thing; most mass mailout providers host their images with Akamai.

I spoke to NYI, who have a peering arrangement with Akamai, and after some work they found that the problem wasn't isolated just to FastMail. They temporarily dropped their peering sessions to Akamai but the problem was still present. That was a few days ago.

This morning NYI noticed that the timeouts were gone. I've confirmed that from our end - everything appears to be looking good. So for the moment I think we can say the problem is resolved.

I'm still talking to to NYI and Akamai to try and understand exactly what happened. Hopefully we can get more info there because I don't like problems that magically disappear

Glendon CDN · 26 Jan 2015, 11:17 AM

Thanks, robn, for persisting with this. I was relying on a wireless LTE connection for a few days - not a fair test - but am back at home-base now. Yes, images appear to be loading normally though I share your angst over technical problems that appears and disappear without explanation. Good luck with ascertaining the real culprit.

DGuy · 8 Feb 2015, 11:57 PM

Any status update on this issue?

I see the last response from 2 weeks ago (in this thread and also at fastmailstatus.com) states it is being looked into.

I'm in NY and am still having this problem: Sometimes images load very slowly or not at all.

16 Jan 2015, 09:07 AM	#1
Glendon CDN Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Markham, ON Canada Posts: 80	Image Content Slow to Load In the past couple of days, I've experienced a problem with images in HTML messages being very slow to load in the web interface. Im using Safari 8.0.2 with OS-X 10.10.1 as my primary browser but the same problem aries in Firefox. When I select a message in the INBOX place holders appears for some images. Other times there is nothing bur empty space where there should otherwise be content. "Display images from known senders" is selected and the from addresses are in my Addresses. I'm using the new CardDav address option. Sometimes if I wait 2-3 minutes, the image will appear, Other times nothing appears [or maybe I just run out of patience]. Using MAIL app in OS-X and iOS; all the content, including images, appears quickly as expected. Other webpages are loading normally. Have others experienced this slow-down? I'm looking for advice on if/how things can be speeded-up; whether it's an isolated or temporary problem. Thanks for your responses.

8 Feb 2015, 11:57 PM	#9
DGuy Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 1	Status Update? Any status update on this issue? I see the last response from 2 weeks ago (in this thread and also at fastmailstatus.com) states it is being looked into. I'm in NY and am still having this problem: Sometimes images load very slowly or not at all. Last edited by DGuy : 9 Feb 2015 at 12:05 AM.

16 Jan 2015, 10:56 AM	#2
robn Master of the @ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,007 Representative of: Fastmail.fm	Yeah, I've got a few reports of that too. Unfortunately I can't see it in my own email, and the basic tests I've run are working out fine. I'm now running some deeper tests.

17 Jan 2015, 07:44 AM	#4
bitflipper Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: /dev/null Posts: 16	I am seeing this too on both the beta and prod servers. Beta is showing pictures intermittently, prod isn't showing any pictures. Location: Portland Oregon.

17 Jan 2015, 09:37 AM	#5
robn Master of the @ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,007 Representative of: Fastmail.fm	I've made a change which I expect to improve things, though I'm not sure yet if it will fix it outright. And I still don't understand the underlying problem. It appears to be a very occasional timeout within our own network, but we haven't made any related changes and it happens so rarely (relative to the number of requests) its very difficult to diagnose. Hopefully the change I've made will let us limp along until Monday and then I can tackle it properly from the office. We'll see.

20 Jan 2015, 12:38 AM	#6
Glendon CDN Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Markham, ON Canada Posts: 80	There seemed to be some improvement over the weekend. There is still a noticeable lag in images appearing in the web interface but the time-out/complete failure isn't happening as often. Selecting another message and then coming back to the problematic message usually gets a normal response now. Appreciate your attention to this "bug" despite it limited effect and look forward to the "resumption of normal service".

24 Jan 2015, 06:29 PM	#7
robn Master of the @ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,007 Representative of: Fastmail.fm	Problem seems to be resolved. We eventually isolated the problem to images served from the Akamai CDN. That's no small thing; most mass mailout providers host their images with Akamai. I spoke to NYI, who have a peering arrangement with Akamai, and after some work they found that the problem wasn't isolated just to FastMail. They temporarily dropped their peering sessions to Akamai but the problem was still present. That was a few days ago. This morning NYI noticed that the timeouts were gone. I've confirmed that from our end - everything appears to be looking good. So for the moment I think we can say the problem is resolved. I'm still talking to to NYI and Akamai to try and understand exactly what happened. Hopefully we can get more info there because I don't like problems that magically disappear

26 Jan 2015, 11:17 AM	#8
Glendon CDN Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Markham, ON Canada Posts: 80	Thanks, robn, for persisting with this. I was relying on a wireless LTE connection for a few days - not a fair test - but am back at home-base now. Yes, images appear to be loading normally though I share your angst over technical problems that appears and disappear without explanation. Good luck with ascertaining the real culprit.