[lemkeml]

I also had a problem getting on. I use a Mac and have Century Link. I was able to get back online by changing my DNS settings to: 8.8.8.8 Hope this helps.

[jimbo2012]

It's not nor was it only an issue with Century

[NotGolfer]

We have Windows 7....and as I posted earlier CenturyLink. I'm not a techy person so not sure what some of you are talking about. But I remember DNS and the screen (Google) saying site not found. I did re-boot finally, so maybe that's what helped get me back on.

This is really odd....some days on and some days off.

[jimbo2012]

All the data U see is coming from 3.000 miles away in WA.

All from one DNS with two addresses, if they fail there is no backup, most sites have another dns in another part of the country.

The conical address www, is missing also that doesn't help

[graciegirl]

I know I am not alone in thanking the owners of this site for having the good idea to buy this business from the previous owner and maintain it in such a way that it has grown a lot.

I suspect that the problems we have been experiencing were due in part to growth and the increasing demands of thousands of us logging on at one time.

I for one appreciate the way the site has been maintained and the interchanges have been monitored in such a way as to be fair, and protective of all of us.

I know that this is a business and it is owned by nice people who have added many advertisers over time and the advertisers are very wise too, because obviously, this forum is reaching thousands of people.

For the frequent posters and the frequent readers it is an invaluable way to give and receive valuable information, practice our skills in debating and gather together around a virtual "cracker barrel". I have met some of the most interesting people on this forum and have caught glimpses of their real selves as they post; good, bad and indifferent. We are all mostly happy either to be here together in this physical place, The Villages, or in dreaming of moving here..or just trying to figure out whether this is a good dream to have.

I find this forum fascinating, obviously, and I know you all do too. I don't know exactly what unseen forces are causing the snafus we have experienced lately, but I trust the good judgment already shown by the owners to straighten it out.

As one of my favorite posters, Bogie Shooter, frequently reminds us and now me...

Patience, Grasshopper.

[tom60]

I dont know what went wrong but something defenitely did. I have been trying to get in to read the posts for two days now. friday and saturday. Could not get the website to open. Now its sunday morning and i got right in on the first try. Too many people had the same problem. I have century link but all of my other websites opened up just fine all weekend . So i am sure it could not have been century link. Anyway its working now so thats good.

[Virtual Geezer]

Originally Posted by Blackie

I'm on Century Link and have not had any issues, other than the occasional 2 or 3 second slowdown, over the last several days.

However, I use Google DNS Servers on my iPad.

Perhaps your DNS settings on your Windows 7 is different from Windows 8 hence the issue between the two.

Perhaps try either Google or Open DNS settings.

Everything set up properly on both W7 and W8 so that is not the issue.

The problem most likely was caused by a switch or router in the path to the final TOTV server that was either off line or misconfigured.

Regarding the references to Century Link there are two sides to that company, one the commercial network handling side and the other the consumer ISP side. The issue was on the commercial side that handles the routing of the packet data through the internet. Thus other ISP providers were also effected if the route happened to go through the Century Link equipment.

If you are on Century Link as you ISP and the route just happened to take you around the troubled piece of equipment you were fine but others were no so lucky regardless of their ISP.

VG

[TOTV Team]

We called Century Link as well and couldn't get a final answer on what their issue was but I suspect you are correct here that there was a broken switch. We believe enough of their customers called in that they finally realized the issue was on their end and addressed it.

At first we thought it was an issue on our end and we spent hours checking everything possible and realized that it was almost entirely Century Link customers. We didn't make any changes and then all of a sudden those who could not log on were once again able to.

We hope everything is back to normal!

Originally Posted by Virtual Geezer

Everything set up properly on both W7 and W8 so that is not the issue.

The problem most likely was caused by a switch or router in the path to the final TOTV server that was either off line or misconfigured.

Regarding the references to Century Link there are two sides to that company, one the commercial network handling side and the other the consumer ISP side. The issue was on the commercial side that handles the routing of the packet data through the internet. Thus other ISP providers were also effected if the route happened to go through the Century Link equipment.

If you are on Century Link as you ISP and the route just happened to take you around the troubled piece of equipment you were fine but others were no so lucky regardless of their ISP.

VG