broken images... weird!

supernatural_247 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 12:28 PM

I am truly exasperated right now as a few people have emailed me saying that none of my images for www.ihomeconnect.com come up. Then, I saw the problem occur on my friend's computer. She has never been able to get the images to come up. Yet, the majority of my users say the site is working fine. I assumed it was a browser compatibility issue but then my friend is using the same browser (IE, 6) with the default settings so I can't imagine why she is getting broken image placeholders...

If any of you know what is going on and the solution to this, I would greatly appreciate your help!!

**mike** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 12:34 PM

Had a look at the server logs on the machine serving the images? Perhaps you're getting a bottleneck or some other transient hangup on the actual image server?

paulhiles · #3 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 12:58 PM

More than likely it's a firewall software / browser issue on the client's PC. I was able to view the site perfectly in Firefox, but IE 6.0 refused to show any images. Scanning through the page info I'm seeing referrals to adserver, fastclicks, etc. So I think the firewall is simply reacting to "protect" the browser by blocking the image files.

I'd be interested in anyone else's thoughts on this one! :o)

Paul

supernatural_247 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulhiles

Scanning through the page info I'm seeing referrals to adserver, fastclicks, etc. So I think the firewall is simply reacting to "protect" the browser by blocking the image files.

But other sites have referrals to adservers and they come up fine. Is there something I can do so that IE only blocks the ads and allows my normal images to come through?

cyanide · #5 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 04:51 PM

probably a firewall issue. Are these user using Good ole' Norton?

A google search of Norton blocking Images pulls almost a million results.

tfinch · #6 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 05:12 PM

You guys are all correct! Norton will even block an image named banner.jpg on a regular website thinking it's an ad. I hate that. I will bet you his friend is running Norton Internet security or something simliar.
Man, you guys are smart! I love these forums.

supernatural_247 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfinch

You guys are all correct! Norton will even block an image named banner.jpg on a regular website thinking it's an ad. I hate that. I will bet you his friend is running Norton Internet security or something simliar. Man, you guys are smart! I love these forums.

Yes, you all are very smart!! do you know where do I go in Norton Internet security or whatever to turn off this blocking thingy...??

mktplace · #8 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 05:39 PM

The drastic answer to your question is:
Start>Control_Panel>Add_Remove_Programs

The underlying problem, of course, is that you can't do this on everyone's PC; so you fix your buddies, and it looks fine there - but what about the rest of the PC's running the "bad" software.

Seems like there might be a class action suite here for the webmasters who unite!

otherwise: double click the hideous blue/green mesh globe in the system tray, select Status & Settings on the left menu (under the Norton Internet Security button), and then turn Ad Blocking off.

ADAM Web Design · #9 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 06:36 PM

Have you tried absolutely referencing the images?

Instead of <img src="/images/whatever", try <img src="http://www.ihomeconnect.com/images/whatever".

Sometimes, software packages are finicky about things like that.

DrTandem1 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 07:40 PM

Just rename the image files with something other than "banner."

supernatural_247 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:26 PM

IT'S FIXED PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

A BIG THANKS TO PAULHILES for discovering the solution -- a setting for preventing hotlinking images was turned on. I turned it off and he can see the images now! YES!!

i have to say that i've never had a weird problem like this before but i'm glad that it is over!

rocky1 · #12 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:39 PM

I didn't have any problems aside from the fact that the site hung up on load, and sat there with the header and a white screen for about 10 - 15 seconds on DSL. I'd be inclined to think Mike might be on to something with the bottleneck theory because of that.

All images played well on the pages once loaded, so I don't know for sure which images you were having a problem with. However, you might try moving the folder they're in up a tier or two in your file structure to see if it helps. I have seen instances where having files buried several folders deep created problems on the server for some unexplained reason. It certainly doesn't always happen, but in a few cases I've run into, simply moving them up a folder or two has improved performance.

i.e. - All of these are 2 and 3 folders deep. They'll load considerably faster, and likely create fewer problems if they're only one folder deep.

Code:

http://www.ihomeconnect.com/img/imag...der_middle.jpg

http://www.ihomeconnect.com/img/imag...ner_30x120.gif

http://www.ihomeconnect.com/img/imag.../roommates.gif

http://www.ihomeconnect.com/img/imag...oommate-ad.gif

http://www.ihomeconnect.com/img/imag.../pp-bottom.jpg

rocky1 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:40 PM

OK.... Forget I said all that! (o;?

Now where does that leave you with all the other viewers in the world that have that setting established on their computer?

DrTandem1 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:42 PM

It's "fixed" on your computer. Others may have similar software. If you want them to see your images, rename the image files. Visitors will not bother to research their firewalls and pop-up blockers to see your images.

supernatural_247 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrTandem1

Just rename the image files with something other than "banner."

I'm not quite sure I'm following you... none of my images are named banner. also, those who were not getting any images are seeing them now due to the fact that I turned off my hotlinking prevention. If you come across a problem, please let me know!

supernatural_247 · #16 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocky1

Now where does that leave you with all the other viewers in the world that have that setting established on their computer?

I don't think I was clear. A setting on my hosting account was set to prevent other sites from hotlinking to my images. I turned it off. Now, people who were previously unable to see the images can now see them.

Are there any other settings I should be concerned about?

DrTandem1 · #17 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:51 PM

Hot linking should have no affect on people viewing images directly from your site, only from other sites that are sourcing the image from your site.

supernatural_247 · #18 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrTandem1

Hot linking should have no affect on people viewing images directly from your site, only from other sites that are sourcing the image from your site.

I know -- that is how hotlinking is supposed to work. But all I know is that I had it on, paul suggested turning it off, I turned it off, and then the images worked. I am going to contact my host and see why the hotlinking is messing up the site for some folks...

rocky1 · #19 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 09:26 PM

That likewise seems to have resolved the issue with slow loads on my end supernatural.

I cleared my history, temporary files and cookies, and reloaded the page and it was up and running clean in about 2 seconds this time around. I suspect that the delay I saw in load was likely related to the same issues everyone else was seeing, so you can add that to the list of issues when you contact your host, with the OS and setting data I sent via PM.

Weedy Lady · #20 (**permalink**) 08-23-2005, 09:46 PM

I have had horrible experiences trying to use hotlinking protection also.

Naturally, the Norton haters here all blamed it on Norton.

It is not Norton.

Hotlinking protection only works if you have your site set up in one specific, limited way. Mine isn't. And if it isn't, it messes up things royally.

I repeat: It is not Norton.

speed · #21 (**permalink**) 08-24-2005, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrTandem1

Hot linking should have no affect on people viewing images directly from your site, only from other sites that are sourcing the image from your site.

If hotlinking protection is using the referer data that the browser sends to decided if the viewer is allowed to see the images by matching the data to your site address, then with Norton installed in it's default configuration you will not see images.

The reason is that Norton strips the referer data from the browser request and hence it looks like the image request came from somewhere other than your site. I'm sure Norton isn't the only Firewall that does this.

I used to use Norton and you would be surprised at the number of sites that give you a very impolite message about being a thief because their hotlink protection doesn't understand Norton.

One other point Norton will strip images of certain sizes from the page no matter what the file is called, it doesn't seem to filter background images on CSS elements yet just those in <img> tags.

DrTandem1 · #22 (**permalink**) 08-24-2005, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed

If hotlinking protection is using the referer data that the browser sends to decided if the viewer is allowed to see the images by matching the data to your site address, then with Norton installed in it's default configuration you will not see images.

The reason is that Norton strips the referer data from the browser request and hence it looks like the image request came from somewhere other than your site. I'm sure Norton isn't the only Firewall that does this.

I used to use Norton and you would be surprised at the number of sites that give you a very impolite message about being a thief because their hotlink protection doesn't understand Norton.

One other point Norton will strip images of certain sizes from the page no matter what the file is called, it doesn't seem to filter background images on CSS elements yet just those in <img> tags.

Yes, that is because there are standards for banner sizes. So, unless you are actually displaying banners, the files should not be typical banner dimensions nor should they have "banner" in their file names.

Check your web logs to detect image theft. If it is suspected, then a fun way to go is to rename the actual image file for your site and create a new image for the old file name that will embarrass the thief.

It looks like the lesson here is not to put up barriers that may block legitimate visitors from accessing your content.