Help diagnose: slow image loading times

[Dark0ne]

In my recent news article some members reported that the images on the Nexus sites load very slowly. This is the first I've heard of it and neither myself or the other staff here (between us we live in 3 separate countries) can reproduce the issue, so we need more information to help us diagnose and fix it.

 

First, some questions:

 

1. What do you class as loading slowly? If you're on a fast internet connection, faster than 10Mbit/second then the images should load within 2 seconds. If it takes longer than that, it's slow. If it takes about that amount of time or less, it's not slow, and you don't need to participate in this thread any further.
2. Is this problem happening all the time, or some of the time? Do you use the site at different times of the day (e.g. morning, afternoon AND evenings) and it happens at all times, or does it usually only happen during what would be considered peak time (between 6pm and 1am GMT, when most of the world is awake in one form or another)?
3. When did this problem start happening for you?

 

Our static content servers (where we store and display images) are load balanced between 4 servers: Static-1, Static-2, Static-3 and Static-4. The server you get your images from is randomly decided based on an algorithm in our code and changes with every single image call and page reload. If a page you load has 8 images on it, you might get 2 images from each static server, 8 from 1, or any variation in between. If you reload the page that changes completely.

 

We need to know whether it's a specific static content server that is slow for you or whether it's all of them. The former would suggest it's a problem with specific static content servers, which is something we can try and fix, the latter would suggest your connection to the ISP/host of the static server is the issue, which is something we cannot fix.

 

Listed below are four full-size images for you to click on and load. One from each of the static servers. Please click on one, wait for it to fully load, note down how long it takes (or at least whether it loaded satisfactorily or not), and move on to the next one. Do not open them all at the same time.

 

Static 1

Static 2

Static 3

Static 4

 

Once done, report in this thread your findings.

• Were they all slow? Were they all fast? Were only specific servers slow/fast?
• What is your connection speed? Need it in MegaBITS per second. (use SpeedTest.net if you need to confirm your connection speed)
• Where are you based? Country is fine. The static content servers are all based in Salt Lake City in the US.

 

Once we've got a few reports we can get a better picture of what's going on.

[mamelukturbo]

The images in your links load instantly but they are all skyrim related, last few months I only frequent FO3Nexus, where (usually at evening UK time) the images load extremely slow (upwards to 10-20 seconds) or don't load at all. Mind you, not all of them on the page though it's like 1/3 loads instantly, then half of rest starts popping up and rest remain empty space for picture for 10-20 seconds. Clicking on image to zoom it can produce the same result regardless of if the thumbnail loads immediately or in few seconds or 10sec+

 

Since they load fast 75% of time it's no big issue for me.

 

My internet speed:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043128524.png

[Zlayerzz]

From test site

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043246432.png

 

and the pictures in this post downloaded quite fast almost instantly, but while reading your post, I must make some clarifications.

 

What i was referring by slow download in the image gallery, I meant the pictures enlargement under the images of a mod. This can vary, some enlarge quite fast, other take a while 10+ sec plus and some get stuck at loading and i need to re select another picture and the picture I want again (this tend to make it enlarge instantly)

 

Browser I use its Chrome

[Ferret9]

I agree with IZ-Mzster.

 

The actual images load as expected, and I can scroll through them with the white/blue arrows quickly, but trying to enlarge the images can take between 10 - 15 seconds, and at peak times (8-10 PM EST) enlarging can take 30-45 seconds.

 

It also seems that the group of three shown images enlarge faster. When using the arrow keys to step through enlarged images, after reaching the end of the group, causing a new group of three to load, the first picture in the group takes substantially longer to grow. Also, previously enlarged pictures do not take any time, growing instantly.

 

Using Firefox 34.0.5

 

Speedtest:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043365972.png

 

EDIT:

 

When you are "enlarging" the pictures are you enlarging them in the image carousel (the images shown in sets of 3 at the top of a file page) or in the Images tab on the file page?

 

I was talking specifically about the carousel, but the image tab also has slow down. The image tab looks to be slightly slower, but the times are more consistant.

 

I did some checking (/skyrim/mods/61254), and there doesn't seem to be any pattern. The carousel enlarge times are more erratic ranging between 3 - 35 secs (aveage being about 7), while the image tab times are between 5 - 15 (most about 7) with few being closer to 20.

 

Times also change on a page refresh, sometimes the average is faster and sometimes much slower.

[Dark0ne]

When you are "enlarging" the pictures are you enlarging them in the image carousel (the images shown in sets of 3 at the top of a file page) or in the Images tab on the file page?

[Agramon]

The 1st image took around 12 seconds to fully load. The others around 2 seconds.

 

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043507311.png

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: I also have the image enlargement slowdown. Whether on the carousel or image tab, it can take up to 10 seconds on average to load.

[moho25]

1. "Slow." Taking 5+ seconds to "enlarge" a single image. Often on the order of 20-30s.

2. Pattens. I've been trying to detect patterns for a while now but so far have been unable to. I'd estimate the problem is there 90% of the time. I can be on Nexus morning, afternoon, or evening (US PT), but, most often in afternoon or evening. Evening load times probably do take the longest. It can be 30s or more before the image enlarges after clicking it on the Image tab.

3. How Long? The problem has always happened, since I registered, which I think was back in 2009. EDIT: I should re-state here that I've moved multiple times and had a variety of ISPs and download speeds over this time period. This particular issue has always been present.

 

However, I've never had the problems with slow page loads and other issues that have plagued others as Nexus infrastructure has been upgraded, so my (erroneous) impression was slow-image loading was probably related and would be fixed as everything else was fixed.

Different pictures on the same mod page also load faster or slower, so I've always wondered if it had something to do with the size of the image.

4. Static Image Results.

Static 1 - 8s
Static 2 - 4s
Static 3 - 3s
Static 4 - 3s

Also, doing a quick test of Rustic Pottery which is a hot file on Skyrim Nexus right now, I clicked on a dozen images in the images tab and all took 7-13s to enlarge. The median enlarge time was 8s. Via the carousel, each batch of 3 loads within a few seconds, but the images don't load at the same time. Clicking to enlarge had similar times as via the images tab.

When you are "enlarging" the pictures are you enlarging them in the image carousel (the images shown in sets of 3 at the top of a file page) or in the Images tab on the file page?

Almost always via the images tab on the file page; images in the 3-image carousel sometimes enlarge faster.

 

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043435220.png

-------------------------------

Hope this helps. I apologize for not reporting it sooner (see previous explanation).

Edited January 8, 2015 by moho25

[an00bislite]

I've had similar results as moho25 listed. The images have been slow to load at times for as long as I remember but they are not always slow to load.

 

My results from testing those images were

1) 2s

2) 2s

3) 1s

4) 1s

 

I tested one of the bookmarked Mods and the images for that one took between 8 - 30sec to load. When you click on the images tab, the page loads quickly, but the thumbnails take 4-12 seconds to fully load up depending how many there are and my guess is the original size of the image being converted to fit the thumbnail.

 

Here is the one I'm looking at right now:

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/30936

 

This image took about five seconds for the thumbnail to load up, but when clicking on the image to view the full size of it, it took about 30 seconds to render.

http://static-1.nexusmods.com/15/mods/110/images/30936-3-1376854934.jpg

 

This image took two seconds for the thumbnail, and about seven seconds for the image to go full size:

http://static-3.nexusmods.com/15/mods/110/images/30936-2-1367272362.jpg

 

 

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4043699770.png

[Arthmoor]

So ok. Yes, I've been having slow image loads for ages. I don't remember exactly when this started becoming a problem. It doesn't matter which browser is being used.

The 4 static links you have listed in the OP all load in satisfactory time. I don't believe direct linking like this is the problem, at least for me.

What IS the problem though is when you're on a mod page that has an image gallery. Clicking on those thumbnails often results in a severe delay between clicking on it and actually getting the image window that pops up from there. The click takes, because you can see the "Loading..." text appear over the thumbnail. It's the delay afterward. Often as long as 60 seconds. Makes no difference which mod page it is or what format the image was uploaded in. Doesn't matter if it's in the 3 image previews at the top or in the larger list in the gallery itself.

Connection speed = 75Mb, in both directions. I don't think this is actually a bandwidth issue though.

 

Unrelated: Took about 15 seconds for this message to post to the forum too. Possible we need another topic for that? :P

Edited January 9, 2015 by Arthmoor

[JimboUK]

All of them loaded instantly however it's not like that all the time in the files/imageshare, on some occasions you're looking at 10 to 30 seconds, those images in the imageshare with numerous pictures embedded in the description will load those pictures way before the image here appears, even when those embedded images are hosted here. I've also noticed thumbnails for some images not appearing, I thought it was just me, it looks like it may not be. Arthmoor has a point about directly linked images, they're fine as suggested by the fact that images from here embedded in the description load just fine while the main image does not.

 

I hope I'm making sense, it's late and been a long day.

 

http://www.speedtest.net/result/4044674869.png