Pages loading very slowly

[sports guy]

I am running an older version of Zen cart v1.3.9h with many modules (including: Simple SEO URL v3.5.8, Dynamic Price Updater 2.01, Flexible Attributes v1.0). Yes I know it needs updated but cannot do this right now.

My problem is recently my PRODUCT pages have been loading very slowly. You can see one of them here: http://www.framesforlife.com/black-p...-11/blk01-p-32 . the database seems decently quick (at least when I am entering products). The other pages load just fine, its only when I click any product page are the pageloads so slow. The page load times are anywhere from 6 seconds to 12 seconds depening upon device an time of the day. Now these pages used to load quickly (for many years). So I don't know why all of a sudden they are going slowly.

The product pages have lots of attributes and my images are optimized. I have optimized the database from inside Zen cart (store manager). This site has been up for years, and only recently my pages have been loading so slowly. We are running lots of radio commercials over the next week, so need this fixed soon! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[dbltoe]

Probably your mat colors. 40 at 18K each mounts up to three-quarters of a meg.

Could be that your host has upgraded PHP and MySql.

See odd errors on the error console. "Server does not support RFC5746" This should be fixed by your host. Means there's a problem with SSL. Shouldn't effect load speed, but....

[sports guy]

OK I will optimize the mat colors better. My host did just upgrade my PHP, and I had several issues on serveral websites (no that were slow though). I was going to address this with my host I think it could be an .htaccess setting that they had me put into my files.

As far as this:

See odd errors on the error console. "Server does not support RFC5746" This should be fixed by your host. Means there's a problem with SSL. Shouldn't effect load speed, but....

Where can I find this error console, so that I can notify my host?

[dbltoe]

The .htaccess is probably forcing your PHP to an older version. Just another reason to add to the hundreds that your upgrade should have been last week.

The error console is part of the Web Developer 1.2.5 add-on to Firefox. I use it, firebug, and Total Validator when checking sites.

[sports guy]

Thank you for your help. I have been slow to upgrade because this site has lots of modules and lots of coding changes. Don't even know if many of the modules are in existance now. I will talk to the client to see about testing for upgrading to a newer version.

[sports guy]

Update: The problem persists and the host assures me its not the php upgrade and .htaccess. The entire site pages all load quickly except for each product page which takes 12 second to load.

I have optimized all the attribute images on the product page from 18k to 1K each. I called the host and we tested, optimized, and repaired the database, looked over the .htacess file, and they cannot see why the product page only is loading slowly. They assure me it's not the .htaccess file pointing to an older version of the database. I don't get it these product pages only load slowly. 12 seconds per page is crazy (and I am on high speed land-line).

In the past, these pages too 2 - 3 seconds to load. Sometime in the past few months to weeks (unsure of exact time) the page-loads went to 12 seconds. There have been no updates to the store other than entry of 250 new products (or so).

The server logs do not show any errors, but I did not check the zen cart logs as of yet. It seems as if something is causing these product pages to hang.

Any other ideas I can use to try and diagnose this issue? Lots of paid visitors but 12 second page load times are killing our promotions.

[RixStix]

Looking at the product attributes (mat color),

Is the "discounted" checkbox showing a red X or fuschia color?

Assuming that the mat attribute does not affect price AND the attribute is colored, try deselecting the attribute so that it shows a RedX.

You didn't say the current version of php after the upgrade. ZC1.3.9h doesn't always play nice with php5.4 and higher without tweaks.

[sports guy]

I created a new product without attributes and it loads quickly: http://www.framesforlife.com/wood-gr...ort=20a&page=2

For all my other products I used the duplicate method to copy the attributes (which are very important for our store). So it seems as if the pageload times are due to either the attributes themselves, or one of the attributes plug-ins or file pages. I just don't understand because these pages did load quickly for several years (even with the amount of current attributes).

So the attributes must be slowing the pages down. Once again these attributes showing, loaded just fine for many years. Any suggestions?

[Ajeh]

If you go to phpMyAdmin and Optimize the tables for:
products_attributes
products_attributes_download
products_options
products_options_types
products_options_values
products_options_values_to_products_options


Does this help in anyway?

[sports guy]

Ajeh,

I went to phpMyAdmin and optimized the entire database twice. But just to make sure I just followed your instructions and optimized those tables. The page still takes 12 seconds.

RixStix,

My host told me (dont know how accurate it is) that I am still using v5.2 so the 5.4 upgrade should not affect me. In my .htaccess file I have this to point to the 4.2version:

"AddHandler application/x-httpd-php52 .php
<IfModule mod_suphp.c>
suPHP_ConfigPath /opt/php52/lib
</IfModule>"

This statement is located right above my Simple SEO URL v3.5.8 definitions in my .htaccess.

So I am not sure if I am using and pointed to a v5.2 or using a 5.4 with this in the .htaccess converting to a 5.2 (because I don't know how it works).