Wordpress pages not loading - how to diagnose?

[Whitey]

We have Wordpress install producing static pages.

The home page loads fast and correctly. All the inner pages, which previously worked fine, are taking up to 2 minutes to load.

Previous issues we had with this site related to poor code, which was somehow leading to the server clogging up and stalling - but that effected the entire site. This appeared to be fixed as the site worked fine for many months. This is maybe different, as only the inner pages are timing out. But can that be so?

Based on that information, what is the best way to diagnose this, and what is your hunch of what is wrong?

I can sticky you a link if you want to take a look at the front end.

[fathom]

Change the skin to another one... Does the same thing happens?

Revert back

Disable all plugins.

Revert back

Draft all pages

Revert back

Draft all posts

Revert back

Is there any measurable difference?

[Whitey]

What about isolating issues around coding with how the database works / doesn't work. We have around 9,500 static pages?

[engine]

Is this all the time, or at specific intervals? A recent exercise on another site with problems showed that at certain times there were too many things running at once.

[fathom]

It may have nothing to do with Wordpress itself. As engine points out (eludes to) it could be server related, or user-oriented. You simply need to change things to eliminate all the non-issues.

Resetting the server will eliminate RAM issues and other load concerns.

[Whitey]

Is this all the time, or at specific intervals?

The site was stable after rectification work was done around June, but over the last month or so the inner pages are taking minutes to load, all of the time.

[not2easy]

Do you notice related entries in your error logs or access logs? If checking the headers during a page request isn't showing anything obvious, that is the next place I'd look.

[Whitey]

Do you notice related entries in your error logs or access logs?

That' a problem. I can't get access to our server logs right now - and that's how previous problems were identified.

Can you be more specific with what you describe as "related entries".

[not2easy]

"Related entries" meant requests for pages you're trying to load that take minutes, the files loaded with those pages such as .js, .css, image files. The idea was to see the server response, path and time between requests to help spot anything that is causing the slowdown.

[Whitey]

@not2easy -Thanks. You say "the next place to look".

Fathom ( thanks Fathom ) contributed with a suggestion. Would you say that your process of isolation may be a faster way to pin point issues than Fathom's? ( just asking ).

@Fathom - what do you think?

[not2easy]

Because I'm sort of lazy I would check headers first. If you can check error and access logs that can show issues also. Fathom's method, (IMO) is more thorough and takes more time. The different methods find different kinds of problems which is why for me, the first step is to check the headers using a tool such as FF Live HTTP Headers. If it doesn't show you anything, then it is worth the additional effort to isolate the problem. Another suggestion is to try a different browser, a different computer to be sure it is happening under all conditions/environments.

[fathom]

Honestly, my opening comment was just to bump the thread.

[Whitey]

Thanks Fathom