Slow page loads on forum because of s7.addthis.com

[Yanta]

This is becoming intolerable.

Every time I come to these forums or click on anything where a page reload/change occurs it stalls for anywhere between 15 and 60 seconds waiting for s7.addthis.com.

I've seen many sites start using this. Some sites I can just block and never use again (bad luck for them), but DVDFab is one site I don't want to block.

Anyone know how to resolve this problem?

I've tried blocking with OpenDNS, adding blocking in my router, and adding filters in firefox (||addthis.com), but nothing seems to work.

thanks
Tanya

[ゲゲゲの鬼太郎]

Just use Mozilla FireFox and use the Add-on "Adblock Plus" which is currently up to version 2.5.1

[Yanta]

Hi,

thanks for your reply.

Please read the last line in my original post. I am running firefox with adblock plus 2.5.1 and I have a custom filter ||addthis.com and ||adthiscdn.com

Does not work. Have to wait for up to a minute between each mouse click.

Even posting this reply was a painful process.

[signals]

Tanya
I can't duplicate the long load times you report, using IE9 on Win7. I am checking the issue, interested in responses from others as to whether it is a problem for them.

I am moving your thread to the General Questions area for better exposure.

[GregiBoy]

No problems here, IE9 & Chrome.

[ゲゲゲの鬼太郎]

Check both your Add-ons and your extensions in FireFox to what is installed and what is set to Always Active.

Make sure there is nothing there that should not be there, if so, then set to "Never Activate" for those items.

Then for the other stuff, Java you can set to "Never Activate" BTW... current version is jre 7 Update 51. Anything lower than 51 is actively being targeted by hackers.

Shockwave Flash, DivX, SilverLight, WinAmp Detector.... Those should be safe to leave set to "Always Activate" plus it is important that these be kept up to date.

Other stuff, unless it is something you need, set it to "Never Activate" then try loading pages on this site.

If you still have problems, then try setting the stuff you need to "Never Activate" one by one as you try to load pages here.

Be such to do the same thing with the Services Add-ons if you have any.

If you still have problems after going through everything, then it might be something on your system such as an infection of some type or it could be something to do with your connection or your ISP.

[martythebrit]

IE 11 and Chrome, all is fine...

[Yanta]

Thanks for all the replies.
I've noticed many websites are adding this (no pun intended), "feature". For example..

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/pages/datesterm.aspx?Redirect=1

All have the same symptoms. They stop and wait when looking up s7.addthis.com.

I have reinstalled Windows 7 x64 from scratch two days ago. There are no malware, rootkits or viruses on the system. There were no addons installed except adblock plus, but now that I have finished reinstalling everything there are MSWord, Java (7u51), and Adobe and VLC plugins. I also have Shockwave flash installed.

There are no extension or plugins installed that I don't use, and these have been enabled since the dawn of time (when I started using FF). This problem has only surfaced a couple of weeks ago. I've also been on the same ISP for 14 months.

There are no services installed.

I've been through each of them one by one (starting with nothing enabled), and nothing makes any difference.

addthis.com appears to have ICMP turned off as I can't ping it nor can I do a tracert.

This problem appears to be more far reaching than here.. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/977666,

though the solutions there did not solve my problem.

My ISP speed is 6.32MiB down, 0.92 MiB up. Latency is 17ms.

There are 11 PCs in our house. Most run Firefox, one runs IE; All experience the same problem. Some are Linux and Some are Windows 7, 8 and Server 2008 R2.

I'm out of ideas....

Though I guess this is not a DVDFab problem, and other than removing this feature from the website, there's not a lot you guys can do. So I guess it would be appropriate to talk with the adblock and mozilla people, which I will do.

thanks
Tanya

[Timothy Arens]

IE 11 and Chrome, on Windows x64 Dutch no problems.

[Timothy Arens]

For as far I know "s7.addthis.com" is malware!

You talking about 11 systems in your house.
Are the connected in a home network.
If so, than mine advice is check all systems on malware.

[ゲゲゲの鬼太郎]

Just got home a few minutes ago and I was thinking along the same lines, but not so much
as Malware as I deal with Systems Security all the time.

Several things I was thinking of:

what with the speed you quoted, you appear to be using DSL.

1) log into your DSL modem and make sure that the DNS entries have not been HiJacked by
a DNS Changer.

You mentioned OpenDNS before, so I assume you are a regular user with an OpenDNS Account?

If so Then

2) make sure that the OpenDNS entries are entered into the DSL Modem DNS fields.

208.67.220.220
208.67.222.222

3) make sure that your DSL modem has the latest firmware to plug and security holes as
there are a number of them which have been found over the past year.

4) change the password to log into your DSL modem to a really strong password. Maximum
length it'll allow you plus Alpha numeric and upper & lower characters. If it'll allow you, use
other characters too. Never use any personal information or anything else which can allow
a dictionary attack to work.

5) Same thing goes for any routers you have on your network as you want to avoid any
vulnerabilities and don't use the same password twice.

I keep my usernames and passwords in a text file which I keep backed up on a flash drive
and on my system so I don't have to worry about losing any of them.

After you check your DSL modem and your routers, you will want to check each system
on your network starting with the ones which generally are on most of the time. You'll
want to check them for any infections and for any DNS Changers. It's possible that there
could be a rogue DNS on your network causing the problems you've been having.

Here are a couple of tools you can use to check each of your systems.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk 10 - This is an ISO Disk image, you can either use it to make a
Bootable CD or Flash drive. You might want to make more than one bootable disk or Flash
drive to check your systems quicker.

This page has the instructions for using it.
Including a utility for making a bootable Flash drive.

The only thing I would do differently from the instructions is at the very end where it tells
you to start a scan, first thing I would do is go into the settings and set the heuristics to
Advanced, then I would start the scan.

I have used this tool before and it is very effective. It even detects and removes rootkits.

Once you're done, if it does by any chance find any rootkits, after removal of any parasites
you might want to reboot the system and run another scan with this tool just to be sure it's
not a polymorphic rootkit. Then I would run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free to clean up
anything else. (The Pro version is well worth the purchase.


My current hardware is:

Modem: ASUS DSL-N66U Firmware 1.0.6.3
Router: ASUS RT-AC66U Firmware 3.0.0.4_374_4561

The modem itself has the best specifications I've been able to find compared to all the old stagnant modems currently on the market and it's not even available yet here in the United States. Had to order it through Amazon UK.

It works better than my old modem, but the firmware still leaves a bit to be desired. Although that is understandable as it's still under development. I tried the current Beta firmware 1.0.6.7 except there were a few problems with it including a persistent memory leak which kept showing up in the logs.

[CBR929]

No problem here using Firefox along with Ad Block

Please read the last line in my original post. I am running firefox with adblock plus 2.5.1 and I have a custom filter ||addthis.com and ||adthiscdn.com

Does not work.

Did you block it manually entering this "s7.addthis.com"
CBR929

[Yanta]

Just got home a few minutes ago and I was thinking along the same lines, but not so much
as Malware as I deal with Systems Security all the time.

That is one of the most detailed and helpful responses I have ever received. If I could give you 1000 reputation points I would! Thank you.

I run MalwareBytes Pro version on all systems here, as well as (cough), "windows Defender".

My password is 11 characters long, a mixture of upper/lower case and numbers. There is no later firmware for my router available from D-Link. I have confirmed that in the router it is pointing to the correct OpenDNS servers. I've also checked my hosts file, which is ok.

I recently reinstalled my computer as part of trying to figure this out, but the others have been going for some time.

It will take me a couple of days to fully scan all the others. I'll revert once I have completed that task.

Once gain (to all), thank you for the support.

Tanya

[Yanta]

Hi.

every click on the forums here still results in a many seconds "looking up s7.addthis.com" blank page..

1. I have scanned all computers in the house. I have used Malware Bytes, TDSSKiller, and KAV Rescue Disk. No threats, malware or viruses found.
2. I have factory reset my modem, reconfigured it from scratch. Also tried it with the ISP supplied DNS servers for a day before setting it to use OpenDNS.
3. Reinstalled Windows from scratch. Installed Firefox 27 with no addons or extensions.
4. Added s7.addthis.com to the custom filters in Firefox (with ||addthis.com and ||addthiscdn.com already present).
5. URL and keyword blocked s7.addthis.com and addthis.com to modem configuration.

I'm completely at a loss to explain why this is happening

[ゲゲゲの鬼太郎]

Well, one good thing has come of this and that is you now have the satisfaction that comes from knowing that all your systems and your network is completely clean!

So now you know the problem is outside your network.

Now if you are using OpenDNS with an account, you might want to use the settings from the following page:
(you may want to bookmark it too)

http://www.apluswebmaster.net/blocklist.html

It could be something to do with your ISP or possibly with your local area or region.

There is only so much I can think of from my end with out personally checking over your system/s and network which unfortunately could only happen if you lived nearby as I don't travel farther than the local stores.

Then again, I doubt it would do any good for a second person to check everything unless of course there is something you're overlooking?

Past this point I am at a loss as I'm not having any problems and I have been blocking s7.addthis.com with Adblock Plus too and there haven't been any slow downs with this website for me.