There are many things which can cause a network to load partially, slowly or not at all. Follow these steps to quickly resolve or determine the cause of this issue:
- Check for any updates on our Status blog. If there is anything going on that would affect networks across the platform, we will post about it here.
- Verify that this browser is supported on the Ning Platform. If you are not sure which browser you are using, visit useragentstring.com.
- Clear your browser’s cache. Check out our articles in the Ning Help Center for clearing your cache.
- Enable JavaScript on your browser.
- Update your Flash Player.
- Check your internet connection. Slower internet connections may have difficulty loading networks with a lot of content.
- Ensure you are running the latest version of your browser, or try downloading a fresh instance. Access your network from a different browser.
- Check your browser’s settings for any plug-ins or add-ons that may be interfering with your network.
- If you have any JavaScript or widgets on your Main Page or in your Custom Code section, try removing all of them, and adding them back one by one.
Network inaccessible or not loading
If you tried the above steps without success, ask yourself these questions:
- Is your network on a plan?
If you are unable to access your network because it is greyed out and blocked by a message box, it may be that you have not selected a plan for your network. All Ning Networks must now be on a plan in order to be online. If yours is not on the Plus or Pro plan, you will need to select a plan first. To do that, just go to www.ning.com and sign in. Then click on the Plans & Billing link at the top. From there, click on Plans, where you will then be able to select a plan for your network.
- Are you using your own domain?
If your network is not loading at all and you are using your own domain instead of your .ning.com one, the issue may be related to your DNS settings. Check out our article on troubleshooting domain mapping issues here.
- Is your computer blocking access to this network?
If your network is not loading at all and you are not using your own domain, it may be that you are behind a firewall. Go to your computer’s security settings to allow access to the following web addresses:
api.ning.com
network.ning.com
www.ning.com
static.ning.com
- Is your ISP blocking access to this network?
If you are accessing your network from a different location than where you usually access it, it’s possible your ISP is blocking the network. Contact your ISP to determine if this is the case.
Network is accessible, but takes a long time to load each time
Sometimes, a network will load, but take a long time to finish loading. Things you can do to improve the load-time of your network are:
- Remove any and all JavaScript or widgets from your Main Page and from your Custom Code section (found via My Network > Tools > Custom Code). Too much code running on one page can be too heavy for some networks, and will significantly increase the time it takes for your Main Page to load. You can always add them back one at a time to determine which ones are harmless and which ones are weighing you down the most.
- Turn off slideshows. Slideshows cause the page to constantly be loading. This may not affect faster internet connections, but computers running on slower internet connections will experience this issue.
- RSS feeds also constantly pull content from an external source. Waiting while this content is accessed can also slow down your network. Try limiting the number of RSS feeds you run on your network’s Main Page.
Lastly, a great tool to have at your side is Firebug. Use it to experiment with CSS before actually applying it to your network or use it to determine what is taking the longest time to load. It’s a sure way to suss out the issue and remove it before anyone even notices.
