Hi Richard,
Here goes...
1) why should they delete temp files? Which ones? At what point do you do it?
There is no steadfast rule for when to delete the Qcharts Temp folder. It is an, "if all else fails.." step in troubleshooting problems. I can say that most temp folders (browsers, Windows, etc...) seem to run a risk of corrupting, and deleting the contents of the folder can correct manifestations of that corruption. There is no harm in deleting the Qcharts Temp folder on a daily basis, and I would recommend it at least on a weekly basis. The folder's default location is C:/Program Files/Quote.com/Qcharts/Temp.
2) Am I correct if you had one server for every 10 customers, some would still have connection problems? How do you test or determine the internet connection is the problem?
There are other factors that can cause problems: ISP trouble and Internet traffic both can play a role in connection issues. PingPlotter (www.nessoft.com) is a free program that traces your route to a particular server and is excellent in diagnosing connectivity issues.
3)What elements can cause strain on the program? short or long time frames on charts, Level II, Isld, T&S, Single Quotes, portfolios, option chains, use of broker interface, futures, or etc.?
T&S and Charts involve sending historical data, and therefore are more of a strain on the server. On our servers, data is stored in Tick, Minute, and Daily format, and all charts are built from these three, so a 390 minute chart instead of a daily chart is a huge hit on our servers. In general, they should only be used as a backup when daily charts are incorrect, if at all.
4) what computer hardware would help the most? more ram? ASDL or cable modems? CPU speed?
For queuing issues, there is nothing on the users end that can help. I always recommend a decent amount of RAM (64-128mb at least), as it can help overall performance of a system. High speed modems are great, but aren't a cure-all for Internet woes. Your high speed connection is from you to your ISP, and from there you're on your own. If the server you are trying to reach is slammed, you're going to wait for the page to load like everyone else; you do not gain priority with a fast connection. CPU speed can be a factor if you are taxing your system; if you have a Pentium 166 and wish to follow 20 charts, all with 5 studies, as well as Excel, Word, 4 browsers, Outlook, a broker program, and a game of Hearts, you may want to increase the processor speed.
#5 -- Under present conditions, posting to Onelist and SI can be the quickest means to an end. Not just to contact Jay or myself, but there are a lot of knowledgeable clients who participate on these lists, and don't mind assisting a fellow investor when they can. Many times when I go to respond to a question here, someone has beaten me to the punch. In an ideal situation calls would be answered on the first ring, but obviously we are not there at this time. We are working toward having a link on the website for updates on current issues -- what servers may be having trouble, whether Island Book is down, etc..., and hope to begin testing such a page as soon as tomorrow, but pertaining to Y2K issues only. I love the newsletter idea, but with all that is happening now, I don't see it in the short-term.
Our email support is behind -- way behind -- and will likely remain so until we get more bodies in here addressing them. The search is on, but taking training time into account I expect email support to not show significant improvement for a few more weeks. The data@quote.com emails are almost completely caught up so please continue sending data issues to this address.
Part of the problems can be tied to the fact that we have a posted 800 number and several million visitors to our site every day. We would like to only offer phone support to subscribers, but don't have the ability yet to filter out these calls. We're not standing still, we are very aware of the problems getting through to us, and we are making changes to better service our clients. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do in one day, or one week, that would make a significant impact on this situation. We're addressing the issues, but still require patience and understanding on the clients end while we implement changes.
I hope I've addressed your issues to your satisfaction. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
~Paul |
