404 Is Being A Pain!

[Samrc]

I have two basically identically coded 404 pages on two different sites hosted here on TCH.

 

Both should report the page that could not be found and the refering page too when someone clicks the link to report. Both are named 404.shtml and both WERE working fine. But now the Lambert 404 is not and it is driving me crazy by being silent!

 

You can see them by trying these badlinks:

http://www.samisite.com/badlink.htm (working)

http://www.lambertusa.com/badlink.htm (not working)

 

Note that the page requested is supposed to show the requested page.

Both have the code:

<!--#echo var="REQUEST_URI" -->

but only samisite actually does it!

 

Both have the code in the form

<textarea  name="error" style="position:absolute;visibility:hidden;">

This page was not found:

<!--#echo var="REQUEST_URI" -->

The referring page is:

<!--#echo var="HTTP_REFERER" -->

</textarea>

but only samisite sends the info when the link is clicked.

Lambert's page will send an email that just says:

error: This page was not found:

 

So, if they are identical coding (other than color, images and sound) and they were both working fine until this week, and there were no changes implemented, WHY??????

 

Please advise.

 

-Samantha

[TCH-Thomas]

I dont remember my exact coding for my 404-page, but I have never gotten it to work (as for reporting), except for one time and then it died.

I know its not much help, but you are not alone anyway.

[jslagle]

Sam, are the two accounts on the same server?

[Samrc]

Nope. Server 26 (samisite) and 29 (lambert)

 

Both pages were working exactly as planned....now only the samisite page works, yet they are coded the same. VERY STRANGE.

 

-Samantha

[Rickasaurus]

Sam, they are both working fine for me. By the way, how do you do that?

 

Rick

[boxturt]

I've had the same problem for ages, just can't figure it out. Same code. Three sites, two servers. The two on 23 are fine but the one on 17 never worked consistently.

[Samrc]

Sam, they are both working fine for me.

Yes, the proper 404 page appears for both sites. That's not the issue.

The ECHO of the requested page is not appearing on Lambert's

See the attached image.

 

Also the email that is sent from samisite contains the data on which page is not found, but the lambert email is blank.

 

By the way, how do you do that?

 

Do what? I made a 404 page, called it 404.shtml, placed it into my main directory and that's it. The coding I used for the echo is in my post that started this thread.

 

Anyone have any alternatives on how to get the information to show on which page was requested? Do I need to change permissions, or change the coding I am using to achieve more consistent results for lambert?

 

I've had the same problem for ages, just can't figure it out. Same code. Three sites, two servers. The two on 23 are fine but the one on 17 never worked consistently.

 

Maybe it's a server setting that needs to be looked at, do you think since server 23 and 26 seem to be fine and 17 and 29 are not producing consistent results? Should we open a ticket for TCH to check out their side?

 

I know I can look through the AWSTATS on the 404 errors, but find the email is a very fast acknowledgement of someone on the site and can fix a bad link immediately if I know what is not working properly.

 

-Samantha

[TCH-Bruce]

Maybe it's a server setting that needs to be looked at, do you think since server 23 and 26 seem to be fine and 17 and 29 are not producing consistent results? Should we open a ticket for TCH to check out their side?

Wouldn't hurt.

[Samrc]

Finally got back to this issue. Opened a ticket since some servers respond well, others do not.

 

Got another empty email with no information on it from Lambert site, screenprint attached for reference. Same 404 error email from the server 26 samisite domain lists the page not found and referring page.

-Samantha

[TCH-Thomas]

Opened a ticket since some servers respond well, others do not.

So what did the techs say?

[Samrc]

My help ticket request:

Please take a look at server settings. 404 pages are not reporting php echos on servers 17 and 29, yet the same code on servers 23 and 26 produce consistent results on 404 pages. This problem has been discussed on this thread: http://www.totalchoicehosting.com/forums/i...ST&f=64&t=14600

The answer:

Please be advised that the help desk does not provide developer level support for the coding of web pages, html code, php code, cgi code, graphics, sql backend or any other programming or design elements.

 

The main purpose of the help desk to is to aid clients with server configuration errors or provisioning problems.

 

Thank you for choosing TotalChoiceHosting.

 

Best Regards,

Abdul Hakeem

Technical Support

Unfortunately no help there.

 

I was not asking for coding or design element assistance. The code works. Guess the fact that we observe different results on different servers using the exact same code on different sites still does not qualify for assistance or review.

Maybe I should have worded it differently. I was asking if there is something different about the servers or the setting we have no control over that could cause different results.

 

 

EDITED to add further response from tech support:

No, There is no setting in the server which would cause it to do so. But check your code if it is getting any background data from the client terminals which would cause the page to be showed up differently. Let me know if you need any thing else on the server.

 

Nope that is not the issue either. Even when I try from the same computer to the two sites, different results as noted above. The samisite 404 reports the bad page no matter who reports the error, the lambert 404 does NOT report the bad page no matter who reports the error. Same code, same page design, same editor, only difference is the colors of hte page, the logo and the server.

 

Frustrating

 

-Samantha

[KungFòóFairy]

It seems that the files on the lambert server aren't getting parsed for servers side includes. In order to have them parsed as SSI and executed the following must happen.

• The server must have mod_include installed and enabled.
  
• Either the server's httpd.conf file or your site's .htaccess file must include this directive:

  >Options +Includes

  
  

• Also either of those files must also contain the apache directive telling the server to parse all .shtml (or whichever extension you choose) files as SSI:

  >AddType text/html .shtml
  AddHandler server-parsed .shtml

  
  

• Alternately, you could use the

  >XBitHack on

  directive to parse all files with the executable bit set (use cpanel interface to chmod all SSI files to executable).
  

[Samrc]

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

On both sites, the .htaccess file already had the following code:

>AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .htm .html .shtml

 

I added this today to Lambert's .htaccess file:

>Options +Includes
AddType text/html .shtml
AddHandler server-parsed .shtml

 

The test run works! THANK YOU for the lovely gift.

The 404 page reports page properly now in the visitor's window and on the email.

 

Don't know why it used to work without that extra code and stopped.

But since this fixes the situation, I will do a preventive patch on the other site to add the code even though that 404 page works fine without it.

 

I know there are others with the same problem that will be thrilled with your fix. Thank you so much for taking the time to post!

 

-Samantha

[TCH-Bruce]

Glad you finally got it resolved Samantha.

[Samrc]

Me Too!

 

I don't know Kungfoofairy yet am thankful that he took time to read the posting and to suggest a remedy. That's one thing I can cross off my Christmas wish list.

 

This forum is the #1 reason TCH ROCKS!

 

There are so many really kind folks that host at TCH that participate on this forum and I truly believe that the TCH "family" attitude from the owner, staff and moderators is what contributes to the members generosity of time and knowledge.

 

-Samantha