TTFB, long html time without trailing /. Fine with trailing /.

Web Performance Discuss Test Results
1

Hi y’all,

Other than my homepage (gatehealing.com), if I do NOT use the trailing slash (on Gate Healing | Counseling Services - Individual & Couples, Adults & Teens for example) my TTFB fails and in the waterfall I notice line 2 has a very long html time: WebPageTest - Running web page performance and optimization tests...

The same thing happens on other inner pages, but this one is more important.

My page is only 12 page, few images, no woocommerce etc (its just information), has very low traffic (it’s a local business). While I am on a shared DreamHost server, the small size/traffic shouldn’t be an issue. . . and its not when I add that trailing slash: WebPageTest - Running web page performance and optimization tests...

I have optimized mySql, cleaned out overhead numbers, repaired, etc. I have upgraded to PHP 7.0 Fast CGI, upped limits, etc. because DreamHOst was getting some errors that I believe were contributing to lots of 505 errors related to ram use (which is again very odd given my small size etc) . . . that seemed to fix that particular issue.

I don’t know if this TTFB thing is related? Ie is the long html bar related to mySQL and PHP test being too long (still trying to figure out why–I am using PHP/MySQL CPU performance statistics by mywebtonet plugin). Attaching some screenshots of that. Those numbers could be them trying to get my business, but since I am having troubles, my hunch is these may well be accurate, and I don’t know another tool?).

Apologies for all the info. . . I am fairly new and don’t really know what info is useful in helping me figure this out, but I have been working on it for 6 months, moved my host, deleted my 150 page blog (moved it to another domain–per some google top contributer suggestion that it may have been diluting my rankings, and all that extra traffic could have created issues on shared server).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have plenty of other pieces of information that I can provdie.
Thanks y’all
Jon[attachment=810]
[attachment=811]

2

You’re using CloudFlare (shudder) so there’s no way for you to easily fix this problem.

Using curl, it appears CloudFlare is doing a 301 from no “/” to “/” or maybe your this relates to your LAMP stack configuration or maybe some WordPress plugin or settings (as you’re running WordPress).

To debug this, remove CloudFlare completely + fix, then if you really must use CloudFlare (hint, you don’t) then re-enable CloudFlare + try to debug any CloudFlare issues with CloudFlare support.

My guess… Remove CloudFlare + your problem will clear up.

BTW, your office is right around the corner from me in Austin.

3

Hey thanks! I’ve been wondering if there’s another free CDN I could use. I’ll start the search more seriously now. In the meantime, I’ll look into what some of those things you mentioned are (LAMP, and something else) and try to fix. And yes, the redirect chain is http to https (no slash) to https (with trailing slash). I hope I find the issue and can leave cloudflare (or a replacement) CDN since that seems to help things a bit.

Where is your office? I’ll pm ya.
Jon

4

A CDN will only mask problems with your LAMP Stack.

You’ll likely be in far better shape if you remove CloudFlare (and any other CDN) + have your LAMP Stack fixed.

Most of my WordPress sites run between 250K-1M requests/minute (you read that correctly).

CloudFlare only slows down + causes problems with my sites.

This is because I tune my LAMP Stacks so all sites run out of memory, rarely generating any disk i/o, so they scale forever, under any type level of traffic (real + attack traffic).
[hr]
My home is in the subdivision behind Bowie High School.

I’m allergic to commutes + cubicles, so I’ve been working solo… geez… my first solo contract was in 1979, as I recall.

5

My home is in the subdivision behind Bowie High School.

I’m allergic to commutes + cubicles, so I’ve been working solo… geez… my first solo contract was in 1979, as I recall.
[/quote]

Wow, we live even closer–I’m on Brodie, near Slaughter. I am also allergic to commutes and cubicles, AND getting up early . . . thus, running my own business. The goods far outweigh the bads like trying to figure this stuff out . . . I have a few hairs left to pull out! ha!
J