Diagnostic tests for download issues
Test #1: Ping our server.
Difficulty: easyPinging a server will make sure that your DNS information is accurate, and that network latency (the delay caused by information being exchanged between you and our server) is not so bad that it is causing problems.
First, open a command line for your system:
OSX: Applications > Utilities > Terminal -> Open a new Terminal window.
Windows: Start > type "cmd" into the Search text field and press Enter. (This is a DOS prompt.)
At the command-line, type:
ping edge-large.rifftrax.comand let it run.
You'll see something that looks like this:
Copy and paste the Ping output into a Help ticket.
You'll see something that looks like this:
Copy and paste the Ping output into a Help ticket.
Test #2: Run a traceroute to our server.
Difficulty: easyRunning a Traceroute gives us more specific, detailed insight into the "hops" along your connection.
The path that any Internet transfer takes many hops between you and the server sending you its data. Because the Internet is such a vast web of interconnected servers, it's completely possible that even just one server along that path can be a cause for delayed or interrupted downloads. Traceroute data will help us isolate any problematic server.
Unlike with Ping, Traceroute is slightly different between to the two major operating systems:
OSX: In Terminal, type:
traceroute edge-large.rifftrax.comWindows: At the DOS prompt, typetracert edge-large.rifftrax.comYou'll see output like this:
In this case it looks like Telia.net in Las Vegas is having slightly higher latency than everyone else, but nothing that could cause a dropped download.
Copy and paste the traceroute input into your ticket or email.
Test #3: create an MTR record.
Difficulty: medium
This is the best test and will provide our EdgeCast support engineers with valuable data that will help them troubleshoot and solve the issue, or at least let us figure out which "hop" along your network path is the reason for the download trouble.
OSX/Linux: the command-line application mtr is usually included. Enter this command:
mtr edge-large.rifftrax.comWindows:
1. Download the WinMTR application from SourceForge. You can read more about what this application does, and find some alternatives, in this article.
2. Next, in the MTR application, create a request to the server edge-large.rifftrax.com. Let the application run for a minute or so (you do not have to keep it running indefinitely), but save the output as a text file.
Once you have an MTR log file saved, attach it to a Help ticket and continue onto Step 3: Send us an email!
2. Next, in the MTR application, create a request to the server edge-large.rifftrax.com. Let the application run for a minute or so (you do not have to keep it running indefinitely), but save the output as a text file.
Once you have an MTR log file saved, attach it to a Help ticket and continue onto Step 3: Send us an email!
Test #4: try to download the file using wget.
Difficulty: mediumOSX: Open a Terminal window (Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
Windows: You'll need to download wget for Windows from this page.
Enter the command:
wget -SO yourfilename.ext "http://edge-large.rifftrax.com/yourfilename.ext?token=abunchoftext"(the full URL and filename of the file you are downloading may vary)
Once wget has begun transferring your fi9le, copy and paste the full output (including - and especially - the Response Headers) into your support ticket or email. You can then cancel the download, or let it run if you prefer.