504 Gateway Time Out

Factual Questions
1

We recently updated an online program I use at work. I never had issues with it before this major update.

It works well except for the search function. When I use it I get an error message saying:

504 Gateway Time-out The server didn’t respond in time.

I spoke to our IT guy who says, it’s me, when he uses it, it searches fine. He suggested that I clear the cache, try another brower with no extensions, clear the cookies.

OK I’ve tried all this, clearing cache and cookies. I have used Firefox, Chrome, IE and MS Edge with the same results.

They are “clean” default browsers with no extensions. I have tired on my laptop, my computer, my phone. From both home and work. No luck.

Now I will say after about 20 times or as many as 50 times, I can get it. Though that can take a half hour to an hour to get into it.

I am the only one in my office who uses this, so it’s not a priority for the IT person, who only visits once a week, unless a major problem happens.

It seems to me the error message indicates it’s on the end of the website not on my side. I don’t know enough to make a correct statement on that though.

I would also like to make clear, everything else I do on the website works fine, just the search function.

So I am asking any computer types if they have any suggestions. And if you can tell me whether or not it probably is on my side or the website’s.

Thanks

2

What happens if you borrow someone else’s computer and try it there? Do you have any newly built or newly imaged systems? If so try it there. And if it’s accessible from outside the office, try that as well.

3

Do you log in before you search? Is the IT person logging in as him/herself or as you?

Have you tried doing it from another network? Like on your laptop but someone else’s wifi connection? Or home network versus work network?

Have you tried rebooting your router?

4

Probably not on your local machine. There are approximately 10 gazillion reasons why this could be happening, but it’s usually a slow server and/or a configured timeout Did your IT guy try the same search criteria you were using?

5

Some info on the error:

If your IT guy can use it without error then it could be a problem with your office’s connection. I’m pretty sure if you borrowed another PC in your office you’d get the same error. Really your IT person should have done some troubleshooting rather than blowing you off, nobody should be so busy they can’t be bothered to fix a significant problem even if it affects just one person, if this is a system you need to use to do your job. But I’m veering from GQ territory here.

Sounds like you’ve eliminated the slim chance that this is a problem with your system and this should be handled by your IT person, or your network people, or possibly whoever provides support for the service you’re connecting to.

(I’m an IT guy with 16+ years in the industry working right now for my state government.)

6

I have tried logging in from my office and my home which are different ISPs, same thing.

Yes, I have to login with my own name. I am the only one in the office that accesses this currently.

I have tried logging in via several desktops at work, my phone and my laptop at work. Using both the network and our Wifi (which guests can use) connection. And I have tried from my home using my phone, and laptop and my home desktop. I have also tired using the cellphone on wifi and on the phone 4G.

The IT person would have his own login. I don’t know what search he used but I will ask when I see him next.

We are a rather small NPO and we have an IT person who contracts for us. He’s in once a week, unless something major happens. I don’t “need” to use the search I can always browse, but that takes a long time. Of course having to hit the search for a half hour is about the same…LOL

The error message seems to be saying the search has to be completed in a desginated time (say 15 seconds or else the server rejects it). I can do very short search quickly, but if I have to any search which has more than two options it stalls out.

Thanks for the help, I will ask about the login next time. I just figured the phrasing of the error message sounds like a server issue not alloting enough time for a search to go through.

7

It totally sounds like a search issue, not something on your end. Your IT person needs to search with the same keywords and logged in as you. There can be errors related to your permissions on your account that would not be present with someone else’s login so that is why the person helping you needs to log in as you.

Bad blow-off, for sure.