Apollo doesn't seem to work properly. Now what?
Sometimes things don’t go as expected. If that happens, there are simple things you can do to find the problem and be productive again. Here are a few steps to help you locate, and hopefully fix, the most common problems.
Apollo is more demanding than other “classic” web sites. This means that Apollo will work much better, and much faster, if you use the latest version of a supported browser. Plus, modern browsers are much safer for you – nobody for example can send you a well-crafted malicious email, hack your computer and access your private information.
Note: Older versions of the supported browsers as per the list above are not supported.
Resetting your browser’s cache will make sure that Apollo’s code is loaded again in your browser. This can fix some strange problems you may experience with the current version of Apollo. This is rare, but it can happen. Each browser is different.
Read the instructions on how to clear your browser’s cache.
A cookie is used by Apollo to store, within your browser, important information such as your preferences, login status, etc. Unfortunately, cookies can get corrupted and cause problems. Once you’ve deleted your cookies, you will need to login again into Apollo: our server will meet your internet browser for the first time again.
Read the instructions on how to delete cookies.
Plugins, extensions and third party software can all cripple your browser unexpectedly. If you are experiencing strange problems, try changing the browser you use. For example if you use Chrome, try Firefox. If Apollo works fine after the switch, then you’ve found the culprit!
If you are still having trouble after changing browser, then it’s time to check your anti-virus software and your firewall. To see if they are corrupted or generally misbehaving, the best thing to do is temporarily disable them. If this fixes the problem, you will need to either reconfigure or reinstall your antivirus/firewall software.
Check that other web sites actually work. For example visit Google, Yahoo, or Apple. These sites are extremely reliable: if you can’t load them, you are probably experiencing some connectivity problems.
If these sites work fine, but Apollo still doesn’t, maybe you are having problems with your DNS. DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it’s how your computer translates names like www.apollohq.com into 4 short numbers (for example 216.113.156.24). If your problems are due to your DNS, you can try and use Google’s Public DNS or Open DNS and see if things get better.
If you are connected by Wi-Fi (also called Wireless Hotspots), a few things can go wrong. First of all, make sure that you are connected to the right Wi-Fi network – are you sure you didn’t pick up your neighbours’ signal? Did you enter the right password to get in?
If everything looks correct, then check the signal strength: if it’s weak, it means that you are losing a lot of packets. Try to move closer to the access point and access Apollo again.
If the signal is strong and you are still having issues, maybe turn your access point off and on and see if things get better.
If everything else looks OK, check the device that is connecting you to the Internet. The best thing to do is to actually unplug your modem/router from the wall for at least 30 seconds. This will “power-cycle” it – it means that it will start completely afresh when you turn it back on.
If you have a modem and a router, make sure you turn the router back on at least 30 seconds after the modem. When the activity lights in your modem/router seem operational, try your Internet connection again.