Rikki-UK:
Bungle,
Despite our resident technical expert above opinion 
the IP issue is the easiest to explain, a PC , server and domain name servers cache the IP address of websites to speed up access to sites (rather than hunting down the URL’s IP address everytime) , Servers and network routers all have a setting called TTL (Time to Live) which is the frequency the server etc will check that the current IP address for a URL is still accurate. By resetting your own IP you would have reset your PC’s DNS cache.
Yea, i figured it was something like that!
Rikki-UK:
The slow page loads is a bit more complicated and looks like the MySQL database needs tweaking
that explains the repeated and random “mysql database” messages i keep getting!
We had a similar problem, BUT we had converted the database from PHPBB to VBullitin (VBullitin in my opinion is WAY superior to PHPBB… everytime i have used PHPBB it has struggled with large databases!) i seem to remember we ran the database remotely for a while to go easy on the resources on the main server! this seemed to work, then as the new server settled down we transferred sections of it back onto the main server!
Also HEAVY pruning cured ALOT of the database trouble we had with PHPBB, in “general” forum sections like chat areas ETC we deleted any inactive thread after 3 months inactivity. this kept the database down to a more manageable size, AND kept the forum looking clean and tidy!
IMO Rikki, all of the sub forums on here EXCEPT the owner drivers, ALL of the tool box and ask the experts sections and the transport pics COULD (and by rights should) be pruned! if its been inactive for 3 months… BIN it! for the sake of the database!
Rikki-UK:
The PHP issue with the blank pages appearing is even more difficult to track down as it is not consistent and difficult to reproduce however the tech team are looking into it.
PERSONALLY I would try a fresh new install of PHPBB as opposed a version copied over from another server.
Back up the database, stylesheet and permissions then delete and re-install (for pete’s sake do some pruning as above first to make it easyer). the ONLY draw back with this is users passwords WILL be unrecoverable so tell people to make sure their e-mail address on the system is correct as if it isnt the account will be unrecoverable (except by an admin) all people will then need to do is “recover password” before they login 
I appreciate the difficulties mate, I really do! so i hope my advice will not be seen as trying to teach you how to ■■■■ eggs! LOL
Martin:
Three PC’s here all on the same ISP, with 2 PC’s I get the “forbidden” message but on the other I can connect to the site just fine, albeit very slow. The 2 PC’s that fail to connect are using the DNS server configured in my router which was OPENDNS, the one that can connect uses the ZEN Internet DNS server!
Changed my router to use the ZEN servers and still get the forbidden message on 2 PC’s.
Solution was to open a CMD window and enter “ipconfig /flushdns” on both PC’s that cannot connect, and now they can.
Obviously it’s taking a while for some DNS servers to catch up with change, but clearing the DNS cache is also needed it would appear.
funny that as im on "open DNS aswell! but at a router level as opposed to on the PC…
Cheers fellas!
B…
That’ll be due to your Wi-Fi signal being deflected by your hi-viz. 
