Thanks for your thoughts about Wordfence.
I noticed that you didn’t open a support request about this, at least not one that I can find. From what you wrote I am unsure if you are saying that Wordfence caused images and css on the site to go missing, or if the missing images and css belonged to the Wordfence plugin. Either way we’d have been happy to help you sort this out if you had asked. Should you decide to try Wordfence again, or someone else finds this review and wants to know, this video shows the fastest way to get support for the plugin:
https://youtu.be/NLswn9SkNY0
If I was to guess at what the problem was (this is a guess, mind you)
– if the css and images were missing from the Wordfence plugin after you installed it the entire plugin may not have been downloaded. The plugin files are downloaded from www.ads-software.com and we have no control over network issues there. Occasionally this happens but it is not often. The fastest fix is to delete the /wp-content/plugins/wordfence folder and download and install it again. You might have to clear any caching on the site afterwards as well.
– if you were saying that other images and css files were missing, a few other things could have been the cause. Wordfence, by default, has the Firewall in Learning Mode so Brute Force Protection, Rate Limiting Rules, etc are working but the firewall isn’t blocking a lot so it can ‘learn’ actions on your website that are normal. The values for things like Brute Force Protection and Rate Limiting Rules are set moderately high to make sure people who install the plugin aren’t immediately blocked or locked out. While it is possible that someone set an option that caused unintentional consequences it shouldn’t have been something Wordfence did on it’s own. Again, opening a support request would have been the fastest way to get help and we probably could have saved you a lot of effort if you asked. Unlike other companies we don’t try to point fingers or yell “NOT IT” when people have problems. We also try to point people in the right direction and tell them why we believe Wordfence didn’t cause the issue.
Regardless, if you do decide to choose another security provider we wish you all the best in your experience with them.
I did want to also reiterate what Jan said. These forums are managed and operated by the fine folks at www.ads-software.com, many of whom are volunteers. We don’t ask for the mods to remove posts or comments. In the 8+ years I have worked here they very rarely have removed anything for anyone because of rules they follow to keep things fair, which we respect. Occasionally, the mods will remove duplicate posts, posts that are offensive, spam posts, and the like but that is at their discretion and we, or any other plugin author for that matter, have no say in the process.
Mia
