Topic: Pause when trying to connect to external web site

[Mike Stoddart]

When I try to initially connect to an external (i.e. internet) web site, my Windowsd 98 browser pauses for several seconds before it establishes the connection. I don't recall this happening when connecting to sites under Linux, so I presume its a Windows thing. Has anyone else seen this? Im using E-Smith 3.1. It's rather annoying, as Im connecting through ADSL.

Thanks

[P-K]

Someone correct me if I am wrong on this. I also experienced the same thing. This is not a windows thing but rather the caching DNS server on e-smith. I found that after I connected to a site couple times the connection time then became instant because the DNS server had already cached the record. It just take a few seconds the first time for the DNS to resolve the domain name and then cache the results.

P-K

[Orville Carter]

Mike,

I think P-K is right. Having a traffic monitoring package on the Linux machine ia very usefull.
IPTRAF is installed on my e-smith gateway machine. I can tell the status and speed of any
network interface - eth0 and/or eth1 - at the same time.

[Buster]

Depending on your version of IE check:
Tools -> Internet Options -> Connection -> Lan Settings

From what I have found if Automaticly detect settings is checked IE pauses for a second when you first launch it while it detects the network settings. You shouldn't need this if you are using squid on e-smith, or have the gateway set up in the Network Properties.

Something to look at anyways.

[Mike Stoddart]

No, IE isnt using automatic detection. I must explain something better. When I run Linux on the machine behind the E-Smith server, it doesnt suffer from this pause. Maybe I need to reinstall Windows. It's almost time for it anyway.

Thanks folks

[Luke Drumm]

Hi,

Just one other small thing you may wish to note:

If IE is loading a page where it thinks the contents *may* possibly be contained on a local or network drive, then it will do a full drive read/refresh (some akin to you opening up 'My Computer').

This usually isn't too much of a hassle but it can cause annoying delays if there's a slow drive (such as the 'wrm-up' time for a CD-ROM drive).

If you're prefixing all of you URLs with the correct protocol (eg. 'http://') then this usually avoids the above mentioned 'problem'.

Should this all be a whole load of twaddle, please continue in your networked ways.

Regards,
Luke.

[Mike Stoddart]

Hmmmmm, I'm using Linux Mandrake at the moment, and it's blindingly quick compared to Windows. Windows is doing something strange between me telling IE to goto a web site and it actually displaying the first page. Windows is definitely due for a re-install!

[Charlie Brady]

Mike Stoddart wrote:

> Hmmmmm, I'm using Linux Mandrake at the moment, and it's
> blindingly quick compared to Windows. Windows is doing
> something strange between me telling IE to goto a web site and
> it actually displaying the first page. Windows is definitely
> due for a re-install!

That won't necessarily help you. I have vague recollections that IE pokes
around looking for icon files - make sure that you are configured to
use your squid proxy on the e-smith box, and look in the squid logs, then you might be able to see what is going on.

Charlie

[John Helms]

I have noticed something like this with all versions of IE in Win98. Some of my clients have mixed 95 and 98 workstations. The IE in 95 works fine, connects fairly fast, etc. But the versions of IE in 98 do something in the background and sometimes will turn up this idiotic page that acts as if you are not connected at all. Hit refresh and it works. I am wondering if perhaps Microsoft in all their brilliance put some sort of timeout in the newer versions of IE. Whos knows?! Anyway I see the same thing that you described with Linux vs. Win98 in our own office. I use Linux and its fast everytime. A co-worker uses 98 with IE and gets this refresh page constantly.
Sorry I don't have an answer to offer but just wanted you to know you are not the only one seeing this.

[Mike Stoddart]

My solution in 98 is to change the network settings, so that I specify the DNS servers specifically, rahter than having to rely on the E-Smith server. But that also means I have to specify a machine name and workgroup, but I can live with that. THe difference is amazing though - configured like this, it's blindingly fast!