Re: IE & Router problem

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

"NormanM" <spammers.are@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1b396hrut88ao.dlg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:16:00 -0700, Paul W wrote:

"NormanM" wrote:

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 10:32:00 -0700, Paul W wrote:

I am running Windows XP SP2, IE6, and have been accessing my Internet ISP by
a simple (ISP supplied) ADSL modem. I have switched to a D-Link router and
now find that i cannot send email (but recieve ok) due to 'host unexepectedly
terminated the connection' error. I am also finding it very slow accessing
specific web sites. I have checked configs and applied latest router updates;
no difference.
I have borrowed a NetGear router from a friend; it gives me the same
problem. I have connected a laptop running Win2k to both routers; the laptop
works fine with both routers.
If i switch the XP PC the back to the modem, all works fine again.
My conclusion is that i some sort of conflict in the PC that is interfering
with the router operation, but what? Any ideas?
NB: I have used TCPOptimiser to check MTUs - via router or moden it gives me
the same information - max size setting of 1458.

It might help to know your connection type: Cable, or DSL? There should be
no conflict between MSIE and a router; thousands have hooked things up this
way over the years. There *could* be an issue with certain specific
configurations, such as "cascaded NAT", which happens with some DSL modems,
which are actually combination modem/router units.

My connection is via an ADSL, and both routers are combined ADSL modem/routers.

I agree its an odd problem. Talking to router suppliers and my ISP has not
given any clues, but something is clearly wrong. My analysis suggests the
problem lies within IE on my PC, but happy to proved wrong. Is there any
basic difference between the way IE communicates to an ISP directly via modem
or via a router/modem path?

There is no difference in the behavior of MSIE between a router, and a
direct modem connection. Browser issues HTTP commands to an IP address,


Norman,

Conceptually the browser issues HTTP commands to a server *name*.
In order for that to work though the name has to be converted to an IP address
and a connection established with a server there. If that's not getting done
it explains the symptom too. My questions are how much of that is done
by the application and how much is done (or assumed done) in lower level
layers by the OS? Also how much caching of those lookups is done
and how effective is it? Then, concerning the point being made, are there
different timeouts associated with using local versus global addresses?

Making the first connection to a particular server by an instance of the browser
(e.g. task running iexplore.exe) looks to me to be an iffy procedure.
If there are differences as well regarding local versus global addresses
that could just compound the uncertainty about how successful
that first connection might be.

Once a site has been accessed by an instance of a browser there may be
less of a problem using it. E.g. apparently there is an in storage cache
(different from dnscache) which would save users that source of delay
(at the risk of incorrect lookup? ref. KB263558.) Fortunately it seems
to go away when iexplore.exe is recycled.

So I think there could be a significant hurdle doing the first (or subsequently
required) DNS lookup for a name, especially depending on how long IE
needs to wait/does wait for it. And I suspect that the *first* lookup also
has to dodge whatever timeout is used by the AutoSearch/AutoScan machinery
when the user neglects to add a protocol prefix to the "request".


In order to make sure that this is not a factor I have been suggesting users
could use ping -n 1 to load the dnscache for IE (and check with /displaydns
how long they had to use it.) In addition, in the case that the lookup is for an
alias, it appears that it is also necessary to ping -n 1 the canonical name
and get it loaded into the dnscache too. Of course adding an entry to HOSTS
would completely eliminate both factors (provided there weren't any redirects
which would completely negate all that careful preventive action. <w>)


server at that IP address responds. The router *should* transparent to MSIE.


I think we had a case in the other IE NG recently which showed that a router
was trying to act as the DNS. So that could be adding to the delays for lookups.

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general&mid=13693974-fec7-4f61-b50d-4a0e52580780&sloc=en-us

E.g. if the OS sees a local address as a DNS address perhaps it would
expect to see responses to such requests more quickly and more reliably
than it would if it knew that the DNS was remote over a (relatively slow)
transport?


Robert
---



Also looked at NAT options in both my router - only one option:
enable/disable NAT. If i disable, all connectivity to the internet is lost.

Of course. NAT translates both IP address and port number between the WAN
and the LAN. MSIE issues an HTTP GET command to www.example.com. MSIE does a
DNS lookup on www.example.com, finds it at 11.22.33.44, sends the GET
command to 11.22.33.44 from local port 1234. Router puts LAN IP address and
port 1234 into it NAT table, and sends th GET packet on its way to
11.22.33.44 from it port 1536. Server sends a response to your public IP
address at port 1536, your router looks up the destination in its NAT table,
and forwards the response to your LAN IP address at port 1234. As I said,
that process should be transparent to MSIE.

I can't think of anything in MSIE that would choke with a router, but work
without one.

Are you running the D-Link router *and* a DSL modem? Does your ISP require
PPPoE?

--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum



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