Linksys WRT54G slow loading webpages

Has anyone else had this problem? For the past few weeks now I've notice
that my router is very slow loading webpages, ibut f I download a file the
speed is great. Need help. The router is a Linksys WRT54G ver 2. with the
latest firmware.

sounds like spyware or so called browser helpers. if the files are
getting through fast your router is not the issue.

Trust me, it's not spyware.


"frank" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> sounds like spyware or so called browser helpers. if the files are
> getting through fast your router is not the issue.
>

Is it slow at loading individual elements or is it slow at completing the
entire page?

If the latter, web pages these days get files from many different locations
and it may be that your system or its DNS servers are no longer caching IP
addresses (there was a major issue with certain versions and configurations
of BIND a few weeks ago). Thus, there may be a delay as the download of
each element starts because of DNS lookups. The solution may be to switch
to a browser that can be configured to download many files simultaneously.

If the former, some ISPs limit the bandwidth for data that travels over
certain ports (I think that the WRT54G also has a similar feature, but it
needs to be turned on and it is not the default). Thus, it may be that your
ISP is limiting the amount of traffic over port 80.

Finally, are you absolutely sure that it's not spyware?

-Yves

"???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:_lrge.1056$(E-Mail Removed) ink.net...
> Has anyone else had this problem? For the past few weeks now I've notice
> that my router is very slow loading webpages, ibut f I download a file the
> speed is great. Need help. The router is a Linksys WRT54G ver 2. with the
> latest firmware.
>
>

I'm sure it's not spyware, the problem been happening on all of my pc's on
the network. Plus the laptop I use just had a fresh install of the OS.

Sometimes the page loads slow and sometimes it doesn't load at all. It even
loads slow sometimes when I log in to the router setup page. And it doesn't
matter if I use wireless or wired connection.



"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:d5tlo6$l76$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it slow at loading individual elements or is it slow at completing the
> entire page?
>
> If the latter, web pages these days get files from many different
> locations and it may be that your system or its DNS servers are no longer
> caching IP addresses (there was a major issue with certain versions and
> configurations of BIND a few weeks ago). Thus, there may be a delay as
> the download of each element starts because of DNS lookups. The solution
> may be to switch to a browser that can be configured to download many
> files simultaneously.
>
> If the former, some ISPs limit the bandwidth for data that travels over
> certain ports (I think that the WRT54G also has a similar feature, but it
> needs to be turned on and it is not the default). Thus, it may be that
> your ISP is limiting the amount of traffic over port 80.
>
> Finally, are you absolutely sure that it's not spyware?
>
> -Yves
>
> "???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:_lrge.1056$(E-Mail Removed) ink.net...
>> Has anyone else had this problem? For the past few weeks now I've notice
>> that my router is very slow loading webpages, ibut f I download a file
>> the speed is great. Need help. The router is a Linksys WRT54G ver 2. with
>> the latest firmware.
>>
>>
>
>

"???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Trust me, it's not spyware.

I wouldn't bet on it, but I do know a way to find out. Get one
of the various live Linux on a CD disks, like Knoppix, and boot
it up. If web pages download slowly to Linux, it guaranteed is
not any sort of malware. On the other hand, if you are using
any Microsoft OS, and certainly if you use Outlook Express or
Internet Explorer , it probaby is spyware.

>"frank" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>> sounds like spyware or so called browser helpers. if the files are
>> getting through fast your router is not the issue.
>>

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

"Floyd L. Davidson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>Trust me, it's not spyware.
>
> I wouldn't bet on it, but I do know a way to find out. Get one
> of the various live Linux on a CD disks, like Knoppix, and boot
> it up. If web pages download slowly to Linux, it guaranteed is
> not any sort of malware. On the other hand, if you are using
> any Microsoft OS, and certainly if you use Outlook Express or
> Internet Explorer , it probaby is spyware.


No it's not.

"???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Sometimes the page loads slow and sometimes it doesn't load at all. It even
>loads slow sometimes when I log in to the router setup page. And it doesn't
>matter if I use wireless or wired connection.

That is indicative. Try that with nothing connected to the WAN
port, and if possible with no wireless clients connected
(removing the antennas will likely result in no connections).

Then look at the errors for your NIC (most ifconfig or ipconfig
commands will show error counts, though some might not). Move
around between web pages, and do "reload" a few times. When it
loads slow or stops, go look at the interface errors again.

If you have third party firmware in the WRT54G you can also look
at the interface errors on the router.

An increase in collision counts probably indicates you have a
congested LAN??? (Seems unlikely.) Anything else might be a
hardware problem, probably with the cabling.

If you can't do all of the above, try using a crossover cable
between your workstation and the router. Or next best is to
cable both of them to a hub or a switch, but remove everything
else. If that is essentially what you already have, don't just
remove the others, but also switch the cable used between the
switch and the workstation and the cable between the switch and
the router.

It could be that "exercising" the cable connectors will correct
it. Pull them out and plug them back in 4-5 times, and do it to
all of your cables.

Whatever, if you can find other descriptive characteristics,
they do help in pointing at where the problem is. It makes a
*big* difference that it happens on both wired and wireless
connections, for example. And the fact that it happens on web
pages served from the router is significant too. Anything that
you change, which does or does not affect it, is perhaps
helpful.


--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

"Floyd L. Davidson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>Sometimes the page loads slow and sometimes it doesn't load at all. It
>>even
>>loads slow sometimes when I log in to the router setup page. And it
>>doesn't
>>matter if I use wireless or wired connection.
>
> That is indicative. Try that with nothing connected to the WAN
> port, and if possible with no wireless clients connected
> (removing the antennas will likely result in no connections).
>
> Then look at the errors for your NIC (most ifconfig or ipconfig
> commands will show error counts, though some might not). Move
> around between web pages, and do "reload" a few times. When it
> loads slow or stops, go look at the interface errors again.
>
> If you have third party firmware in the WRT54G you can also look
> at the interface errors on the router.
>
> An increase in collision counts probably indicates you have a
> congested LAN??? (Seems unlikely.) Anything else might be a
> hardware problem, probably with the cabling.
>
> If you can't do all of the above, try using a crossover cable
> between your workstation and the router. Or next best is to
> cable both of them to a hub or a switch, but remove everything
> else. If that is essentially what you already have, don't just
> remove the others, but also switch the cable used between the
> switch and the workstation and the cable between the switch and
> the router.
>
> It could be that "exercising" the cable connectors will correct
> it. Pull them out and plug them back in 4-5 times, and do it to
> all of your cables.
>
> Whatever, if you can find other descriptive characteristics,
> they do help in pointing at where the problem is. It makes a
> *big* difference that it happens on both wired and wireless
> connections, for example. And the fact that it happens on web
> pages served from the router is significant too. Anything that
> you change, which does or does not affect it, is perhaps
> helpful.


I just finished downgrading the routers back to the firmware it came with
when I got it. Even doing that was a pain in the ass. But maybe that will
fix it, I've been reading on other forums that it could also have something
to do with the MTU setting on the router. Seens like it could be a bug.


Thanks again.

On Thu, 12 May 2005 03:17:39 GMT, "???" <????@earthlink.net> wrote:

>I've been reading on other forums that it could also have something
>to do with the MTU setting on the router. Seens like it could be a bug.

MTU (maximum transfer unit) is the maximum size of an IP packet. 1500
for ethernet is typical. 1492 for PPPoE DSL connections is another
common value. The problem is that the MTU is a negotiated value
between the destination router and your router. Routers that block
ICMP messages and firewalls with crude SMURF protection will screw up
the MTU negotiation. The usual symptom is that a we page partially
loads and then stops.

See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q159211/
for some details.

You can test for the maximum MTU size with ping using the "do not
fragment" flag. This will send a fixed size packet to a router with
instructions not to chop the packet into smaller pieces. The largest
size packet that the router can digest is the maxium MTU.

Run:
Start -> Run -> cmd <enter>
ping -f -l 1000 IP_Address
1000 is certain to work. Now increase the value of the packet size
until it craps out. Subtract 28 bytes from the value and that's your
maximum MTU. Pick an IP address somewhere on the internet so that
you're checking all the intermediate routers.

C:\> ping -f -l 1273 63.249.85.127
Pinging 63.249.85.127 with 1273 bytes of data:
Packet needs to be fragmented but DF set.
Packet needs to be fragmented but DF set.

C:\> ping -f -l 1272 63.249.85.127
Pinging 63.249.85.127 with 1272 bytes of data:
Reply from 63.249.85.127: bytes=1272 time=40ms TTL=137
Reply from 63.249.85.127: bytes=1272 time=30ms TTL=137

The above IP address is that of my BEFW11S4v4 router at home. Looks
like something is screwed up. Maximum MTU is:
1272 - 28 = 1244 bytes
which is quite a bit less than the usual 1500. Some router along the
path is either misconfigurated or screwed up. Checking traceroute, I
find that the local SBC DSL router is the culprit. Sigh.


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831.336.2558 voice http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
# (E-Mail Removed)
# (E-Mail Removed) AE6KS