MonitorWare Knowledge Base

Hi all, this is my first post and it's a bit of a brain bender!!
We have a number of Windows XP Pro workstations connected through Windows2000 servers to a 2MB leased line. We have our web servers based in docklands. Both ends are firewalled using Watchguard 2500's. The DNS is set up remotely in London but we also have active directory DNS in our offices.

The problem I am having is when we use a Windows xp workstation to connect to a secure connection on one of our London servers we are experience extreme slowness. The server is a https:// secure server running on port 8080.

Windows 2000 workstations don't have any problems just xp . I've tried bypassing the DNS incase it was due to that by using host files but still to no avail. Does anyone know if there are any bugs in xp which could cause this sort of problem or maybe it's something else....

Any advice would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks guys!!

Hi,

is simply browsing slow? Or is name resolution really the weakness?
Maybe you can verify by PINGing some host which has not resolved yet and counting the time it needs to resolve the name.

Yeah that was my first thought, however after pinging a few website's I'd never visited before and getting responces of <10ms instantly and also checking using the nslookup utility I realised that it was most likely nothing to do with DNS.

The server it's self is a W2k Adv. Server SP4 running IIS 5. The fact that it only does it on HTTPS secure sites is the strange thing, and accessing from Windows 2000 is fine. This has to be XP related in one way or another, I just can't figure out what......

Help!

Maybe it's more on application (https) related problem here.
I recommend that you try the https sites with an alternative browser (www.oepra.com for example). If this is as slow as in Internet Explorer it's something else, but you can be certain then.

Thanks Andre, I'll try that and see what happens...

Have tried it using Opera and the speed problem dissapears, this must be localised to MS Internet Explorer on xp Pro.
If anyone knows of a possible fix please post it here - I've updated all service packs and updates but still to no joy.

Hi,

is there maybe a proyx configure in IE?
And maybe you have adware on this pc (can be installed over many ways) which hooks into IE and causes problems in your case?

You can remove adware by using AdAware.

There's no proxy connected but all pc's have AdAware installed - hadn't thought of that. I'll try uninstalling it on one of the pc's and see if that helps - if that's the problem then I'll buy you a virtual beer!!

Many thanks!

rofl Maybe it helps

Problem sorted!!! Nice one, you da man!! Many thanks!