Subject: Re: Dialout Frustration using Linux Network Appliance
From: Greg Jetter (greg@lazymountain.com)
Date: Mon Nov 19 2001 - 16:49:47 AKST
On Monday 19 November 2001 08:50 am, Bill Updegraff wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I am not a Linux person but am in a situation where I am trying to bring up
> A Sun Cobalt Qube 3 Internet Appliance running Linux to connect our small
> network(35 Windows 98 workstations, 2 NT 4.0 servers) via a dialup modem to
> ACS Internet in Glennallen. We currently have no DSL or cable modem
> service available in this area but hope to have it in the first quarter of
> next year.
>
> Our existing gateway in an Interjet leased from ACS Internet. The Interjet
> has functioned admirably for four years but is a dead product and ACS
> Internet is gradually removing all Interjets from service. Hence we must
> replace it. The Qube3 seemed a good choice and has had decent reviews.
>
> I have been struggling for about three months to get web browsers to work
> adequately from client workstations via the Qube3 connection to ACS
> Internet. Prior to last Saturday, it would take www.google.com about 2
> minutes to load. The main page of the New York times would take from 4 to
> six minutes. Until I can get adequate performance from the Qube3, I am
> forced to continue using the Interjet.
>
> Last Saturday morning, I worked with David Syzdek from ACS Interjet who was
> very helpful. Our connection to ACS Internet involves both Internet
> content filtering and a static IP address. ACS Internet authenticates
> users using Radius on a SUN Solaris server(I don't know the model). David
> turned off the filtering and the use of a static IP address and
> reintroduced both as we worked together. The real hang up seemed to be
> associated with the use of a static IP address. David changed a
> parameter(port-limit I believe) on the Radius server and our web browsers
> started working about half the speed that we could achieve using the
> Interjet under the same circumstances. I would like to get the Qube 3 to
> perform at the same level as the Interjet or better. Prior to our
> experimentation on Saturday morning, browsers using the Qube 3 loaded
> pages at about 2% to 3% of the speed achievable over the same dialup link
> with the Interjet.
>
> There is no reason why we should not achieve faster browser downloads with
> the new Qube3. The modem is faster(56K vs. 28.8K), the processor is far
> faster, and the main memory is 128 MB vs. 16 MB.
>
> If you have any thoughts of how to resolve this problem, I would greatly
> appreciate hearing from you.
>
> FYI, Alaska Bible College has about 47 students and a faculty/staff of 17.
> Virtually all of our staff and faculty are supported by churches and
> individuals or are unpaid volunteers. In my particular case, I unretired
> to serve as a full-time volunteer for two years. My tenure is due to end
> sometime next summer. We need to find a full-time replacement volunteer to
> handle my functions.
>
> -Bill
>
>
>
> Bill Updegraff
> Alaska Bible College
> Glennallen, AK 99588
> 907-822-3201
> 907-822-5027 (FAX)
> bill_updegraff@akbible.edu
This is just a guess , but you might try and setup a cacheing server like
Squid , then your web access will speed up on frequently visited pages
because they will be cache on the local drive. Could it be the old
appliance has a Cache going ? and thats why you see the diffrence ? I realy
don't know just throwing it out there.... I assume the router is set up
properly ?
Off the top of my head to trouble shoot this first I would try pinging a few
known addresses with the old system and then with the new and compair you
ping times , if they are the same then the hardware is working right and you
got a problem with the NAT stuff. Could be you got the packet size set
wrong on the new appliance and your doing a lot of retransmissions because of
that. That will make it craw along ....
Good luck
Greg
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a23 : Mon Nov 19 2001 - 16:48:48 AKST