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BlueSky · Aug 13, 2009, 12:46 PM

I have what I consider to be an adequate download speed, at least according to http://www.speedtest.net :

But in the last few months nearly every site I visit takes an interminable amount of time to start loading. Once it starts, speed is OK, but I'm really getting annoyed with that blank white page hanging there before it loads. Sometimes it's up to 20 seconds or so.

Is there some network setting I could change, is there anything at all I can do about this? I use Safari, OS X 10.5.7. Emptying Safari's cache/history doesn't seem to have any effect.

Calling Charter Cable is out of the question, I've jumped through those worthless hoops before.

Dakar V · Aug 13, 2009, 12:59 PM

Honestly, since May or so, most of the internet feels like its slowed down. Not all of the time, but it seems like any given place I go will at some point take way longer to either start or finish loading.

-Q- · Aug 13, 2009, 01:21 PM

I don't know when it started, but I've started noticing that, too. I think I've just been subconsciously blaming Comcast...

nonhuman · Aug 13, 2009, 01:23 PM

Stop using FIrefox.

Dakar V · Aug 13, 2009, 01:27 PM

Who?

nonhuman · Aug 13, 2009, 01:28 PM

Whoever's got a slow browser.

olePigeon · Aug 13, 2009, 01:30 PM

Maybe the root nameservers are being DDOSed again.

Dakar V · Aug 13, 2009, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Whoever's got a slow browser.

The OP seems to suggest he's using Safari. I know I am.

So it can't be that.

nonhuman · Aug 13, 2009, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar V

The OP seems to suggest he's using Safari. I know I am.

So it can't be that.

Yeah, missed that... Need more coffee...

BlueSky · Aug 13, 2009, 01:47 PM

Hmm, maybe the tubes are clogged?

OK, I'm relatively naive about the mechanics of interwebbery functions 'n stuff, i know nothing about packets and pings, but let me venture what's probably a naive notion just suggested by my gf...Twitter has taken off like crazy in the past few months. Could it be the constant tweeting that's clogging stuff up? Or doesn't it work that way..

Dakar V · Aug 13, 2009, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by BlueSky

Hmm, maybe the tubes are clogged?

I'm of the mind that we're teetering on the brink of having too many people too connected (for current resources). Of course in the past few days I've been reading how the US telcos have had a freeze on their infrastructure growth, so maybe its just that.

ShortcutToMoncton · Aug 13, 2009, 02:04 PM

Why? Is Firefox a lot slower than Safari?

I just hate those invisible pop-up "close tab" buttons in Safari.... drives me nuts. Of course it's on the opposite side of Explorer, which I have to use at the office every day... so I guess the wrong side every time.

greg

nonhuman · Aug 13, 2009, 02:24 PM

Every single version of Firefox that I have ever used has had some sort of memory leak that, given time, slows your entire system to a crawl.

besson3c · Aug 13, 2009, 03:20 PM

Why not start off with the more direct and obvious causes, such as your DNS server? Have you tried another, such as OpenDNS?

smacintush · Aug 13, 2009, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Why not start off with the more direct and obvious causes, such as your DNS server? Have you tried another, such as OpenDNS?

You are a genius.

My internets was great for a long time then I started to have slowdowns and stalls…right about the time my ISP ****ed with their DNS server.

It's been great for a while now…after I switched to OpenDNS.

I never made the connection.

ghporter · Aug 13, 2009, 07:49 PM

Besson wins! Whenever you get decent speeds but it takes forever to start a page loading, that's almost guaranteed to be a DNS problem. Manually enter the OpenDNS server addresses (208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220) in your Network Settings pane (click on Advanced for your primary network adapter, then choose the DNS tab), and you should be good to go. I'll bet OpenDNS's servers make your old ones look even lamer than you already thought.

besson3c · Aug 13, 2009, 08:46 PM

What do I win?

All I'd like is for people to stop hating my guts so bad.

Dakar V · Aug 13, 2009, 08:50 PM

Sorry, we're fresh out of that.

besson3c · Aug 13, 2009, 08:57 PM

What must I do to earn your respect, Dakar V? I try so hard, and you just reject me over and over again. Even though you don't write angry or sarcastic smilies for me, I just feel them at the back of my skull. I think Jesus is looking down at the world and sobbing.

BlueSky · Aug 14, 2009, 01:33 AM

Thank you besson3c, OpenDNS works great. The difference is remarkable. You are a genius, a hero and you deserve a doctorate in DNSery. Can't believe I haven't heard of this before.

Thank you all for your replies!

ghporter · Aug 14, 2009, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

What do I win?

Cookies, of course. Check your browser-you probably already have a kazillion of 'em!

Originally Posted by besson3c

All I'd like is for people to stop hating my guts so bad.

That's something you'll get to one hero act at a time. Once people see your true, helpful nature, they'll come around.

Seriously, thanks for pointing this out. Maybe we should start asking OpenDNS for a commission... Oh wait. They're free. Dang!

Oneota · Aug 14, 2009, 10:13 AM

I had OpenDNS's servers entered into the DNS field on my DSL modem for awhile, and I kept getting DNS timeouts which were driving me crazy. I switched off of them back to my ISPs, and DNS started working a lot more reliably for me.

Odd, since OpenDNS is supposed to be so magical, but for the last 30-40 days, they've given me a lot of headaches. Maybe I'll try one of the root DNS servers instead.

ghporter · Aug 14, 2009, 10:38 AM

Who is your ISP, and what modem do you have?

I have my DSL modem set to bridge, so everything is handled in my router, and with OpenDNS in the router, it's all very smooth.

besson3c · Aug 14, 2009, 01:36 PM

OpenDNS is far from magical, they are limited by the same sorts of resource allocation/scalability concerns as anybody else.

Another option is to switch on your own DNS server, which is not hard to do. Bind is built right into OS X...

Laminar · Aug 14, 2009, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Another option is to switch on your own DNS server, which is not hard to do. Bind is built right into OS X...

Oh yeah, my mom was bored last week so she did that.

besson3c · Aug 14, 2009, 04:18 PM

Having a bad day, Laminar? Why are you looking for a fight? It's all relative, I wasn't suggesting that your Mom could do this on her own, although your Mom is a pretty talented woman! I have no idea whether this is over the heads of whomever is reading this, I'm just providing options is all...

ghporter · Aug 14, 2009, 04:21 PM

Back on topic...

besson, how does one set up one's own DNS server? I get a vague idea from your mention of Bind, but that's about it. Instructions? Sites with "how to" guides?

ShortcutToMoncton · Aug 14, 2009, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

It's all relative, I wasn't suggesting that your Mom could do this on her own, although your Mom is a pretty talented woman!

Ah ha ha ha ha

slick

besson3c · Aug 14, 2009, 04:40 PM

- sudo touch /etc/rndc.conf
- sudo chown <yourusername> /etc/rndc.conf
- sudo rndc-confgen > /etc/rndc.conf
- look at this file and take the first 6 lines or so with the key information and write this to /etc/rndc.key
- edit /etc/rndc.conf as root (sudo <whatever editor> /etc/rndc.conf), change the default port from 953 to 54
- sudo named to start the server

You'll need to create a Launchd script to start named on boot. To test that your name server is working:

Code:
$ host forums.macnn.com localhost
Using domain server:
Name: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1#53
Aliases: 

forums.macnn.com has address 207.58.150.187

Then, just update your Network settings to use 127.0.0.1 as your DNS server