Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

justjohn · 2010-04-23 19:10:36

I'm new to ARCH, have some basic linux familiarity.

Just installed with xfce4 on an HP dv8000 laptop using the beginner's guide, and I'm getting internet from eth0, no wlan enabled. (Haven't even bothered to try wireless since I think it's a BC4318 which is apparently tricky to get working.)

There seems to be some sort of connection delay which I assume is probably a configuration problem based on the behavior. First, there is a 10-15 second delay between each file when downloading updates from the repositories. Initially I thought it was a slow mirror, but I also experience the same delay when opening a new browser window and connecting to the first web page (using chromium, in case that's relevant). Web navigation is speedy however, and pings to major websites are around 50ms.

Does anyone know where I might have messed up a setting that would cause this?

justjohn · 2010-04-24 15:42:58

Ok, more detail:

It appears the 10-15 sec delay happens every time I change domains. For example, google takes 12 seconds to load but then search results are fast. Delay when I visit archlinux.org, delay again when I click forums (domain change to bbs.archlinux.org) but no delay moving through forums (not changing domain).

Ideas?

Last edited by justjohn (2010-04-24 15:43:34)

JuseBox · 2010-04-24 16:24:53

justjohn wrote:

Ok, more detail:
It appears the 10-15 sec delay happens every time I change domains. For example, google takes 12 seconds to load but then search results are fast. Delay when I visit archlinux.org, delay again when I click forums (domain change to bbs.archlinux.org) but no delay moving through forums (not changing domain).
Ideas?

Looks more like a DNS issue. When you type in one of the following google IPs what happens? Remember only use the ip addresses not the domain. just tryin to see if you get better results with ip addresses only.

dig google.com

; <<>> DiG 9.2.4 <<>> google.com
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 60994
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 4, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;google.com.            IN    A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
google.com.        43    IN    A    72.14.204.99
google.com.        43    IN    A    72.14.204.147
google.com.        43    IN    A    72.14.204.104
google.com.        43    IN    A    72.14.204.103

;; Query time: 4 msec
;; SERVER: 216.183.168.6#53(216.183.168.6)
;; WHEN: Sat Apr 24 12:23:16 2010
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 92

demian · 2010-04-24 16:32:44

It might also help to disable IPv6.

cesura · 2010-04-24 17:01:04

demian wrote:

It might also help to disable IPv6.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/IPv … the_Module

Last edited by cesura (2010-04-24 17:01:14)

justjohn · 2010-04-24 17:43:01

Okay, I think you're on to something. Putting those IPs in manually does fix the delay.

Off to try the IPv6 thing!

justjohn · 2010-04-24 17:50:32

Okay, the IPv6 thing worked for web browsing. Awesome.

However, I still get the delay between package items. Any ideas there?

Last edited by justjohn (2010-04-24 17:57:52)

cesura · 2010-04-24 18:04:02

justjohn wrote:

Okay, the IPv6 thing worked for web browsing. Awesome.
However, I still get the delay between package items. Any ideas there?

You could just be having bad luck when choosing mirrors.
This one I use and have not had any delays:
http://archlinux.unixheads.org/

If that is experiencing delays, then we can be certain it is your computer rather than slow mirrors and go from there

justjohn · 2010-04-24 18:50:42

Ok, I added that to the start of my mirrorlist to make sure I didn't have anything uncommented before it by accident, and did "pacman -Syu"

Currently updating 15 files, consistently pausing 12-15 seconds between each file. (Throughput good. About as high as my connection ever gets.)

cesura · 2010-04-24 19:05:55

justjohn wrote:

Ok, I added that to the start of my mirrorlist to make sure I didn't have anything uncommented before it by accident, and did "pacman -Syu"
Currently updating 15 files, consistently pausing 12-15 seconds between each file. (Throughput good. About as high as my connection ever gets.)

What sort of connection do you have?

And maybe (just for kicks) try putting the mirror directly in /etc/pacman.conf. Something like:

[core]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Server = http://archlinux.unixheads.org/core/os/i686
[extra]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Server = http://archlinux.unixheads.org/extra/os/i686
[community]
# Add your preferred servers here, they will be used first
Server = http://archlinux.unixheads.org/community/os/i686

justjohn · 2010-04-24 19:19:35

It's a very average DSL connection. I ping ~50 to google and get 180kb/s max download speed on average.

I'm pretty sure I've got it right in the mirrorlist and I am trying to figure out how to use the AUR right now, but maybe I'll put them in manually (for kicks) after I get that figured out.

Last edited by justjohn (2010-04-24 19:34:17)

cesura · 2010-04-24 19:40:21

justjohn wrote:

It's a very average DSL connection. I ping ~50 to google and get 180kb/s max download speed on average.
I'm pretty sure I've got it right in the mirrorlist and I am trying to figure out how to use the AUR right now, but maybe I'll put them in manually (for kicks) after I get that figured out.

Yeah, with that speed you shouldn't be experience 15 second delays at all.

sensory · 2010-05-01 17:48:31

I've had the exact same problem only with my wireless in every Linux installation I've done, and the only way I've found out how to definitively fix it is to use OpenDNS. Browsing will work fine but, as you say, pacman will have delays of 10-15 seconds even if you disable to IPv6 module.

Here's a link to describe the process (in Ubuntu): https://store.opendns.com/setup/operatingsystem/ubuntu

If you're using wicd all you have to do is scroll to the bottom of that page and add, disconnect from your network, hit properties on the network you want to use then tick "Use Static DNS" and enter those DNS servers into DNS 1 and DNS 2 respectively.

Image of how mine looks: http://imgur.com/8ehEj.png

I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do this after making the switch to Arch because it's not something I like doing, but at least it works and it doesn't slow down your connection any. You'll barely notice you're using their service at all, in fact.

Some more info about OpenDNS: http://www.opendns.com/about/overview/

P.S. Don't take any notice of whether their test page says that you're using their servers or not; just try pacman and see if it solves your problem like it did mine. When I go to their test page it says I'm not using their servers either while the delay in pacman has completely vanished.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-23 19:10:36

Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#2 2010-04-24 15:42:58

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#3 2010-04-24 16:24:53

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#4 2010-04-24 16:32:44

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#5 2010-04-24 17:01:04

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#6 2010-04-24 17:43:01

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#7 2010-04-24 17:50:32

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#8 2010-04-24 18:04:02

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#9 2010-04-24 18:50:42

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#10 2010-04-24 19:05:55

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#11 2010-04-24 19:19:35

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#12 2010-04-24 19:40:21

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

#13 2010-05-01 17:48:31

Re: Internet delays (browser start and repositories but not ping)

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