browser hangs in downloads

  • Thread starter Thread starter GBA
  • Start date Start date
G

GBA

hi folks,

have xp/sp3 with 768Ram & 400meghz...have turned off windows firewall and do
not have antivirus at the moment (trying to rule them out)...

both IE8 (set to all default values) and Firefox will hang during any
significant download. Streaming video in example always hangs....but so will
just some web pages that are particularly busy.....browses fine for most
other sites for awhile but will also sometimes just hang.

when can't reach a site - xp will pop up offer network diagnostic feature -
- and that will clear up the problem (though a download has to restart from
beginning and still will never complete...

I ruled out IE8 by trying Firefox....and I don't really think it is a
virus........have looked at the logs offered during the Network Diagnostics
and I see a line about semaphore timeout...

anyone knowing about this? would really appreciate some help on this....
 
GBA said:
hi folks,

have xp/sp3 with 768Ram & 400meghz...have turned off windows firewall and do
not have antivirus at the moment (trying to rule them out)...

both IE8 (set to all default values) and Firefox will hang during any
significant download. Streaming video in example always hangs....but so will
just some web pages that are particularly busy.....browses fine for most
other sites for awhile but will also sometimes just hang.

when can't reach a site - xp will pop up offer network diagnostic feature -
- and that will clear up the problem (though a download has to restart from
beginning and still will never complete...

I ruled out IE8 by trying Firefox....and I don't really think it is a
virus........have looked at the logs offered during the Network Diagnostics
and I see a line about semaphore timeout...

anyone knowing about this? would really appreciate some help on this....
Click to expand...

1. You left out the important part -- how are you connected to the Internet?
2. It's a bad idea to be connected directly to the Internet with no
firewall and no antivirus app.
3. Quote all error messages in full.
 
hi folks,

have xp/sp3 with 768Ram & 400meghz...have turned off windows
firewall and do not have antivirus at the moment (trying to rule
them out)...

both IE8 (set to all default values) and Firefox will hang during
any significant download. Streaming video in example always
hangs....but so will just some web pages that are particularly
busy.....browses fine for most other sites for awhile but will
also sometimes just hang.

when can't reach a site - xp will pop up offer network diagnostic
feature - - and that will clear up the problem (though a download
has to restart from beginning and still will never complete...

I ruled out IE8 by trying Firefox....and I don't really think it
is a virus........have looked at the logs offered during the
Network Diagnostics and I see a line about semaphore timeout...

anyone knowing about this? would really appreciate some help on
this....
Click to expand...

There are a lot of details lacking, but to me the symptoms point to a
MTU value being set too high. The absolute max MTU is 1500 but you
must subtract bytes for headers. Even more bytes must be subtracted
for DSL, and yet more must be subtracted for VPN.

Setting the value too high will force the network to fracture packets
that are too big. This works for a while but soon things get scrambled
and everything halts. This is why this problem is most apparent when
doing downloads.

To rule this out as your problem, change the MTU to an extremely
conservative value of 1300 (assuming you aren't using a dial-up
connection) with the program "DrTCP" available at:
<http://www.dslreports.com/drtcp>
Run it and set MaxMTU to 1300. Reboot machine. If you problem goes
away, then this is your problem. Otherwise you've ruled this out.

You might try the "Tweak Tool" as well:
<http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks>

HTH,
John
 
sorry for leaving out info; am connected directly to a TimeWarner cable
modem.

the firewall/antivirus are off just as a trouble shooting need....

my MTU field was blank - so I put in 1300.

one more thing - downloads such as a file attachment to an email seem to
work....at least so far I've done a couple upto 2M and they've worked ok...

it is the streaming media that really never works at all or at least not for
very long....I went to youtube and tried it after the 1300 MTU entry and the
download to fireup the video went again into hang mode of never ending....of
course I never let it run forever to see if it ever completes....

in the dslreports...mine were not all at default like their example; mine are:
scale: yes
timestamp: no
select acks: yes
path mtu disc yes
black hole: no
max dup: 2
ttl: 64

and then went to <http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks> and saw my java applets
weren't working....so haven't resolved that point....
 
GBA said:
hi folks,

have xp/sp3 with 768Ram & 400meghz...have turned off windows firewall and do
not have antivirus at the moment (trying to rule them out)...

both IE8 (set to all default values) and Firefox will hang during any
significant download. Streaming video in example always hangs....but so will
just some web pages that are particularly busy.....browses fine for most
other sites for awhile but will also sometimes just hang.

when can't reach a site - xp will pop up offer network diagnostic feature -
- and that will clear up the problem (though a download has to restart from
beginning and still will never complete...

I ruled out IE8 by trying Firefox....and I don't really think it is a
virus........have looked at the logs offered during the Network Diagnostics
and I see a line about semaphore timeout...

anyone knowing about this? would really appreciate some help on this....
Click to expand...


My personal opinion is that you will spend lot of time providing lot of
useless information here without any concrete solution. My advice is to
reformat your HD, re-install the OS and all your applications and start
all over again. Please backup your documents, music files, pictures,
emails and porn videos including anything you can't afford to lose.

hth
 
there must be millions, literally, of home users such as myself that have
their PC directly connected to the cable modem provided by, and installed by,
the cable company.........

back to the issue; can't seem to download the java.com recommended to
have....hangs on that task.....both IE8 and Firefox.....and yet can browse
some sites fine. Definitely never streaming media or anything with lots of
activity......

but the XP Network Diagostics process will clear it up - but not a
permanent fix as it will still hang on the same situations.......
 
sorry for leaving out info; am connected directly to a TimeWarner
cable modem.

the firewall/antivirus are off just as a trouble shooting need....

my MTU field was blank - so I put in 1300.

one more thing - downloads such as a file attachment to an email
seem to work....at least so far I've done a couple upto 2M and
they've worked ok...

it is the streaming media that really never works at all or at
least not for very long....I went to youtube and tried it after
the 1300 MTU entry and the download to fireup the video went again
into hang mode of never ending....of course I never let it run
forever to see if it ever completes....

in the dslreports...mine were not all at default like their
example; mine are: scale: yes
timestamp: no
select acks: yes
path mtu disc yes
black hole: no
max dup: 2
ttl: 64

and then went to <http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks> and saw my
java applets weren't working....so haven't resolved that point....
Click to expand...

For the Java problem, try a manual download on another computer,
transfer the file to yours, and run the install:
<http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp>

You might try to reset your IP Stack:
"How to reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357>

LSPFix or WinXPFix will sometimes solve stubborn network problems.

LSPFix:
<http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm>
WinsockxpFix:
<http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html>

Jack's recommendation to use a router is, IMHO, a good one although it
doesn't help you solve this problem. Make sure you have a good anti-
virus checker.

Good Luck,
John
 
Update:

Did get the java downloaded & installed. No change.
Also turned off Power Mgmt options - in that other dialog of similar symptom
affected users that had left their PC for some time. No change.

Did both links that you recommended. The second one seems to have made
things worse; previously when browser would hang - the XP Network
Diagnostics would appear - and that process would clear the browser for more
browsing. Now - it results in the message that winsock needs to be reset.
So I do a netsh winsock reset catalog - - - but unfortunately that requires a
reboot....so that is a bummer.

checked XP system update - and I am current in that department.

bottom line: whether IE8 or Firefox, with firewall & anti virus off, direct
connect to cable modem; and can browse to some sites - like google and this
site and southwest airlines.....but some sites always hang: delta airlines
delta.com, any streaming video....

it would seem the sites that hang are dishing out alot of things...or
perhaps it is the type of things they are dishing out....or possibly refer to
an extremely long url string........but either way during the prolonged
connection the handshaking goes bad.....

as noted in the original post - XP network diagnostics use to note a
semaphore timeout.....not sure if that is a red herring or not.....
 
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