IE6 has an initial delay when loading webpages

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris Dahlberg
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Chris Dahlberg

I have a network setup with a DSL modem, a Microsoft MN-
700 WAP/Router, a desktop connected via ethernet and my
laptop connected wirelessly. On both computers, netscape
loads pages instantly, but IE6 usually has a delay,
sometimes up to a couple minutes. If I quickly request a
webpage from the same server, it usually responds
instantly. It seems like IE is getting hung up on DNS
queries, but I am baffled as to how to fix it.

I've tried changing the default DNS servers to the router,
the DSL modem and the actual ISP DNS servers; none of them
changed anything. I even did a clean install of Windows XP
Home on the laptop to try to fix the problem, but it did
nothing. My DSL modem has all security (firewall)
disabled, and I temporarily disabled all security on the
router (and enabled the 'demilitarized zone') to no avail.
I also now have all 'critical' and related 'recommended'
updates installed on the laptop again and that didn't fix
it, either.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm getting
very frustrated with IE, but I'd much rather use that than
Netscape if I can fix this problem.
 
I have a network setup with a DSL modem, a Microsoft MN-
700 WAP/Router, a desktop connected via ethernet and my
laptop connected wirelessly. On both computers, netscape
loads pages instantly, but IE6 usually has a delay,
sometimes up to a couple minutes. If I quickly request a
webpage from the same server, it usually responds
instantly. It seems like IE is getting hung up on DNS
queries, but I am baffled as to how to fix it.
Click to expand...

I've been having similar problems, but only after rebooting and only
sporadically. Once IE6 is launched successfully for the first time there is
no delay for the remainder of that session, but about 50% of the time the
first URL load can be very slow, with IE showing a blank page, blank address
line, and is unresponsive to clicks in the favorites column. When another
URL is typed in the address line it will immediately come up.

When this happens, I can ping from the DOS prompt and no DNS address will
work, though numerical addresses will always work. Once one DNS address is
negotiated, all is well for the remainder of the session, until the computer
is rebooted. Again, some of the time it will work upon rebooting, but
sometimes the delay is evident.

This occurs on two of the three computers on my network, the third untested.
What's peculiar is that the problem can crop up on one computer but not the
other at any given time. Bypassing the router and linking the computer to
the cable modem directly can still trigger the problem, so I've ruled out
the router. Although this looks like a DNS problem to me, Cox Cable blames
an errant registry entry, but can't explain why it afflicts two computers
that haven't had any meaningful changes for some time.
 
If I quickly request a webpage from the same server, it usually responds
instantly.
Click to expand...

Are you using a big HOSTS file? Try renaming the HOSTS file
and clear your dnscache. E.g. open a command window and enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

As a test it may also help to disable the dnscache entirely:

net stop dnscache


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
 
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