tweak TCP/IP stack

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pcnerd

How do I tweak the TCP/IP stack in XP? I have DSL at about 2 Mb/sec.
Eventually, I will upgrade to FIOS. I suppose that there is software that I
can download & I know that there are Registry settings that I can change or
add. Is there a wizard in XP (I have XP Pro.) that I can use to tweak the
TCP/IP stack? Does TweakUI or Powertoys tweak the TCP/IP stack? So, in other
words, what are my options?

Thank you.
David
 
How do I tweak the TCP/IP stack in XP? I have DSL at about 2 Mb/sec.
Eventually, I will upgrade to FIOS. I suppose that there is software that I
can download & I know that there are Registry settings that I can change or
add. Is there a wizard in XP (I have XP Pro.) that I can use to tweak the
TCP/IP stack? Does TweakUI or Powertoys tweak the TCP/IP stack? So, in other
words, what are my options?
Click to expand...

Forget those tools. If you're comfortable, I can give you some super
speed-up tips. Would also help if you have SP3 and the recent DNS
update installed.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
How do I tweak the TCP/IP stack in XP? I have DSL at about 2 Mb/sec.
Eventually, I will upgrade to FIOS. I suppose that there is software thatI
can download & I know that there are Registry settings that I can change or
add. Is there a wizard in XP (I have XP Pro.) that I can use to tweak the
TCP/IP stack? Does TweakUI or Powertoys tweak the TCP/IP stack? So, in other
words, what are my options?

Thank you.
David
Click to expand...

Nothing available with TweakUI or Powertoys! Head over to
Dslreports.com and follow their recommendations.
 
Yes, I have SP3 installed. What is "the recent DNS update" & how do I
determine if I have it & how do I install it if I don't have it? Are your
super speed-up tips safe & easy to implement & reversible if I encounter any
problems?

Thank you.
David
 
Yes, I have SP3 installed. What is "the recent DNS update" & how do I
determine if I have it & how do I install it if I don't have it? Are your
super speed-up tips safe & easy to implement & reversible if I encounter any
problems?
Click to expand...

SP3 has a lot of the fixes to TCP that will squeeze the most from your
DSL connection. The DNS update is KB953230. Check your C:\Windows
folder or go grab it from MS here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-037.mspx

The tweaks are reversible by simply deleting them from the registry.

The easiest way is to open notepad, copy and past the whole statement
below, and save it as a .reg file. Make sure it saves as .reg and not
..txt as notepad might want to do. Visit some web sites you normally go
to to do a before and after. Reboot.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"MaxNegativeCacheTtl"=dword:00000000
"MaxCacheTtl"=dword:00000e10
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000


To further tweak your connection, I recommend a free tool called TCP
Optimizer from this site: http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

Fire it up, click Custom Settings, check the PPPoE box (since DSL uses
an MTU of 1492), slide the slider to 3000kbps, set Time To Live as
128, check the Modify All Network Adapters box, and click Apply. It'll
give you the option to make a backup right then and there so be sure
and do it. Reboot.

Beyond that, another tweak is not going to yield you any more speed.
Let me know how it goes.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
You state : "Check your C:\Windows folder". What is the file name that I look
for in the Windows folder?

I went to the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-037.mspx

In the "affected software" table in the row with XP SP3 under the DNS server
column, I see "not applicable" Does that mean that I don't need to install
the update?

Thank you.
David

Thee Chicago Wolf said:
Yes, I have SP3 installed. What is "the recent DNS update" & how do I
determine if I have it & how do I install it if I don't have it? Are your
super speed-up tips safe & easy to implement & reversible if I encounter any
problems?
Click to expand...

SP3 has a lot of the fixes to TCP that will squeeze the most from your
DSL connection. The DNS update is KB953230. Check your C:\Windows
folder or go grab it from MS here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-037.mspx

The tweaks are reversible by simply deleting them from the registry.

The easiest way is to open notepad, copy and past the whole statement
below, and save it as a .reg file. Make sure it saves as .reg and not
..txt as notepad might want to do. Visit some web sites you normally go
to to do a before and after. Reboot.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"MaxNegativeCacheTtl"=dword:00000000
"MaxCacheTtl"=dword:00000e10
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000


To further tweak your connection, I recommend a free tool called TCP
Optimizer from this site: http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

Fire it up, click Custom Settings, check the PPPoE box (since DSL uses
an MTU of 1492), slide the slider to 3000kbps, set Time To Live as
128, check the Modify All Network Adapters box, and click Apply. It'll
give you the option to make a backup right then and there so be sure
and do it. Reboot.

Beyond that, another tweak is not going to yield you any more speed.
Let me know how it goes.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
Click to expand...
 
You state : "Check your C:\Windows folder". What is the file name that I look
for in the Windows folder?

I went to the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-037.mspx

In the "affected software" table in the row with XP SP3 under the DNS server
column, I see "not applicable" Does that mean that I don't need to install
the update?

Thank you.
David
Click to expand...

If you look in C:\Windows and see a folder called KB953230 then you
already have the recent DNS update for XP. This came from Windows
Update a few months back.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
I searched my entire hard drive & there is no file or folder named KB953230.

I have another question. In a previous e-mail you stated :
SP3 has a lot of the fixes to TCP that will squeeze the most from your
DSL connection. The DNS update is KB953230. Check your C:\Windows
folder or go grab it from MS here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-037.mspx
Click to expand...

I went to that URL & saw in the "affected software" table in the row with XP
SP3 under the DNS server column, I see "not applicable" Does that mean that I
don't need to install the update?
 
I searched my entire hard drive & there is no file or folder named KB953230.

Have you run Windows Update lately? That'd be the sure fire way to get
it. Just because it's not there doesn't mean you can't get it the way
everyone else did.
I have another question. In a previous e-mail you stated :


I went to that URL & saw in the "affected software" table in the row with XP
SP3 under the DNS server column, I see "not applicable" Does that mean that I
don't need to install the update?
Click to expand...

No, I don't think so. I have SP3 and this update come out after SP3
and I did get it from Windows Update. It's not critical to the tweaks
working but from a security perspective and being current with
Internet standards it nice to have it already.

I see that it does say not applicable but that's for something running
as a DNS Client which would be a server. If you actually click the
link Windows XP Service Pack 3 under the DNS Client column, it takes
you to a Download page. If you click Download, it'll download it to
your computer. That's the easiest way to manually download it. Give
that a shot.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
Check to see if KB953230 is indeed installed on your computer. I am at the
latest update level and KB953230 is nowhere to be found on my system. Is it
an update or simply a notice (KB953230)? Could it be (the update) under a
different number?
 
Now wait a cotton-pickin minute! I go to the URL to download KB 953230, but
when I click on XP SP3, the number changes from 953230 to 951748! Why has the
number changed?
 
Now wait a cotton-pickin minute! I go to the URL to download KB 953230, but
when I click on XP SP3, the number changes from 953230 to 951748! Why has the
number changed?
Click to expand...

Ok, this is just a waste of time now. Search your C:\Windows folder
for dnsapi.dll. When it's found, right click it and do a properties,
look for it to be file version 5.1.2600.5625. If you have THAT
version, you already have the update. You don't NEED the update to
make the tweak work. Kapish?

I don't know why it keeps changing to the different KB umber but it
seems to be the same thing. It's some kind of Microsoft thing. Here's
a direct link to the file.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...1-02818b4373f3/WindowsXP-KB951748-x86-ENU.exe

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
I found it!!! It's in the c:\windows\system32 folder & it's version
5.1.2600.5625. So, I don't need to install it. Now I can try the Registry
hack.

Thanks for your help!
 
I found it!!! It's in the c:\windows\system32 folder & it's version
5.1.2600.5625. So, I don't need to install it. Now I can try the Registry
hack.

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Sure, let me know how it goes.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
I'm nervous about trying the Registry hack. After I type the following into
Notepad & save it with a .reg extension I open regedit & import the file that
I created, correct? Would it be a good idea to create a restore point prior
to importing the .reg file, just in case?

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
Is the above text required?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"MaxNegativeCacheTtl"=dword:00000000
"MaxCacheTtl"=dword:00000e10
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000


Thanks.
 
I'm nervous about trying the Registry hack. After I type the following into
Notepad & save it with a .reg extension I open regedit & import the file that
I created, correct? Would it be a good idea to create a restore point prior
to importing the .reg file, just in case?

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
Is the above text required?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"MaxNegativeCacheTtl"=dword:00000000
"MaxCacheTtl"=dword:00000e10
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000
Click to expand...

Hi,

With these tweaks there is no risk and a restore point is not needed.
You are essentially controlling default DNS setting of XP and making
them work to your advantage and based on today's network standards.

When you save it as a .reg file you would then double-click it and you
should see a message asking if you want to import it. If you double
click and it opens in a text editor, you did it wrong. You can always
manually navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
and in the right pane, right-click, choose NEW DWORD, and create the
keys and set the values yourself.

If you want to get rid of them, you would simply navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
and delete the keys, reboot, no harm, no foul.

Let me know how it goes.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
I was just wondering if it is possible to comment out entries in the
Registry. Some text files allow that. I have a feeling that the Registry
isn't one of them.

I should also save the .reg file in case I want to delete the values.

Thanks.

Thee Chicago Wolf said:
I'm nervous about trying the Registry hack. After I type the following into
Notepad & save it with a .reg extension I open regedit & import the file that
I created, correct? Would it be a good idea to create a restore point prior
to importing the .reg file, just in case?

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
Is the above text required?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters]
"MaxNegativeCacheTtl"=dword:00000000
"MaxCacheTtl"=dword:00000e10
"NegativeSOACacheTime"=dword:00000000
"NetFailureCacheTime"=dword:00000000
Click to expand...

Hi,

With these tweaks there is no risk and a restore point is not needed.
You are essentially controlling default DNS setting of XP and making
them work to your advantage and based on today's network standards.

When you save it as a .reg file you would then double-click it and you
should see a message asking if you want to import it. If you double
click and it opens in a text editor, you did it wrong. You can always
manually navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
and in the right pane, right-click, choose NEW DWORD, and create the
keys and set the values yourself.

If you want to get rid of them, you would simply navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
and delete the keys, reboot, no harm, no foul.

Let me know how it goes.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
Click to expand...
 
I was just wondering if it is possible to comment out entries in the
Registry. Some text files allow that. I have a feeling that the Registry
isn't one of them.

I should also save the .reg file in case I want to delete the values.
Click to expand...

The registry is not a BAT or config file, you cannot comment anything
out. It's all or nothing. On or off. It depends on the type of
registry key and what it does. In this case, deleting a key or
manipulating a settings value changes it. That's it. No magic. No
fussing. No nothing. Use the tweak or don't use the tweak.

Yes, save the .reg file so you'll know where to look if you should
want to delete them.

I don't have anything further to discuss about this. Please try the
tweaks or don't.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
 
Thanks for all of your help!

Thee Chicago Wolf said:
The registry is not a BAT or config file, you cannot comment anything
out. It's all or nothing. On or off. It depends on the type of
registry key and what it does. In this case, deleting a key or
manipulating a settings value changes it. That's it. No magic. No
fussing. No nothing. Use the tweak or don't use the tweak.

Yes, save the .reg file so you'll know where to look if you should
want to delete them.

I don't have anything further to discuss about this. Please try the
tweaks or don't.

- Thee Chicago Wolf
Click to expand...
 
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