• Why are most web pages loading so slowly?

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    #487378

    Hi,
    I have had this issue for about 6 weeks now. Not all, but most webpages are taking way too long to load. I am talking about between 40 and 90 seconds. Usually, once the home page has loaded, other pages on the site will load normally (1 to 10 seconds).
    I used to come down in the morning and read Google news like I used to read the paper but it is too frustrating at the moment.

    I have an ADSL connection over which I am consistently getting about 13.5Mbps so the connection it’s self is not too bad. I have measured this on Speedtest.net which I have found to be fairly reliable.

    The same thing happens whether I am running Win XP SP3 on my desktop or Win 7 on my laptop. The same thing happens whether I use Firefox, IE or Chrome. No difference whether I am hard wired or using WiFi. I have rebooted and even reset my router. No difference.

    I have noticed, when running Firefox, that I can see a constantly changing set of addresses in the bottom left hand corner of the screen as the page request is being re-directed. Might this indicate a DNS problem?

    I would be interested if anyone else has had this problem. I have not found much on Google.

    This is my first post so I hope this would be considered to be the right forum.

    Thanks for any light anyone can shine on this.

    Mark

    Viewing 12 reply threads
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    Replies
    • #1369433

      Hi Mark,
      30315-WSL

      Paste this link into your browser http://nontroppo.org/timer/

      This is what I got using Firefox 18.0.1

      [First Access: 647ms] [Doc load:809ms] [DOM Loaded:1214ms] [Doc+Image Load: 2926ms {speed=190kB/sec}

      • #1473064

        …This is what I got using Firefox 18.0.1

        [First Access: 647ms] [Doc load:809ms] [DOM Loaded:1214ms] [Doc+Image Load: 2926ms {speed=190kB/sec}

        Just tried w/ Firefox 33.0.2

        [First Access: 538ms] [Doc load:539ms] [DOM Loaded:567ms] [Doc+Image Load: 1527ms {speed=365kB/sec}]

        ADSL connection @ 6Mbps.

    • #1369453

      Hi Roderunner,

      Thanks for this.

      I too am running Firefox 18.0.1

      [First Access: 714ms] [Doc load:736ms] [DOM Loaded:1396ms] [Doc+Image Load: 1655ms {speed=336kB/sec}]

      Comparing this result with yours it seems fast. This is many times faster than most pages I try to load

    • #1369457

      Hi Mark,
      Your test is faster than mine. I suggest installing http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ use the default setting BUT untick Recycle Bin box.

    • #1369460

      Hi Roadrunner,
      I use Ccleaner on a regular basis (and jv16pt). I unticked the Recycle Bin box this time but it remained empty, even after removing 121.4MB of data. I will have a further look and see what is emptying the bin.
      What were you looking to find in the bin?

    • #1369467

      Hi Mark, I prefer to empty the Bin myself, hence my advice to untick it.
      Have you flushed your DNS Cache ?

    • #1369493

      Hi Roderunner,
      Yes, I have flushed DNS on all my machines. No change.

      A pal of mine has just had a play on this machine. He reckons I am being overly sensitive and should expect a media rich page to take some time to load. I agree but not in excess of a minute.

      I have just gone on Google news and clicked on the first Telegraph article on Algeria (for example). It took 65 seconds to load fully. While it is loading it is being redirected to Maxymiser, Wunderloop and Doubleclick (and many more.. these were just the ones I could read) I think these are all cookie setting ad sites. It seemed to be pulling in video links from a number of different servers too.

      Would you consider this too slow?

    • #1369523

      Hi Mark,
      I have never done any of the above, but it seems rather slow. I use OpenDNS, what do you use ?

    • #1369561

      Hi Roderunner,
      I have suspected the issue was DNS related from the start because it applies to all and any machine using my connection. My ISP have assured me that there is no problem but then they would say that (Talk Talk).
      To answer your question; I have always just accepted the default DNS servers that my ISP supplies. I didn’t realise that I had any other option until I looked up ‘OpenDNS’.

      I have gone through every setting in my router several times and I don’t think it allows me to change the primary and secondary DNS server ip addresses. I will recheck. It might be possible by creating a new account. It is a pretty basic Etec router / modem that must be close to 12 years old. I think it might be time to splash out on a new one.

      In the meantime,thanks for your help. You have taught be something I didn’t know and I am grateful.

    • #1369608

      Hi Mark,
      If you do get a new router, I recommend Netgear as I have had little trouble with them & like the ease of access & settings.
      I’m also with TalkTalk

      • #1369762

        Hi Roderunner,
        I emailed the router manufacturers last night to see if a firmware upgrade was available but the device has been unsupported for years. I also asked if there was a way to change the DNS addresses that I had missed, because I want to try OpenDNS. They replied that it was possible to simply change the IP configuration on my network adapter to use new DNS addresses.

        Whilst I am still trying to get my head around the routing involved, it seems to work. Today, no page is taking more than about 10 seconds to load. My email client gets through checking 11 accounts in less than a second, rather than about 20 – 30. My default gateway and DHCP server are as they were, the LAN side port on the router. The DNS requests seem to be bypassing the router configuration.

        If I get time this afternoon I will run Traceroute on the two configurations and see how they compare.

    • #1369777

      Hi Mark,
      From control panel, select Network and Sharing Center, then Manage wireless networks, select your SSID then Adapter prorerties.
      Select as my image

      32915-RR

      in the ‘Prefered DNS Server’ type 208 67 222 222 in the other box 208 67 220 220. OK your way out then reboot.
      Next, type cmd in the start menu search box & hit enter type ipconfig /all hit enter and look for the DNS servers.

      32916-gg

      To close, type exit & hit Enter.

      This was for a wireless connection. Its the same for wired just worded differently.

      • #1472863

        Hi Mark,
        From control panel, select Network and Sharing Center, then Manage wireless networks, select your SSID then Adapter prorerties.
        Select as my image

        32915-RR

        in the ‘Prefered DNS Server’ type 208 67 222 222 in the other box 208 67 220 220. OK your way out then reboot.
        Next, type cmd in the start menu search box & hit enter type ipconfig /all hit enter and look for the DNS servers.

        32916-gg

        To close, type exit & hit Enter.

        This was for a wireless connection. Its the same for wired just worded differently.

        ROADRUNNER:>>> I have windows 8 but my problem is exactly the same as mark’s as well as many other users of network and internet access with slow pages loading. My Question to you is, I want to follow your solution but in my ” Network and Sharing ” there is no ” Manage Wireless Connection ” as you give in the steps to config. I can check network adapters in device manager and then properties but I see none of the JPG image / boes to enter your prefer information. Do you have the language to windows 8? Thank you, John

        • #1472864

          Looking for information as well as the configuration properties windows shown in your example for doing this in a windows 8 envioronment.

          • #1472868

            Looking for information as well as the configuration properties windows shown in your example for doing this in a windows 8 envioronment.

            You need to choose Network and Sharing Center (right click the network icon on the taskbar) and the click the desired adapter, in the list on the right, in your active networks. Click Properties then scroll through the protocol list and click Internet Protocol Version 4 and then click Properties and you will find the screens shown here.

    • #1369831

      Hi Roderunner,
      I have already done this and it has solved the problem. Webpages are loading much faster.

      I had thought that DNS settings in the router would override TCP/IP properties set on the desktop. (In other words I would have to enable Open DNS on the router). It has proved not to be the case.

      Thanks for all your help.
      Regards,
      Mark

    • #1369995

      Hi Mark,
      read this topic, it’s rather interesting http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//151306-DNS-server-addresses

    • #1472902

      I do thank you for the timely answer as I was able to access both my network configuration as well as my router configuration and establish a Open DNS setup and the results are dramatic. I did this both at the Desktop and cleared the caches and reset all browsers as well as my laptop depending on my home network. I established a dynamic address and registered with open dns web portal.

      Were as It took somewhere between 10 to 30 seconds to open web pages, it now takes about 3 to 5 seconds and that is amazing. Thank you again and all the information as I am totally satified.

      • #1472905

        I do thank you for the timely answer as I was able to access both my network configuration as well as my router configuration and establish a Open DNS setup and the results are dramatic. I did this both at the Desktop and cleared the caches and reset all browsers as well as my laptop depending on my home network. I established a dynamic address and registered with open dns web portal.

        Were as It took somewhere between 10 to 30 seconds to open web pages, it now takes about 3 to 5 seconds and that is amazing. Thank you again and all the information as I am totally satified.

        Great, I am glad your situation has been sorted out.

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