New Messages

JimBinMI · Apr 23, 2000

Bird,
I don't have any icon or picture by the time that indicates speeds. When on AOL it used to show me how fast I connected on sign-in only. On a school server I used it did have an icon by the clock that showed what you describe. I'm going to check my @home help menus and see if they show how to see your speed. Thanks, JimBinMI
P.S. - This is much faster for me since Muhammad made the last change, approx. twice as fast, but still not as fast as his cable modem. Much happier with speeds since yesterday afternoon though! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird · Apr 23, 2000

Ooops, I thought you were using IE5 and mine does have the icons across the bottom of the screen./w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Bird

JimBinMI · Apr 23, 2000

Bird,
I AM using IE5, but I think it's running under the @home browser???? I am trying Netscape 4.7 right now and it doesn't show speeds either. Like I said, I'll have to check with @home services or maybe someone else knows where to look. Thanks, JimBinMI /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Muhammad · Apr 23, 2000

Jim,

If you're on a cable connection, chances are you won't get a connection speed monitor - that is supposed to be a fixed number. But, you can check it through a bandwidth speed test site - http://www.computingcentral.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest500.asp

As for what a proxy server is... in simple terms, something like a 'filter' that your browsing has to go through. Some proxies do different things... some monitor where you go, some restrict where you can go, and other things. To find out if you're connecting through a proxy, check under Tools>Options>LAN Settings in IE5.

>>Muhammad
Forum Master

Bird · Apr 23, 2000

JimBinMI, I've always said I don't understand these contraptions. I used nothing but Navigator, then Communicator for a long time, as recommended by my ISP, but now I haven't used anything but Internet Explorer for quite some time. Both of them have the bar across the bottom of the screen that show the little icons I was talking about.

Bird

BobT · Apr 23, 2000

Hi Bird,

I still think you can better poerformance out of your computer than you are now. Here is another program that will let you try to speed things up, and the program is FREE!

iSpeed for Windows v2.7.3

Increase your Internet speed

Company: High Mountain Software
Version: 2.7.3
Size: 517.77 KB
Rating: *****
Downloads: 875,129

Requirements: Windows 95, 98, or NT

Purchase Information: Free

iSpeed helps to optimize your networking connections. It does this by manipulating the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU), Maximum Segment Size (MSS), Receive Window (RWIN), Time To Live (TTL), MTU Auto Discover, and Black Hole detection. These items are relatively undocumented by Microsoft, and fine-tuning them can have a dramatic effect on your throughput. You can change these settings manually, one at a time, or select one of several buttons that change the settings as a group. The group settings include Optimal, Default, PPP, and more. iSpeed is well documented and allows you to tinker with the settings as much as you like to find to your optimum settings. A quick click of the Restore button will return all of the values to the Windows default.
Reviewed on Jul 21 1998.

You can download it here:

http://www.hms.com/downloads.asp

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

Bird · Apr 23, 2000

BobT. I've concluded that if you haven't lost your mind before starting to mess with computers, you will soon afterwards./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif I don't know whether changes to my computer will make much difference or not; the problem just may be with my ISP. Early this morning, the speed was amazing, and that was before I installed TweakDUN. Now I've bought, paid for, installed and run it, but don't know much about changing settings or what they should be, but I changed a couple of settings to their "recommended" settings, but I'm back to taking 15 to 60 seconds to change screens (more people on the Internet maybe?); however, I can live with that if I just don't get those 2 or 3 minute pauses between transmissions. It looks to me like your description of iSpeed says it changes the same settings that TweakDUN manipulates. What's the difference?/w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Bird

JimBinMI · Apr 23, 2000

Muhammad,
Thanks, that speed test is really cool! Here's how I did.
K bits per second: slowest 680, fastest 1516.7
K bytes per second: slowest 83.3, fastest 185.9
Now if I can figure out the difference between a bit and a byte I'll be all set! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif My high rating said that it was faster than a T1 line so I guess any speed problems that I encounter won't be the problem of my connection. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Thanks, JimBinMI

Muhammad · Apr 23, 2000

Well you're getting some very good speeds - faster than mine usually. Your connection should give you great performance.

>>Muhammad
Forum Master

BobT · Apr 23, 2000

Hi Bird,

I would just let TeakDUN make its default changes. You really don't want to start hand-tweaking registry entries, unless you REALLY know what you're doing (and even then it isn't advised) -g-. BTW, your could have used TweakDUN for a few days, unregistered, without buying it. I think it is relatively inexpensive. I found the "free" iSpeed too late!

There is a whole crew working today on all of the issues with the discussion board. Muhammad will have more news later today, I expect. We ourselves are experiencing erractic slowdowns still. We don't really know exactly the cause, yet, but we'll sort it out eventually. In the meantime, we'll have to cope.

"Chief"? Well, it sounds good, and fits with your status on this board.

BobT.

A Indiana Boy

Bird · Apr 23, 2000

Yeah, Bob, TweakDUN was free to try, but of course, like a lot of those free programs, it said not all the features would work unless you bought a registered version, which only cost $15.50, so I did.

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Apr 23, 2000

Wow, Bob T wrote of 50,000 unique users accessing the board monthly, that's a lot of people. Now at aprox. 550 registered users that comes out to 1.1% of the users are registered and 98.9% are not. Am I missing something?

Andy

gordon · Apr 23, 2000

I can't say about others but I read the posts on this board for a couple months before I ever made my first post let alone registered.
This might take the percentage up quite abit if you figure how many people just like to read the posts and learn from them but not register or post anything.

Muhammad · Apr 23, 2000

Without being exact, since this new forum has seed different statistics than past forums, we estimate that roughly 19-24 people 'visit' for every one who posts. And, as you might guess, around 15 new users register each day out of around 1,500+ visiting each day.

They're just simple facts, but what it means is, that those who do choose to post, whether registered or not, are contributing to content that is benefiting many, many tens of thousands of tractor folks each month, as well as those who post (we all hope!) Gordon is a great example. Keep up the great posts, guys!

>>Muhammad
Forum Master

MChalkley · Apr 23, 2000

Thanks for the numbers, Muhammad. Just the (nearly) 600 registered users is enough to keep me participating, but to know there's that many 'lurkers' is interesting, too. Perhaps our continued activity and the excellent content will motivate them to join the ranks and contribute, too.

Mark

Bird · Apr 23, 2000

Yeah, and I'll bet some folks would like to post a response at times, but don't for fear they'll make a fool of themselves (like I did complaining about a starting problem with my B2710 that turned out to be "pilot error")./w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif And Mark would probably tell you I've done it on other occasions, too./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

Muhammad · Apr 23, 2000

Actually TractorByNet.com has a good amount of participation for the number of people who view - comparing to other sites in different markets, some sites with 10 times the number of users fall short in the number of posts to discussions by half. What else can I say but thanks and that your contributions are top notch?

But of course, everyone is encouraged to post and get some personalized knowledge for whatever question they have, as always.

Regards,

>>Muhammad
Forum Master

gordon · Apr 23, 2000

What kept me from posting before I did was my poor grammer and spelling. I speak much better than I type but I guess most of us do. Well I should say I do anyway. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Muhammad · Apr 23, 2000

Well we all started somewhere... hey, as long as the Forum Master is still double-posting like a rookie, you guys are doing fine. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

>>Muhammad
Forum Master

MChalkley · Apr 23, 2000

No, I wouldn't either. The best way I can think of to get all muddy is to start flinging mud... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I know some people subscribe to Mark Twain's tenet that it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt, but that can be carried a little too far. While it's true that you rarely learn anything with your mouth open, if everbody only listens, there's nothing to learn. Besides, as I see it, if you've learned something here, you have a moral obligation to share something in return - otherwise you're stealing.

Mark