dsl slows bootup

Question

I'm pretty sure other people have had this problem but I couldn't find anything in the search. Anyway, After I upgraded to DSL with Verizon and installed the software, Windows XP now takes longer to finish booting up. It loads the windows desktop at a respectable or normal speed but there is a delay with the loading of programs, icons in (I think it's called the System Tray) the lower right corner of the screen, the programs loaded during startup. This delay is approximately 1-2 minutes. I've read before that the modem or windows is searching for some sort of 'hookup' or setting with the network card/network or something like that. I have the modem connected to my computer through the network card in the back of my Dimension 8200. I do not have my computer on a network and there is no router being used.   Verizon does not list this as a common problem although it probably is a very common problem (probably don't have a solution for it)   Other than the delay in not being able to do anything on the computer for this additional 1-2 minutes, the computer runs fine and my internet connection and email are fine

JessieLeeHarris · Answer

Disconnect the DSL line from the system and see if the boot time changes. If it does then the problem is related to the amount of time it takes for the system to connect to the internet.

RichardLusignan · Answer

Hi,

I've noticed the same annoying behavior, on very different systems and we are obviously using different DSL providers.

However, since I've acquired a low-end D-Link wireless router, booting time is again really fast, not just desktop appearance but applications start right away, this probably is because it is the router doing the "dial-up" process, and Windows sees the connection as a local area network.

Not really a solution, but I'm happy with the results nonetheless, maybe one more reason to go with a home/personnal router (aside from security and internet sharing).

Best regards,

Rick

jwatt · Answer

Rick,

The difference probably has to do with the fact that the DHCP server your system is receiving an IP address from is now on your home network - your router. The router obtains an IP address from your ISP, so if the ISP's DHCP server is slow to respond, that only affects the router. XP/Win2K will retry contacting a DHCP server for an IP address for quite a long time before giving up and autoassigning an IP address. Meanwhile, the whole startup is stalled.

Jim

GeekFreek · Answer

that would be great if the router solves the delay. I'm thinking of starting a wireless network soon anyway, maybe using the new Belkin Pre-N router.

GeekFreek · Answer

Guess I'll have to research what the 'DHCP server' is. I'm not using a router. I have my phone line connected to the DSL modem which connects to my computer with an Ethernet RJ45 connection. But your explainations seems to explain the delay. Perhaps it's taking time for my network card to establish the link with the ISP because of the waiting for an IP address. Maybe I'll get a router like the other guy mentioned

jwatt · Answer

GeekFreek,

Perhaps it's taking time for my network card to establish the link with the ISP because of the waiting for an IP address.

Yes, that's the idea. If you disconnect the Ethernet cable from the machine, does that eliminate the delay? If you have a router, the IP address would be received from the router rather than the ISP. That having been said, it's odd that there would be such a long delay obtaining an IP address from the ISP.

"DHCP" stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It allows a machine to obtain an IP address and other parameters needed to permit the machine to work on a network with little if any manual configuration.

Jim

RichardLusignan · Answer

It makes sense jimw, thanks for the pointer.

I've noticed that my NIC receives an automatic Windows ip address (169.254.x.x) though, and it does not seem to interfere with the ip address I get from my ISP on my pppoe connection when I'm not using a router and pluged-in directly.

Do you think that by assigning a fixed ip to the NIC instead of waiting for DHCP to provide one will accelerate the whole process ?

regards,

Rick.

jwatt · Answer

Do you think that by assigning a fixed ip to the NIC instead of waiting for DHCP to provide one will accelerate the whole process ?

Rick,

Almost certainly it will. But why not either leave the machine connected to the router or disconnected, so there's no physical Ethernet connection?

(edit) If you decide to assign a fixed IP address to the NIC, be sure it is on the same network as the D-Link and outside the range of addresses assignable by the D-Link's DHCP server. Otherwise, you'll have to undo the fixed address assignment whenever you connect the NIC to the router.

For example:

IP address: 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.0.1 (assuming that's the D-Link's IP address)

You'd also need to manually assign the DNS server IP address(es) provided by your ISP.

Jim

Message Edited by jimw on 11-12-2004 10:23 AM

Windows General

dsl slows bootup

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