Question

I get a lot of "server timeouts" as I attempt to use and create pages on TWiki (twiki.org).

I believe this is really a timeout on the browser end, at least partly because I can reduce the incidence of timeouts by reinitiating the command periodically before a timeout occurs. (I often have to press enter in response to my browser telling me that it must resend the data for the last command.)

Is there a way to increase that browser timeout setting on, specifically, konqueror? (Or any other browser?)

Other ideas on solving or working around the problem?

Environment

-- RandyKramer - 29 Aug 2003

Answer

Randy, I've never heard of a browser where a user can specify the timeout setting (but then again, I've never seen Konqueror). You might want to test a different browser to see if it's a server-side or browser issue. You might also want to try using a proxy server, or a different proxy server than you are currently using, to see if that might help.

I sometimes get timeouts on my server if

• there's another bandwidth-intensive pc on the LAN that gobbles up the pipe
• the web server is busy with other requests (local disk accesses, e.g. when it doubles as a LAN file server or FTP server)
• too many users or processes on the server (get a bigger computer)

(update) ... Oh, you meant this TWiki site, twiki.org! I've only experienced it rarely, mostly because I'm in Asia - far from the server. Bandwidth between twiki.org and my pc isn't always too good, causing enough wait time that my proxy times out the request.

-- TorbenGB - 17 Sep 2003

Oops, sorry, I should have been more clear — I've now added twiki.org in parenthesis to my original question.

I did do some experimentation with the ECN (Explicit Congestion Notification) parameter, it seemed to help somewhat (not consistently, though) but completely disabled access to some pages. I was recording my progress over on Wikilearn.KonquerorTimeoutOnServerProblem. I'm not actively pursuing it at the moment for a few reasons — I use a high speed connection at a local community college a few days a week, I'm doing more offline work, and I'm considering getting cable at home because my cable provider is (finally) offering two way cable modems.

-- RandyKramer - 18 Sep 2003