Re: OT:weird problem downloading big files

On Thursday 31 January 2008 21:51, Sergio Belkin wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've stuck with a weird problem...
>
> I can't download "big" files, I mean, I can't download well DVD iso files,
> for example, if I try download any file of
> http://linux.cucea.udg.mx/geeklog/staticpages/index.php?page=20080123170324
>195 I get something so:
>

[snip]

  This is probably a long shot, but a long time ago, some routers or cable modems that did Network Address Translation had a problem with packet fragmentation.

  The issue was that the NAT business would add a few bytes to the packets, and if they were already up against the MTU limit for the connection, they'd go over, and get fragmented, but the cable modem wouldn't recognize the packet fragments, so the connection would just hang, and this was common for big file transfers.

  This is my rather hazy memory of the problem, of course.

  The solution was to reset the MTU of the network interface to be smaller than the default 1500. Doing something like "ifconfig <iface> mtu 1492" would fix it.

  I haven't heard of anyone having this problem for many years, but it's possible there's a jumbo-frame analog of it that's gotten you. In any case, it's pretty easy to lower the mtu and give it a try.

• A. -- Andrew Reid / reidac@bellatlantic.net

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