Why is First Message Always so Slow?
GaryT
much longer to download than those that follow.The delay can range
from 15 to 20 seconds to, in a few cases, several minutes.
What is taking so long? Why does it take so much longer for the first
message? ... and how come the following messages can be processed so
quickly?
Finally, what (if anything) can be done to alleviate the problem? Can
I do anything? Can anyone?
Tarkus
> When I download new messages, the first message always takes much,
> much longer to download than those that follow.The delay can range
> from 15 to 20 seconds to, in a few cases, several minutes.
>
> What is taking so long? Why does it take so much longer for the first
> message? ... and how come the following messages can be processed so
> quickly?
It sounds like it's taking a long time to connect to your server, but
once connected, messages download fast. Chances are, that first message
is also downloading fast, once you connect to the server.
> Finally, what (if anything) can be done to alleviate the problem? Can
> I do anything? Can anyone?
Change servers?
Bill Braun
> GaryT wrote:
>> When I download new messages, the first message always takes much,
>> much longer to download than those that follow.The delay can range
>> from 15 to 20 seconds to, in a few cases, several minutes.
>>
>> What is taking so long? Why does it take so much longer for the first
>> message? ... and how come the following messages can be processed so
>> quickly?
>
> It sounds like it's taking a long time to connect to your server, but
> once connected, messages download fast. Chances are, that first message
> is also downloading fast, once you connect to the server.
>
I had experienced both slow first messages and slow
subsequent messages. I recently changed from an older laptop
to a desktop with significantly more horsepower and memory.
Messages now download a quite a fast clip.
Bill B
Tarkus
Yeah, on my older laptop, the occasional CPU spiking, for whatever
reason, pretty much kills downloading, not just in TB, but in general.
GaryT
>
> It sounds like it's taking a long time to connect to your server, but
> once connected, messages download fast. Chances are, that first message
> is also downloading fast, once you connect to the server.
>
> > Finally, what (if anything) can be done to alleviate the problem? Can
> > I do anything? Can anyone?
>
> Change servers?
Thanks for the reply. However, all the evidence points elsewhere.
Specifically, the delay occurs AFTER connection to the server -- at
least that's what Thunderbird reports (and TB wouldn't lie, would
it?) Yes, there is often a delay in getting TB's notice that it now
has found and connected to the server. But that notice is followed by
a notice that tells me how many new messages there are and then says
-- explicitly -- that it is "downloading messages -- Message #1 ...".
Then the green worm starts to crawll back and forth. This follows an
indication of download activity from my comm port monitor consistent
with what might be required for a single message. Then no activity at
all, until downloading starts again, when TB's says it is now
downloading message #2, .... and 3, and so on in quick order. This
first message, by the way, is rarely of unusual length or contains
complex stuff like lots of graphics, sound files, etc. SOMETHING is
sitting there (so to speak) gnawing on that first message ... until it
is satisfied, for some reason, lets go of it and allows normal
downloading to proceed.
So yes, I can tell the difference between waiting for connection to
the server and completing download of the first message ... Unless,
of course, you are maintaining that TB is for some reason going to
elaborate lengths to tell users things that aren't true. And if THAT
is the case, someone or someones programmed it to do that, either
because he/she/they thought there was a good reason for it or maybe
just for the hell of it. Whatever the answer to that, why is TB
intentionally lying to users about what is happening? Is TB full of
weird, illogical behavior like that?
GaryT
> Tarkus wrote:
[...]
> > It sounds like it's taking a long time to connect to your server, but
> >SNIP
>
> I had experienced both slow first messages and slow
> subsequent messages. I recently changed from an older laptop
> to a desktop with significantly more horsepower and memory.
> Messages now download a quite a fast clip.
>
> Bill B
Thanks for the response. I understand that horsepower and memory can
make a difference. However, I have two machines with plenty of
horsepower AND memory, and recently bumped up the memory on the
desktop. Makes no difference at all to this particular behavior.
For my additional thoughts see my response to Tarkus, above.
--GaryT
GaryT
Resources can certainly be a problem. I think the evidence points
elsewhere in this case, for the reasons given in my earlier posts.
--GaryT
Ron Hunter
How large is you inbox file?
Tarkus
I'm glad to hear that you can tell the difference, but am sorry to say I
have no other theories.
Andrew DeFaria
Thanks for the reply. However, all the evidence points elsewhere. Specifically, the delay occurs AFTER connection to the server -- at least that's what Thunderbird reports (and TB wouldn't lie, would it?) Yes, there is often a delay in getting TB's notice that it now has found and connected to the server. But that notice is followed by a notice that tells me how many new messages there are and then says -- explicitly -- that it is "downloading messages -- Message #1 ...". Then the green worm starts to crawll back and forth. This follows an indication of download activity from my comm port monitor consistent with what might be required for a single message. Then no activity at all, until downloading starts again, when TB's says it is now
downloading message #2, .... and 3, and so on in quick order. This first message, by the way, is rarely of unusual length or contains complex stuff like lots of graphics, sound files, etc. SOMETHING is sitting there (so to speak) gnawing on that first message ... until it is satisfied, for some reason, lets go of it and allows normal downloading to proceed.
That said, I typically do not notice much of a noticeable difference between downloading the 1st and subsequent messages. Then again I'm using IMAP and my server's on the local LAN at 100 Mbit. But even when I access things remotely from say work using IMAP I rarely see a difference in response time from the first to the second message.
GaryT
Hmmm. Mine is large ... (and I would like to find a way to move some
of all that good information stashed in my Inbox folders out of there,
but still have it readily available). Just how does a large Inbox
file slow down the download of the first message? TB says it is
already downloading Message #1. If it has not actually started the
download, shouldn't it report that it is hung up because the Inbox
file is so large? And if that is the problem, how come the time
required to download a simple first message varies from 10 or 15
seconds to several minutes when the size of the Inbox file remains
relatively constant?
I'm afraid the answer may lie in the minds of the very bright,
dedicated folks who programmed that part of Thunderbird and understand
the inner workings of the procedures invoked. It may be that they
just aren't available any more ...
.... or could the problem possibly be caused by my anti-virus checker?
I'm baffled ... and not for the first time in this business.
-- GaryT
