# SOLVED kernel bug or bad config? page doesn't finish loading

## r.stiltskin

I can't get certain web pages to finish loading in any browser under kernel 2.6.18-gentoo-r4 or 2.6.17-gentoo-r8.  I haven't noticed any problems loading pages at other websites, but on the other hand, this problem occurs ONLY on my Gentoo machine when running these kernels.  These pages seem to work fine on every other machine I try: my laptop running Ubuntu Dapper, an old desktop running Debian Sarge, another old desktop running RH9.

They also work on this "Gentoo" box if I boot it in WinXP, and -- I just tried booting an old kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r5 and they work under that too.  It might be that I did something different in my kernel configuration, but what?  Or is it a bug in the newer kernels?

Here are links to the problem pages:

This one loads only as far as the second line of the course search app: the box to enter semester, and then hangs.

[link removed]

This one LOOKS like it loads a full page, but really never finishes (links to "J" or any subsequent letter don't work:

[link removed]Last edited by r.stiltskin on Mon Dec 18, 2006 1:56 am; edited 2 times in total

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## Sadako

I tried the same pages here, and there still loading after ~10 minutes, exactly like you described.

I tested firefox, galeon, and even links, same results.

I'm using 2.6.19-hardened-r1 at the moment.

I think a bug report might be in order, if it's not reported already.

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## r.stiltskin

Posted bug 158317

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## Raistlin

I can confirm the behavior...

```
Linux IQ200 2.6.19-suspend2 #3 PREEMPT Thu Dec 14 23:43:41 EST 2006 i686 Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1700MHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
```

An explanation for this I cannot provide. The dump of the TCP communication shows that the last package was the ACK from this machine to the server, so actually it seems as if the server has an issue... Strangely a Win*** machine I tested does not show this behavior.

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## r.stiltskin

The bug has been closed as invalid.  The explanation is that it's not a kernel bug but that there is a broken router somewhere between me and the server in question.  

Apparently the problem only surfaced because my Gentoo machine is looking for a tcp window scaling factor of 6, whereas my other machines are looking for scaling factors of only 1 or 2.

Here's some interesting info about this situation:

http://lwn.net/Articles/92727/

One way to fix the problem is:

```
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_window_scaling
```

but that disables window scaling completely (at least until you reverse it with

```
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_window_scaling
```

or reboot.

I fixed it by following the advice given by pcharlan just 2 days ago on the lwn.net link above:

```
ip route add $THEIR_IP via $MY_GATEWAY window 65535
```

"which only limits window scaling for that destination without interfering with your other connections."

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