Question for Modem users/slow conenctions

[Brian the Fist]

I just wanted some feedback from people using modems or slow connections... The current timeout in the networking layer (hasn't changed for several weeks actually) is 150 seconds (2.5 minutes) per file pair (.val.bz2 and .log.bz2 that is). Is this sufficient? Is anyone getting "unable to contact server" messages with the latest 78-residue protein for example? (Our server is up 24/7 so this message usually indicates a timeout). You can also look in your error.log and look for a "timeout waiting for response, got XXX bytes" message. Uploads should be about 200-300K per file pair so I think 150 seconds should be enough for even slow connections but if you experience trouble, let me try sending you a version with a longer timeout. If the trouble goes away, Ill make the timeout change permanent, or better yet, customizable. Thanks in advance for your input!

P.S. You may also get Unable to contact server and 'timeout' messages in the error.log when the server was really down, for changing over the protein. Please only reply if you get these messages right now, while the server is up..

[FoBoT]

i stopped running DF on some boxen that connect through a satellite ISP. the upload speed is "advertised" at 56k, but i "feels" more like a 14.4k from the olden days, and the latency of the trip up and back to the satellite compounds the problem

i had to switch them to a different project for reasons like you describe, but that was some time ago

i will put the newest DF back onto them and see how it goes :)

[derGomez]

I get this error all the time :help: ! (You probably 've read my e-mail)
Could you send me an edited version, please ! I'd like to try this idea of you.

[Brian the Fist]

Ill need more info first - send me an email (trades@mshri.on.ca) and be sure to mention the OS and your exact type of network connection. Also, when you get the error, does it occur after waiting about 3 minutes trying to upload? Or faster?

Keep in mind that if you are behind any kind of firewall, you may not be able to contact our server no matter how long the timeout is, so make sure it is not a firewall blocking your connection before pursuing this matter further. Thanks.

[GOLDENBALLSAINTYORK]

Hi,
Don't know too much about this...I've attached the error log file.
conx is a56kbps modem..

[[DPC]Mobster]

I've had no problems uploading my results via a 56k modem.

What would be nice though, is some kind of progress indicator or even a slight remark that the client is indeed uploading his results. Now it just mentions: uploading results to server and when upping over 50k of structures you begin wondering afer a while if the damn thing is doing anything at all. Only to find out a good couple of minutes later that nothing was wrong, thank God!

[tourist]

You can check the file in the DF dir whether they are 'missing' when you're uploading it.

[MAD-ness]

Yeah, I uploaded about 25 megs of results once and you can leave a windows explorer window open to the DF directory and watch the files disappear as it uploads them. Sort of like watching paint dry though, so I don't really recommend it as a regular course of action.

[dnar]

I update several machines daily, or bi-daily over a 56k modem connection. Should the systems all coincide, then they generally all fail.

I deliberately stop/start all but one client, prior to making my connection, and alow just one machine to upload. The other machines then upload much later, at stagered times (differing speed CPU's).

This is a little painfull, but not un-workable.