Apache in win XP is too slow

[Uzil]

Hi everybody.
I've done for the first time the instalation of apache 2.2, php 5 and mysql 6 in my win Xp machine. It is running fine exept that i believe it is to slow. Calling my website from my network is a slow process, as slow as calling from the internet domain.
since it is the first time i'm installing this software i'm away from the best config. I'm sure there is something i should do to improve the apache preformance. I did not exclude the possibility of all this delay be due to mysql config aswell.
I'm also using Mambo CMS and is the mambo that i use as reference to say that my server answer is to slow.
Does anybody is aware of what can i do be have better performance in my webserver, taking in consideration the sofware mention above?
My server is a P4 3.4g with 1024 ram and a sata harddrive.

[jdMorgan]

Your machine is about 100 times faster than it needs to be to run Apache fast -- Lots of 400MHz 386 machines running Apache just fine, since it is *tiny* compared to, say, XP itself.

Try breaking this problem into smaller pieces: Ping the server to see if DNS lookups are fast.
Write a simple static HTML page and request that to see if it's fast.
Try some simple database queries
... etc.

The first step to fixing the problem is to find out what the actual problem is.

Jim

[Uzil]

Thanks jdMorgan.
I did ping my server and it's about 155 ms witch i think is ok, also try the static html just with text and that is ok but if i put a big load of pictures in the html is not so fast. Nothing to do with bandwidh, i'm using my intranet domain. Apache config is not a problem. It looks like Apache is what it is, no performance settings are available.
So i start believing that the problems comes from the mysql database.
As mention in my first post, i'm new to this stuff and i do remember that the CMS i'm trying (Mambo)does not support "strick mode" what ever that is, and so i did not install that feature in the mysql.
Could that have influence in the database access? or my problem can be due to some other services i'm running in my machine?

[vincevincevince]

Try downloading a live linux CD such as Knoppix or PClinux OS live CD. Burn it and boot from it - they both have Apache. Run the same scripts through that - test from your networked machine...

If the response is the same then look more towards the scripts themselves of your network hardware and general network performance (move large files directly between machines, check the speed - something may be wrong). Try explicit port routing for port 80 - it may be that your router isn't doing a good job - or is spending a long time figuring out what to do with packets.

If you find that the linux live CD does a lot better, then look at your windows setup - check for software which is monitoring or scanning internet communications - things like software firewalls in particular can slow things.

Check your memory utilisation, make sure there's plenty going spare. See what happens to your CPU during heavy loads on the webserver - does it reach anywhere near strained?

Finally, if all else fails, reformat and install a linux distribution. In my experience they run Apache and MySQL a lot better than Windows XP ever does.

[Uzil]

Got it now.
Thanks for all good advises you have gave me but the problem was:
My router had DMZ on and by indications of Linksys it should be off or it wouldn't work at all. Actually Lynksys is wrong, it was working with DMZ on, slow but never the less working but when turn off it became much faster.
I was blaming the machine and it setting and the problem was the network router.
Great stuff guys

[jdMorgan]

For future reference, I'd expect the ping times on a local network to be less than 3 milliseconds, and most lightly-loaded networks will be less than one.

Jim

[Uzil]

To jdMorgan
I did ping my server by internet to get 155 ms, actually did not ping in the network. At the time i believed that a few milseconds extra would make a difference in such a big delay i was having.
Thanks again, every comment or idea is always welcome and will be recorded for future reference.

[jtara]

I did ping my server by internet to get 155 ms, actually did not ping in the network.

Geez, did you fly to Hong Kong first?

155mSec is a LONG ping time! It is typical of west-coast US to Asia or Africa. Typical ping times within the U.S. should be typically <50mSec, as well as U.S.-Europe hops.

[Uzil]

Hello jtara
No i did not fly to Hong Kong, but let me tell you for your knowlage, there are several possibilties of routes traffic. My case, i'm in Portugal aswell as my server but i have a domain Cloaking/Masking in west US. This way my ping have to cross the Atlantic and US and them get back. My server is called by a domain and not a Ip. Eventually i'll learn how to use a DNS but not yet. To be honest i do not mind about a few milliseconds more couse that does not represent nothing comparing with the delay i was having in my server. Now everything is fine but you gave an idea. I have to consider a Chines accessing my server.