Re: Problem with Windows ME and InfoExpress VSClient VPN Softrware

["Harold Leatherman Hunt II" <huntharo at pilot dot msu dot edu>]

Karel,

Okay, there are two suspect points here:
1) ATI All In Wonder 7200

2) Your VPN Software

ATI All In Wonder 7200
======================
I recently had purchased an ATI All In Wonder 8500DV, which was a beautiful
piece of equipment.  However, the stock video drivers resulted in stuttering
video playback (DVDs), dropped frames during recording video, and horrible,
unusably slow performance in Cygwin/XFree86 when using DirectDraw-based
engines.  In addition, my machine froze whenever I tried to print a PDF from
Adobe Acrobat and in various other situations.

I installed Windows XP, thinking that Windows 2000 may have a problem with the
card.  However, Windows XP froze during setup if I moved the mouse.  I managed
to get Windows XP installed with only the keyboard, but the mouse still froze
the computer when it was moved after Windows XP was fully installed.  I updated
the video drivers but the problem persisted.

I then exchanged the video card, with the same results.  I immediately realized
that my IWILL motherboard was probably to blame, with its less than perfect AGP
support, along with the fact that this was the first AGP video card I had
used on the motherboard.  So, I ordered a new ASUS motherboard for $130,
figuring that would solve the problem.  Then the fiance found out.  The
motherboard order was promptly cancelled amidst my grovelling :)  We returned
the video card and I then tested each of 5 old PCI video cards I have to find
the one of them that does not produce interfence patterns on my 19 inch LCD
monitor that we just picked up a few weeks ago.

I am now unhappily using a 5 year old PCI video card that only supports 16 bit
color at 1280 x 1024.  Bummer.

To make a long story short, your video drivers or your motherboard may be a
culprit.


VPN Software
============
Most VPN software replaces all or parts of the Windows TCP/IP stack, upon which
Cygwin/XFree86 relies heavily.  A lot of the VPN Software vendors are not
experts on TCP/IP and they make some compromises in performance that they do
not think will affect many users.  Unfortunately, they are wrong, and their
software does not work well with Cygwin/XFree86.  There isn't much we can do
about this other than to tell you to get some better VPN Software and to test
it with all of your apps before you roll it out organization wide.


I hope that helps.

Harold

>
> Machine is AMD Athlon 1.4 GHZ, Video = ATI RADEON ALL IN WONDER  7200,
> Windows ME with all latest patches etc.
>
> If I run the xserver without starting the VPN software, it runs just
> fine with great performance, however, as soon as I log onto my employer
> using the VPN software, it comes to a grinding halt. It is so slow that
> it is basically unusable.
>
> I really hope it is possible to make it work, because I think it is a
> great product and I would really like to use it.
>
> Thanks
> Karel
>
>
>
>