My consistent problems with my DSL connection currently seem to be peaking, and unfortunately, I cannot quite tell why.

Specifically, any DNS lookup, connection establishment or initial HTTP request take ages, usually around 30 seconds each, which is especially a problem when browsing webpages with multiple sources.

(For instance, this very site timed out loading after 5 minutes.)

As speed is fine as soon as a connection is established, I suppose there's a configuration error on my side. I tried curing my DNS problems with dnsmasq as a caching nameserver but hat little success, as it does not seem to cache at all. Furthermore, trying different open DNS servers only made my problem worse.

I am quite puzzled where to start configuring, so could anyone suggest a solution or give a hint which specific topic to look into?

I'm running an up-to-date Sidux (kernel is only 2.6.28-1.slh.1-sidux-686, though) behind a wire-connected router leading to an 16.000kbps ADSL line. Issues seem to be independent of userspace, a simple ping takes just as long for the lookup part.

Unfortunately, there is no Windows box available to compare.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
David

You should set up your network for DHCP. That will provide all of the network configuration data that your machine needs.

Simple DHCP is enabled on the router, of course. I was thinking more in terms of timeout tweaking, possible additional programs, network driver settings and the like. As I said, I have no idea where to start, but basic network data is not the problem.

Enabling DHCP on the router is only half of the process. You enable DCHP on the computer's NIC. It gets all of its configuration data from the router. That will automatically set up the router as the DNS server or it will pass your ISP's DNS server address to your computer, and DCHP will automatically set up the router as the gateway.

You are likely to cause your own problems by tweaking network settings.

I don't understand what "...basic network data is not the problem" means.

Keep it simple. You are likely to shoot yourself in the foot by over thinking this.

Problems were there before I started tweaking anything, or else I would not have started

Of course, DHCP is enabled on my NIC, so routes and DNS are well set. But especially with this very basic configuration, I am having problems, i. e. DNS, connection and HTTP timeouts, which is - judging from my university's network - independent of my internet connection. Top speed is there, rest is not.

Believe me, I am not a newbie, I've been toying with simple networks for almost a decade and thus know the basic mechanisms quite well, but I never had to tamper with any settings below software level, which is why I ask here. Getting things up and running is no problem, but tweaking performance very much is, especially as I have primarily been dealing with networks where speed was not an issue.

(Expressing myself in English is just as much of a problem, it seems, hence this misunderstanding.)