Configuring an older server for speed...

[Steve Bertrand]

Matthew Seaman wrote:

>> should we use 7 or think about going with 6.3?
>>
> 
> I'd go with 7.x every time.  It wipes the floor with 6.3 performance-wise
> and it is just as stable and bug-free as you'ld expect from FreeBSD.  
> You've
> seen it works for you: there's no conceivable reason to downgrade.

I agree with Matthew here.

We have a few production 7 boxes now, some being re-deployed completely 
from 4.x, and a couple that have come from 6.x.

Although I don't have any documentation to show a performance increase, 
it certainly hasn't gotten worse. (I went to 7 for testing for 
particular reasons very early on).

Any issues I've run into with 7 are just as prevalent in 6, so my vote 
would be to follow the 7 train. (Note: the only issues that I have 
*personally* run into so far are related to the 're' driver, which is 
out of context here).

IMHO, more eyes are on the 7 track, so if you have the choice to build a 
new box, why 'downgrade' right off the bat (its not my intention to 
knock 6.x BTW)? Eventually you will be forced to jump a major revision 
which in some cases given user applications can be a bit of a headache.

Stick with what is here and now, and leave 6.x as your upgrade path for 
your current 6.x boxen until you can get those boxes upgraded too.

BTW, to the OP.... I would suspect that your initial delay that causes 
the 'Internet to be slow' is related to DNS somehow. Hit a webserver by 
its IP and see if the problem goes away.

Steve