> Some months ago, Anne Barker informed the list of the availability
> of the "Successful Searching on Dialog" manual on the Dialog
> website.
> I wonder whether anybody has actually managed to download the PDF
> file in reasonable time.
We managed it a couple of weeks ago on our first attempt. 988K
downloaded in just under 5 minutes. The average transfer rate was 35K
which, seeing as we were connected at around 48K, was on the slightly
low side but acceptable as far as we were concerned. We were using an
ordinary dialup PSTN line and a V90 modem with CIX as the ISP.
>Whenever I have tried, even if it starts off reasonably
> fast, it soon drops to a virtual stand-still and I decide I am not
> prepared to have my PC and phoneline tied up with it for several
> hours!
> Is this a problem with Dialog's website, Internet communications,
> or my PC?
It could be that the Web site was busy when you tried (we did our
download at about 10.30 in the morning (UK time). I have had similar
problems with some commercial sites in the states, although usually
that is in the (our)afternoon. There really is no point in hanging in
there if there is a steady decrease in download speeds; what tends to
happen is that the whole thing grinds to a halt and then you get
dropped.
Alternatively, there may be intermittent problems with your ISP (but
with Pipex, I think that is unlikely as many of my colleagues use
them without serious problems) or the telephone line. Do you use a
leased line, ISDN or dial-up? With our dial-up connection, we find
that heavy rain gets into the BT green cabinet at the end of the road
and promptly stops play :-(
Come back X25 - all is forgiven (well almost all!).
-------------------------
Karen Blakeman, RBA Information Services
Tel:0118 947 2256, Fax:0870 056 8547
E-Mail:[log in to unmask]
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