Slow DNS resolution and other network issues

[Myriadi]

First, the problem:

I'm dealing with a combination of networking issues affecting one PC in my home network, which may or may not be related to each other.

The primary piece of frustration is that many web pages are slow to initialize, by which I mean when I first click a URL I'm met with a blank screen and the browser status seems to indicate that it's trying to locate the webpage - this can last anywhere from 5 to 20+ seconds after which it will load the page contents in a matter of seconds.

I would guess this is an issue with the DNS resolution, because once it starts downloading the contents of a webpage it is very quick to complete. Some websites will be resolved instantly, and others can be painfully long. It's not just the first time I visit a domain either; it will be every page on that domain. e.g. If www.website.com/main took 15s to start loading, clicking the link www.website.com/about-us will take another 15s to repeat the process.

Some other seemingly different (but suspiciously related) issues that I'm experiencing follow:

• 
  ■ My Google Drive client constantly bounces between being connected and failing to connect. It also constantly encounters syncing errors – files will fail to sync numerous times for days, and then mysteriously succeed at some point.
  
  ■ Windows update has been failing due to Error 80072EE2 and I've had no success with any of the known fixes for this error.
  
  ■ Some websites never seem to load completely. They'll constantly display as loading even after all of the page contents (appear) to have been downloaded. Gmail is notorious for this.
  
  ■ I've encountered a couple other issues with Gmail as well: emails will fail to send on occasion, and it frequently times out when trying to attach or paste an image into an email (regardless of file size).

Now, the system/hardware details:

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601)
Dell OptiPlex 790 (desktop PC)
Network adapter: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection

Modem/Router: Actiontec T1200H (provided by my ISP).
Connection: 25 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up
Running a wired ethernet connection to my modem (which also acts as the home Wi-Fi router).

This is the only wired connection to the router. I also have two laptops and two smartphones which are frequently connected via Wi-Fi.

None of these issues are affecting any of the other devices in my home. I've also tested the laptops over a wired connection but they don't experience this issue.

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

The primary piece of frustration is that many web pages are slow to initialize, by which I mean when I first click a URL I'm met with a blank screen and the browser status seems to indicate that it's trying to locate the webpage - this can last anywhere from 5 to 20+ seconds after which it will load the page contents in a matter of seconds.

I would guess this is an issue with the DNS resolution, because once it starts downloading the contents of a webpage it is very quick to complete. Some websites will be resolved instantly, and others can be painfully long. It's not just the first time I visit a domain either; it will be every page on that domain. e.g. If www.website.com/main took 15s to start loading, clicking the link www.website.com/about-us will take another 15s to repeat the process.

Have you tried changing the DNS server that your PC uses? Google DNS is usually reliable (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

The problem sounds more like a bandwidth issue though, so you may want to check if there is an application using excessive network data. Windows Resource Monitor (Network tab) can help you find if there is a problem app causing issues.

 

[Myriadi]

The primary piece of frustration is that many web pages are slow to initialize, by which I mean when I first click a URL I'm met with a blank screen and the browser status seems to indicate that it's trying to locate the webpage - this can last anywhere from 5 to 20+ seconds after which it will load the page contents in a matter of seconds.

I would guess this is an issue with the DNS resolution, because once it starts downloading the contents of a webpage it is very quick to complete. Some websites will be resolved instantly, and others can be painfully long. It's not just the first time I visit a domain either; it will be every page on that domain. e.g. If www.website.com/main took 15s to start loading, clicking the link www.website.com/about-us will take another 15s to repeat the process.

Have you tried changing the DNS server that your PC uses? Google DNS is usually reliable (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

The problem sounds more like a bandwidth issue though, so you may want to check if there is an application using excessive network data. Windows Resource Monitor (Network tab) can help you find if there is a problem app causing issues.

Yes, I forgot to mention that changing to Google DNS does not fix anything.

Something new I've discovered is that this is only an issue in Google Chrome (latest version 55.0.2883.87).
I've tested this in IE 11 and any website that was previously giving me issues in Chrome works fine.

 

[The Paladin]

clear the addons in your google chrome, run malware test

 

[Myriadi]

clear the addons in your google chrome, run malware test

Thanks for the advice. I tried disabling all Chrome extensions, and ran a scan with Malwarebytes which found nothing. No improvement unfortunately.

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

Thanks for the advice. I tried disabling all Chrome extensions, and ran a scan with Malwarebytes which found nothing. No improvement unfortunately.

Since the problem is only with Chrome, you may want to try a reset of it.
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/3296214?hl=en

 

[Myriadi]

Thanks for the advice. I tried disabling all Chrome extensions, and ran a scan with Malwarebytes which found nothing. No improvement unfortunately.

Since the problem is only with Chrome, you may want to try a reset of it.
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/3296214?hl=en

Thanks - still no improvement though. :/

 

[Myriadi]

I've managed to make some progress on identifying the problem thanks to Chrome's developer tools.

From https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/network-performance/resource-loading,

The Network panel records information about each network operation on a page, including detailed timing data, HTTP request and response headers, cookies, and more.

TL;DR

• 
  ■ Use the Network panel to record and analyze network activity.
  ■ View load information in aggregate or for individual resources.
  ■ Filter and sort how resources are displayed.
  ■ Save, copy, and clear network recordings.
  ■ Customize the Network panel to your needs.

Using this I've identified two errors behind slow page loading, in either case it's not an issue with DNS resolution after all:

1) ERR_QUIC_PROTOCOL_ERROR: thrown when browser couldn't load certain CSS elements; applied fix given here, which has resolved it.

2) ERR_CONNECTION_RESET: thrown when browser can't load certain scripts (.js elements); still looking for fix for this one.

 

[The Paladin]

update your Java if .js is an issue.

Personally I would uninstall Chrome, Runs Registry Cleaner, remove all java versions you have on that system, reboot, then reinstall Chrome, then java on top of it. and see where that leads you....