False tips on Blogs /Forums/ Groups to Improve Internet broadband speed in Vista,XP

Do you know, there is myth or misunderstanding about Windows XP and Vista that by default these OS reserves 20% of bandwidth for "themselves" and it can be freed up to improve Internet broadband speed? Here, check and verify Yourself.

How to improve or increase the bandwidth?How to speed up up Internet connection?These are probably one of the most asked question by Internet users. Improvement in bandwidth for broadband Internet connection is something for which no intranet user can say "No" :-)

Windows uses "QOS Packet Scheduler" mechanism to control or limit the bandwidth for “QoS aware applications”. This mechanism has ability to force "Limit Reservable Bandwidth" in system.

See what Microsoft's Help docuement says about it

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By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default. If you enable this setting, you can use the "Bandwidth limit" box to adjust the amount of bandwidth the system can reserve. If you disable this setting or do not configure it, the system uses the default value of 20 percent of the connection.

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Here only, many user finds a way to improve the bandwidth for Internet uses. They feel that if “Packet Scheduler limits” the system is reduced to 0%, entire bandwidth will be free from clutches of Windows and become available for them for better Internet browsing purpose ( means data download).To achieve it, following tweak is suggested.

1. Run gpedit.msc to open group policy editor. Then follow

2. Local Computer Policy--->Computer Configuration--->Administrative Templates--->Network--->QOS Packet Scheduler--->Limit Reservable Bandwidth

It is just incorrect. See what Microsoft itself is saying about its QoS behavior.

Correction of some incorrect claims about Windows XP QoS support

There have been claims in various published technical articles and newsgroup postings that Windows XP always reserves 20 percent of the available bandwidth for QoS. These claims are incorrect. The information in the "Clarification about QoS in end computers that are Running Windows XP" section correctly describes the behavior of Windows XP systems.

(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q316666)

Explanation:

Remember, QoS limitations are meant for only and only “QoS aware applications”, not all windows applications. The application which are using QoS API or specially written for this purpose, can take advantage of such setting. QoS aware application requires “minimum assured bandwidth” for proper functioning , hence windows provides it by reserving some amount of bandwidth to it. If application don't require this kind of “reservation “, Windows simply allots 100% bandwidth to all applications. Example of QoS aware application is streaming media applications like Windows Media Player or Real media. When you browse a website, note that for sure and certain ,100% bandwidth get available to you for download. But when you click on any link in webpage which later invokes Real player or WMP, in such case, 20% Internet bandwidth get reserved for streaming media operations so that you can have better audio/video experience ,and remaining 80% still available for downloading of data. Hence it doesnot affect Internet browsing experience or reduce bandwidth for Internet purpose. If application is not QoS aware , of course Windows will not bothered about specially “reserved” 20% bandwidth for it ,hence no reservation rule will be enforced. User will get entire 100% to download task.

Hope you will have now better understanding of working of QoS aware application. If it so , you will also realize the tweak suggested to improve bandwidth by changing value to 0% is just INCORRECT.

Date & Time Issue with Mozilla ThunderBird. Bug or Usability Problem?

When mail arrived in Inbox , it doesnot get sorted as per the system date or download date/time , but get sorted as per the date set in sender's PC .

I am using Mozilla Thunderbird ver version 2.0.0.17 (20080914). I observed a typical behavior of this software . It may be a usability issue or it may be a bug too. I set the mail sorting for Inbox. I set Mail sorting as per Date , means the last or latest received mail will be at top position in Inbox.

On 21 November 2008 , I received a mail read return receipt from recipient. As nothing unusual was in it , I just ignored it. On 23 Nov, I observed that the same mail read receipt was occupying the top position , though more than dozens mails has already arrived in Inbox meanwhile. New mails are keep coming , but this particular Return Receipt Email refused to budge from its position.

On careful examination of it, I got the clue. The recipient, which originated the return receipt has set system date on his PC as 28 Nov 2008 and Mozilla Thunderbird is sorting mail as per Date order means as per most recent date and time, hence it is occupying the top slot in Inbox.

Now I decided to do experiment further. I set the system date of my PC to back 10 October and sent mail to myself. This time ,this mail did not positioned at top position in Inbox (which ideally it should be as it was a latest email) , but adjust itself somewhere in between the Inbox , which I found only after scrolling down. The mail was sat in the group of other 10-October mails.

It is clear , Mozilla Thunderbird ver version 2.0.0.17 (20080914) is sorting mails in Inbox , based on sender's date and time not as per receivers system date and time or when it get downloaded. Ideally it should be as per receivers date and time , when it get downloaded.

This particular behavior raises some questions:
1. Why should recipients be a victim of incorrect date and time of Sender?
2. What if someone send mail with old date and time? In this case the mail will be settled at bottom or in between the mailbox and recipient will not come to know about its arrival easily?
3. For better visibility , spammers would set futuristic date say of year 2015 and such mails will always occupy top slots.
4. Most important. It seriously questions the actual arrival date and time of all existing mails as well all incoming mails in Inbox. Now I am not sure about the old mail's date and time. It may be plus or minus from the date which it is displaying.

Is this a bug of software or Usability issue??Any comments.