Netscape 2.01 Clients Hang While Getting SSL Pages w/ Graphics

• Microsoft Internet Information Server version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

When you use a Netscape Navigator 2.01 client to view a SSL protected web page with graphics on Internet Information Server (IIS), the Netscape client may appear to hang. However, after 15 minutes of inactivity, the client will suddenly display the entire page with all the graphics.

CAUSE

Netscape Navigator 2.01 clients do not support HTTP Keep-Alives over SSL connections.

WORKAROUND

Disable HTTP Keep Alives on the IIS computer by doing the following:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

1. With Registry Editor, go to the following registry key

         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W3SVC\Parameters
   

2. Click Add Value on the Edit menu. Add the following:

         Value Name: SslNoKeepAlive
         Data Type:  REG_DWORD
         Data:    1
   
   

3. Stop and restart all of the IIS services.

• Unfortunately, disabling HTTP Keep Alives has severe performance implications as it disables HTTP Keep Alives completely, even for non-SSL pages.
• Microsoft has changed IIS to only use HHTP Keep Alives over SSL with browsers known to be compliant, currently the only known compliant browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Internet Information Server version 1.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Internet Information Server U.S. Service Pack.

The service pack for IIS 1.0b systems using 64-bit SSL keys is available from Microsoft's World Wide Web at the following location:

   http://www.microsoft.com/Infoserv/iisservpack.htm.

This problem was also corrected in the latest Windows NT 3.51 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K