Update to Understanding the Web Proxy and Firewall Client Automatic Configuration article
In my article Understanding the Web Proxy and Firewall Client Automatic Configuration we explored in great detail how the ISA Server 2004 Web Proxy and Firewall Client Automatic Configuration really works from a client point of view. However, we discovered also that there are excessive delays in the DHCP part of the automatic discovery.
As promised we opened a ticket with Microsoft PSS for this issue. On December 22, 2005 Microsoft released a new KB article 907455 - Internet Explorer may delay up to 10 seconds before it starts for the first time in Windows XP. On February 2, 2006 Microsoft published a second KB article regarding the same issue called 906650 - When you use Internet Explorer on a Windows XP-based computer, Internet Explorer may take 8 to 11 seconds to open a Web page. Both KB articles outline a solution to the same problem although in a different way. KB907455 proposes a fix for the Wininet.dll and applies to Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP. On the other hand KB906650 proposes a fix for the Dhcpcsvc.dll and applies to Windows XP only. This suggest that this fix is Internet Explorer version independent.
When you implement one of this KB articles it should correct the DHCP issue we discovered. So, call Microsoft PSS and ask for one of them or both – now!
