Often when you notice Web slowness where it takes a minute before your browser "clicks" and starts downloading, the problem isn't with the Web server you are trying to access, but rather with the DNS server your computer is using. DNS is how hostnames (which are useful to human beings but less useful to computers) are translated into IP addresses. We find it easier to remember the hostname www.flyertalk.com, but computers find it easier to work with the IP address 216.167.74.244.

Usually you are using the DNS server of your Internet Service Provider. For example, I use PacBell DSL, and I've definitely noticed that ever since I started service in late May, I've been experiencing slow DNS servers on a sporadic basis. My connection is still alive and happy, and I know this since I have an interactive "telnet" session which is still alive and working just fine while my Web browser is sitting there waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Once it gets the IP address of the Web server I am trying to access, though, the actual Web page download is pretty speedy.

That's probably more information than those of you who aren't computer geeks really wanted to know....