Following on to my implementation of OWA using SSL via Chad Gross' article
(thanks, Chad, for answering my previous questions), I'm trying to work out
why it is so slow.
If I connect to the server from a remote site using a slow 64K link using
VPN, and the use IE to open https:\\internalname\exchange, the certificate
pops for approval up in less than a second, the login form pops up a few
seconds later, and the full OWA screen takes about 1-2 minutes to fully draw
itself, which I'll blame on the slow link - it's slow, but usable at a
pinch.
On the same link, if I don't first establish a VPN, and use
https:\\externalname\exchange, the certificate only pops up after about 5
minutes, the login screen apears after another 5 minutes, and the full OWA
screen shows itself after another 5 minutes or so - slow enough to render
OWA unusable.
Why should the connection using VPN be so hugely faster than not using VPN?
Slightly faster due to not requiring external DNS lookups I can understand,
but the difference is huge.