|
- features
- system requirements
- known problems and issues
- embedding the applet in a web page
- simple usage
- advanced usage
- performance issues
- support policy
- frequently asked questions
- purchase information
- licence agreement
- trouble shooting
features
webDaemon is a java applet that calculates the data transfer rate between client
and server. It enables site administrators to direct incoming connections around
their website depending on how fast the client can browse.
- groups client connections into two or three user defined bands
- lightweight 6Kb applet
- platform independent
- quick to load and quick to run
- no visible interface
system requirements
webDaemon has been written in Java 1.1.6 and can be run within browsers that support
this version of Java or later.
known problems and issues
We are not aware of any bugs with webDaemon prior to its release date (February 2000).
Please refer to the s3solutions website at www.s3solutions.co.uk
for the latest information or to report a bug.
embedding the applet in a web page
WebDaemon.jar is the archive which contains the executable code and s3dnld.dat is a
file used during the calculation process. To embed the applet into your HTML page you need
to use the applet tag, click here
to see an example. You can get a webkit for use with webDaemon on the s3solutions
website here
There are seven different parameters you can use to configure the applet:
| param name |
value |
| lowUrl |
absolute url of page to link to |
| medUrl |
absolute url of page to link to |
| highUrl |
absolute url of page to link to |
| lowBreakPoint |
integer value greater than 0 and less than highBreakPoint |
| highBreakPoint |
integer value greater than lowBreakPoint |
| showBPS |
true / false |
| path |
path to the s3dnld.dat file. This defaults to '/s3' |
For webDaemon to work at least one of the url parameters is required (lowUrl, medUrl
or highUrl) and the lowBreakPoint parameter, the remaining are optional. If the
showBPS is set to 'true' then a dialog box with the calculated bps rate is displayed
before the browser is routed to another page. In the trial version, an "Unregistered Copy"
dialog box pops up too.
On our demo page we have used 35000 as a low break point and 65000 as a high break
point. We recommend these values for general use as it splits users up into suitable
groups i.e. ISDN and above, fast modems and slow modems.
It is highly recommended that you do not use any images on the same page as webDaemon.
If the images are still loading while webDaemon is running you will not get a true
bps reading. For other usage notes please see the troubleshooting section.
simple usage
One way to use webDaemon is to embed it into the index page of your site and each time
a user connects to your site it calculates their connection speed and routes them to a
suitable page, as shown below.
While this is great for smaller sites it can increase the amount of maintenance time
required. You may prefer not to calculate the client's speed on the index page but
instead use webDaemon as a gateway into the speed critical areas of the site. webDaemon
is licensed per domain so you are free to use it as many times as you like within a
single domain.
advanced usage
Using javascript code with webDaemon, you can set a cookie on the client machine
that records their bandwidth group for later use. Further pages in your site can
read the cookie value and optimise the page content to make downloading
quicker. An example of this might be choosing the most suitably sized images or
selecting which users should have sounds played.
One idea for implementation of this is as follows: On your index page include javascript
code to check whether a cookie value already exists for webDaemon. If not a small
browser window can be opened to ask the user if they would like to run webDaemon.
The applet can then run and route the window to an HTML page that sets a cookie value
according to their bandwidth group.
performance issues
There are a variety of factors that can affect the speed computers communicate at
over the Internet. This can range from slow modems to overloaded servers or bad
phone lines. webDaemon measures the cumulative effect of these factors on the client's
ability to download data from a website. Browsing speeds, i.e. data throughput, can
fluctuate significantly around your initial connection speed on a minute to minute basis.
support policy
s3solutions is committed to providing free unlimited web based support to customers
who have purchased the full version of webDaemon. We are happy to answer questions
regarding the demonstration copy, available for free, and would welcome any feedback
you may have.
frequently asked questions
Our website has resources for helping you implement webDaemon.
purchase information
We have an exclusive sales partnership with Grey Matter Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
Please see our website for details on how to contact them here.
licence agreement
See our End User Licence Agreement (EULA) here.
trouble shooting
- Include a link on the page webDameon is used on so clients without java enabled
browsers don't get stuck
- Try not to use any images on pages with webDaemon. If the images are still loading
while the applet is running it will adversly effect the calculated bps rate
- If nothing happens when you try to use webDaemon (does not route your browser anywhere
& no error messages pop-up) then the applet is not being loaded. Check your HTML code to
make sure the code property within the appet tag is set to 's3.webDaemonTrial' and that the
path to the archive file is correct
- Do not edit the 's3calc.dat' file or attempt to alter it's size
- If you think you are being routed to the wrong page then check you have set all the
parameters up correctly. If this doesn't solve the problem then use the showBPS parameter
to display the bps being calculated
- Make sure you specify the absolute url in the parameters
BACK TO TOP
|
