Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy does not force offline files to offline mode when a slow link is detected

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

This section describes improvements to the Offline Files feature of Windows XP and Windows 2000 that is included with this update.

With the new functionality that is included in this update, Offline Files can automatically go offline if a slow link to a server is detected. Additionally, Offline Files detects the actual throughput of the connection to the server as the connection speed.

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Overview of the "Configure Slow Link Speed" feature

In Windows XP and Windows 2000, there is a Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting to define a slow link speed for use with Offline Files. You can configure a threshold value that Offline Files recognizes as a "slow" network connection. Offline Files then recognizes any network connection speed that is slower than this value as a slow link. This policy prevents Offline Files from automatically reconnecting to the server when the server is detected.

However, the behavior of this policy in Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 1 and Windows 2000 SP4 is applicable only after you are already offline. That is, on a Windows XP or Windows XP SP1-based computer, this policy does not force Offline Files to offline mode when a slow link is detected. You must first use the Csccmd /disconnect command-line option to manually force Offline Files into offline mode.

The new behavior of Offline Files (after you install this update) permits Offline Files to automatically go offline if a slow link is detected. When Offline Files starts, it checks the SlowLinkSpeed setting that is configured either in the registry or in Group Policy. It compares each server that is in its database to the specified threshold value, and it individually marks each server that meets the criteria for a slow link to go into Offline Mode. You do not have to already be offline (or manually run the Csccmd /disconnect command-line option to go offline) for the Configure Slow Link Speed policy to apply on a Windows XP or Windows 2000-based computer that has this update installed.

Additionally, the new functionality of Offline Files permits Offline Files to detect the actual speed of the network connection to the server (instead of the speed of the network adapter of the client) as the connection speed.

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How to use the "Go Offline on Slow Link" feature

To use this feature, follow these steps.

1. Enable and configure the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting by using the Group Policy snap-in.
2. Add the following REG_DWORD entry to the Windows registry and assign it a value of 1:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache\GoOfflineOnSlowLink
   To do so:
   
   1. Click Start, and then click
      Run.
   2. Type regedit, and then click
      OK.
   3. Locate, and then click the following registry key:
      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache
   4. On the Edit menu, point to
      New, and then click DWORD Value.
   5. Type GoOfflineOnSlowLink, and then press ENTER.
   6. In the right pane, double-click the
      GoOfflineOnSlowLink value that you created in step 2e.
   7. In the Value data box, type
      1, and then click OK.
   8. Quit Registry Editor.
3. Restart the computer.
   
   If a slow link to the server is detected, Offline Files automatically goes offline.

Note To modify the value that defines a slow link, use the Group Policy snap-in to configure the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting with the value that you want, and then restart the computer.

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How to synchronize files

To synchronize files, click Client Side Caching in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar.

If the server is offline because of a slow link (where a connection is available to the server, but the connection is slow), your files are synchronized, but you remain offline. In this way, you can work offline and synchronize your files whenever you want to, even over slow links.

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How to return to online status

If the speed of the network connection to the server is faster than the value that is defined for the slow link, Offline Files no longer considers the network speed "slow." To return to online status:

• Perform a manual synchronization.
  
  -or-
• The server automatically returns to online status if both of the following conditions are true:
  
  • No files were modified on the client when the server was offline.
  • There are no open handles to the server.

If you want to return to online status when a the network connection is still detected as a slow link, use the Group Policy snap-in to change the value that you set for the slow link in the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting, and then restart the computer.

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How to turn off the "Go Offline on Slow Link" feature

To turn off this feature, set the following registry value to 0: To do so:

1. Click Start, and then click
   Run.
2. Type regedit, and then click
   OK.
3. Locate, and then click the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache
4. In the right-pane, double-click
   GoOfflineOnSlowLink.
5. In the Value data box, type
   0, and then click OK.
6. Quit Registry Editor.
7. Restart the computer.

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