[bit OT] Delay connecting to Oracle 8

I wonder if there are any Oracle users who can suggest what may be the cause of an initial delay connecting to a remote Oracle server. Setup: Apache/PHP with Oracle 8.1.6 client on Linux 2.2.16 accessing Oracle Enterprise 8.1.6 on SunOS 5.6. When either using PHP ocilogon() or using sqlplus from the shell there is a delay of approx 7 seconds before the initial connection is made. Once a connection has been established, subsequent logons are pretty much instantaneous from either PHP script or the command line. It stays this way for up to perhaps 15 minutes inactivity (I've not timed this accurately) and then falls back to taking 7 seconds or so to connect. Both client and server are properly set up in DNS. Telnet connections to the Solaris box from linux box are not subject to any delays, so I don't believe this is an IP layer issue. TIA for any thoughts on this. Nick Talbott IT Policy and Strategy Manager, Powys County Council, UK email nickt@powys.gov.uk FAX +44 (0) 1597 824781 web http://www.powys.gov.uk and http://www.powysweb.co.uk