sloooow web installer

hello, Have any of you experienced extreme delays using the web installer in linux? I'm using it on my remote host (no shell, dammit) to install a local copy of PEAR, but it takes between 2 to 4 minutes every single time I start it, and about half the time complains about an invalid payload. I don't have any way to get in there and debug, but I know the connection isn't a problem - it's something like a T3. Any idea why this might be so glacial in pace? Greg