HTTP keep-alive timeout

Question

Can I specify the HTTP timeout or does the server impose a value? For example, if I do:

telnet my.server.net 80
Trying X.X.         


        

Answer 1

The client cannot specify the timeout, it is the server configuration that determines the maximum timeout value. The extra Keep-Alive header can inform the client how long the server is willing to keep the connection open (timeout=N value) and how many requests you can do over the same connection (max=M) before the server will force a close of the connection.

See also Proper use of KeepAlive in Apache Htaccess

Answer 2

Yes, you can specify timeout but server has no obligation to use that value. If server is configured with a different timeout, it will return its own Keep-Alive header.

The Keep-Alive header is a hop-by-hop header that provides information about a persistent connection. Both client and server are able to provide information independently. (Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Keep-Alive Header)