Alternatives to InternetReadFile??

[cLocKwOrk]

Hi all,

I was wondering is any of you knew an alternative API to InternetReadFile. I am currently using it with some success, but the only problem that I can see with it is that there is no timeout when hit a web page... so if its down the call never returns.

I know there is a InternetReadFileRev that allows you to specify the timeout, but the only problem with it is that it doesn't return the # of bytes read in. (So if I send it a 32byte buffer and it only reads in 20bytes, I want to know since the rest of the buffer will be filled with garbage).

My code looks something like this:

Public Function justReturnWholePageString(passedURL As String) As String

    Dim newlinePosition     As Integer
    Dim hOpen               As Long
    Dim hOpenUrl            As Long
    Dim sUrl                As String
    Dim LineBuffer          As String
    Dim bDoLoop             As Boolean
    Dim bRet                As Boolean
    Dim sReadBuffer         As String * 2048
    Dim lNumberOfBytesRead  As Long
    Dim sBuffer             As String

    sUrl = passedURL
    LineBuffer = ""
    testLineCounter = 0
    
    hOpen = InternetOpen(scUserAgent, INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_PRECONFIG, vbNullString, vbNullString, 0)
    hOpenUrl = InternetOpenUrl(hOpen, sUrl, vbNullString, 0, INTERNET_FLAG_RELOAD, 0)

    bDoLoop = True
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
    While (bDoLoop)
        sReadBuffer = vbNullString
        bRet = InternetReadFile(hOpenUrl, sReadBuffer, Len(sReadBuffer), lNumberOfBytesRead)
        LineBuffer = LineBuffer & sReadBuffer
        
        sBuffer = sBuffer & Left$(sReadBuffer, lNumberOfBytesRead)
        If Not CBool(lNumberOfBytesRead) Then
            bDoLoop = False
        End If
    Wend
      
    justReturnWholePageString = sBuffer
    
    If hOpenUrl <> 0 Then InternetCloseHandle (hOpenUrl)
    If hOpen <> 0 Then InternetCloseHandle (hOpen)
    
End Function

Can anyone suggest an alternative for me?

TIA!

[cLocKwOrk]

No one has any ideas on alternatives to InternetReadFile????