when using HttpWebRequest, HttpWebResponse, The webBrowser class or pretty much anything relating to doing HTTP transactions there is a limit on the number of connections you can have to a server. This limit is defined by the HTTP RFC (no idea what number it is). This is why with internet explorer you can only download 2 files from a server at the same time.

Unfortunately with building an application you might have 30 clients all requesting a component that calls out using one of the HTTP classes.

<configuration>
   <system.net>
      <connectionManagement>
         <clear/>
         <add name = "www.mysite.com" maxconnection = "40" />
         <add name = "*" maxconnection = "2" />
      </connectionManagement>
   </system.net>
</configuration>

The ConnectionManagement allows you to override the builtin 2 connection limit. Here I have set it to a max of 40 simultaneous connections to www.mysite.com and 2 to everywhere else. If your system only accesses one address I would specify the address.

The reason for specifying if you can is to limit what someone can do if they can override the url that your HTTP client is using. This could then techincally be used to perform a DOS against someone elses web page.