all to the
<a href=tcp.html#settimeout><tt>settimeout</tt></a>
method, an application  can specify upper limits on
the time it can  be blocked by LuaSocket (the "<tt>total</tt>" timeout), on
the time  LuaSocket can  internally be  blocked by  any OS call (the
"<tt>block</tt>" timeout) or a combination of the  two.  Each LuaSocket
call might perform several OS calls, so that the two timeout values are
<em>not</em> equivalent.  
</p>

<p>
Finally,  the host  name  resolution   is  transparent,  meaning  that 