User login

timeout

Preventing code calling external web services from slowing or stopping display of your site

I think the best way is probably AJAX.

Using curl which takes a timeout argument is also possible.

http://php.net/curl

In Drupal 7, better to use drupal_http_request().

http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--common.inc/function/drupal_http_request/7

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