Techniques for Faster Web Browsing with Mozilla Firefox & Internet Explorer

Though all the browsers are designed to provide users a fast browsing experience; little tweaks here and there can go a long way in increasing the speed of browsers. As attractive an option as it seems, truth be told, in order to make whatever changes we need to improve the speeds of our browsers, we will have to compromise with original registry and browser settings.

Now, this may not be everyone’s cup of tea because modifying the windows registry without proper knowledge may lead on damaging your registry setting, which in turn would seriously affect your Windows Operating System. So, we strongly recommend our readers to backup your Windows registry data before going through any registry changes.

Let’s have a look at some of the leading web browsers regarding how we can optimize their speeds.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is generally considered to be the fastest of the browsers available in the market today. If you get to searching, you will find innumerable techniques, many of which can be quite complicated and may lead to data loss. Also most techniques available are for the broadband users. Here, we have not only kept the broadband users in mind but also those who use slower connections like a dialup. In saying so, we have tried to come up with most combinations of computers and the types of connections.

1. Reduce the amount of RAM Firefox uses for it’s cache feature
   • Type about:config in the address bar in the browser.
   • Click button I’ll be Careful, I promise!
   • Enter browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewer in filter box
   • Set it’s value to 0.
2. Increase the Speed in Which Firefox loads pages
   • Type about:config in the address bar in the browser.
   • Click button I’ll be Careful, I promise!
   • Modify the values for following entries
     • Set network.http.pipelining to true
     • Set network.http.proxy.pipelining to true
     • Set network.http.pipelining.maxrequests to 12 or more depending upon your internet connection speed
   • At last, right-click anywhere and select New > Integer. Name it nglayout.initialpaint.delay and set its value to 0.
3. Reduce RAM usage to 10mb when Firefox is minimized
   • Type in about:config and then press Enter.
   • Click button I’ll be Careful, I promise!
   • Right Click in the page and select New > Boolean.
   • In the box that pops up enter config.trim_on_minimize and Press Enter.
   • Now select True and then press Enter.
   • Restart Firefox.
4. Optional Configurations

   Optionally here are some more options for your about:config (you might have to create some of these entries by Right Click –> New– > Integer (value 0 & 5) or String (for true & false)

   • Create network.dns.disableIPv6 and set it to false
   • Create content.notify.backoffcount and set it to 5
   • Create plugin.expose_full_path and set it to true
   • Create ui.submenuDelay and set it to 0

Internet Explorer

1. Increase the number of simultaneous HTTP connections & downloads that IE makes to a Web server

   Internet Explorer 8 limits you to download one to six simultaneous downloads depending upon your internet connection speeds and Internet Explorer 7 and it’s earlier versions limits that number to one to two simultaneous downloads. If you have broadband internet connectivity, changing these setting will increase your Internet Explorer speed and browsing experience. Those setting for simultaneous downloads can be increased maximum of 16 connections by making changes on registry settings.

   There is a “Microsoft Fix It” tool that will automatically fix this issue and increase the number of files that you can download at one time to 10.

   Click here to download or run it.

   If you want to make changes on registry manually or want to have more information about this Techniques Click Here.

2. Turn off Phishing Filter

   Phishing filter is a feature that supposedly avoids tour system from accessing a website that disguises as an original website but isn’t so. This feature of Internet Explorer 7 will help you to protect from online phishing scams but this feature while enabled will slow down the loading time and speed of the web pages.

   This feature can be disabled on IE7 from:

   Tools > Phishing Filter > Turn off automatic website checking, there turn it off.

3. Turn off automatic checking for RSS feeds

   Usually happens with IE7 and is known to reduce the speed of browser. This feature can be disabled on IE7 from if you really don’t use it:

   Tools > Internet Options > Content > Feeds > Settings > Uncheck all the boxes shown there.

4. Turn Off Clear Type

   “Clear Type” will render your texts in browser smoothly but there were a lot of people who doesn’t like this kind of font smoothing and using this feature obviously will use your system memory more than that of normal. So if you want to disable it:

   • Open IE7
   • Open Tool Menu
   • Click Internet Options
   • Click Advanced Tabs
   • Under Multimedia, clear the Use ClearType or Always use ClearType for HTML checkbox
   • Click Ok
5. Installing Google Chrome Frame for Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8

   Click here for more information about Google Chrome Frame.

   Click here to download it.

   Watch Youtube Video about Google Chrome Frame:

30 FireFox Add Ons to do just about anything

You can find my Collection

Best of Firefox Addons

BFA Best of Firefox Addon Collection of xmarks, adblock, Hide Caption, Download Statusbar, DownThemAll, FoxyTunes, NoScript, Tab Mix….So on

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collection/bfa

 

1. Fast Dial

Fast Dial is a great FireFox add-on and a feature that you all have probably seen in Opera already. Fast Dial replaces blank tabs with a panel of thumbnails of your favorite sites. So  whenever you open a new tab it will show you the list of websites you have added. From there simply click the thumbnail to open the website immediately. Plus point for Fast Dial is that it allows you to add up to 100 websites with the customization options.

Download : Fast Dial

2.  ImageShack

Another add-on that really comes in Handy is the ImageShack Firefox add on. When you’re browsing the internet there are lots of websites you come across and there are certain pictures that you really like. A good way to collect all the pictures is by installing this add on. Simply Right click on any image and click “Transload Image to Imageshack”. Once done those pictures will be uploaded in your Picture Gallery before you know it.

Register on Imageshack, click tools and get the toolbar.

Continues Click READ MORE

VVV

What is a browser?

 

I’ve been trying to explain to my mom for months what a web browser is, with little luck. After a few rounds of failed attempts, I grew curious about people’s general understanding of web browsers. So I decided to conduct a highly-scientific (read: not scientific at all) survey of my friends and got the following results:

As it turns out, my mom’s not the only one {!} who is confused about web browsers — even though the browser is one of the most-used programs on computers.
For my mom, my friends and everyone else who may be wondering about web browsers, I created a one minute video to help explain what they’re all about about:

 

I’ve also created a simple site, WhatBrowser.org, that gives even more information about browsers. On this site, you can see which web browser you’re using, explore links to browser diagnostic tests and read some useful tips for getting the most out of your browser.
Lots of our time each day is spent online, and every page on the web is experienced through the browser. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that there are many browsers out there, which differ on features like speed, security and extensibility.
So, the next time you find yourself as the informal tech support for your family and friends, make sure to explain why their browser matters — and of course, what it is!
Posted by Jason Toff, Associate Product Marketing Manager and son of Alla Toff

LiveJournal Tags: Internet,Internet Explorer,chrome,Google,Firefox,Browser