How to speed up your browser

By Ruben Flores
Posted Tuesday, September 7, 2004

There are a couple of things you can do to speed up you browser, but in the long run anything you do will affect the way you view the Web. The best thing is to purchase or upgrade to a faster modem. Since we all may not be able to go out and buy a new modem, here are a few tips you can try to speed up you Web experience.

You can browse with the graphics feature off. The more graphics a site has, the more time it takes to download pages. Since graphic take considerable time to load, this may be a viable option if you are just looking for text information.

You can also turn off sound and video features. Many Websites often use sound, music, or even videos that play in the backround while you surfing the site. While this is pretty cool sometimes, it slows you down considerably more than just graphics.

To turn off you graphics, sound, and video features try the following:

Internet Explorer: On the menu, click "View," then "Options," then the "General Tab." Here you will find the check boxes for these options. You can even change you link colors, and customize you browser's tool bar features.

Netscape Navigator: On the menu click "Edit," then "Preferences."

For you AOL members, try to surf during off-peak hours as your AOL connection may be slow due to high traffic volumes. Peak hour may vary depending on what part of the world you are in. For example, in the U.S., the peak hours are usually 7:00 a.m. to Noon time and 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. For Pacific time adjust accordingly.

If you are downloading software or a large file try and do it in off peak hour or overnight.

If a site is taking to long to load try hitting your "Reload/Refresh" button a few times. This may sometimes cut you ahead of others waiting to access the site. You can also try highlighting the URL in the address bar and hitting enter.

Empty you "Browser's Cache" periodically. While you surf, your browser stores Web pages in your "Cache" on your hard drive. When the Cache gets full you start having difficulties with downloading pages. To empty your browser's Cache, you can click "View," then "Options," then the "Advanced Tab," then "Settings." You can also go to "C:/Windows Folder/Temporary Internet Files," select all, then delete. It may take a 10 to 30+ seconds, so be patient.

Article submitted by Cybersmartnow

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