Speed Up Your Web Browsing!!!

[stranger]

Speed Up Your Web Browsing!!!

Even when you have a decent internet connection, you won't usually get it's maximum benefit if
you don't optimize your pc's internet connection settings.

I have here listed my favorite tweaks for superfast web browsing.
If you ever want to follow these, make sure to make a system restore point.
Just in case you don't want the results after following the tweaks, you can set your pc back to its
original settings.

Ok let's get started.

Note: These are merely suggestions that work for me.  Tweak at your own risk!

Optimize your pc.

It's obvious, if your pc is not working at its maximum performance, your internet speed will be much slower than it should be. Clean up your registry, remove unnecessary files from your hard drive, defragment your hard disk.   Remove programs you don't really use, and only install softwares which you really need. 
I suggest you use Piriform's tools to do these things. Their registry cleaner CCleaner is one of the best if not the best freeware cleaner out there.  It's completely free and takes only a tiny speck of your hard  drive.  If you want a more feature-rich program, try this, presenting… nCleaner.  nCleaner is just like CCleaner, but like what I just have said, it has more features than the popular  CCleaner.
 

Make sure also you have an excellent antivirus to prevent  malware from getting into your pc.  Viruses can make your machine slow down and consequently your internet connection.  There a lot of free antivirus programs to choose from, and I personally recommend Avira.  I know others prefer non-free antivirus program like nod32,  but I would always go for freeware if I think that it really works for me.

Use an alternative browser.

I have windows 7 ultimate edition in my laptop pc, and I disabled there the ubiquitous big lower-case letter e.  IE is slow, and also for security reasons, don't use it.  It's the most vulnerable to attacks from among the popular browsers.  My preference goes to Firefox.  I admit it's not the fastest browser, but it's the most customizable.  There are a lot of extensions for Firefox that you can install.  These add-ons can improve Firefox's look and feel, speed and performance.  They can also make your browsing experience more productive as well.  More on add-ons later.
They said Opera is the fastest browser, others said it's Google Chrome, but I stick to my Firefox because of the reasons mentioned above.  I suggest you try all of those mentioned browsers, so can choose according to your likes.


Tweak DNS settings.

If you don't know about DNS (domain name system), then I suggest you google for it.
I'm not going to elaborate about it here.  Just to give you an idea, it's like an address book of domain names for specific  ip addresses.
By default, your DNS server address will be the one that your ISP will assign for you.  You can change this in your router settings.  Just look for your router's DNS settings and specify there your chosen DNS server address.   You can also do this by going to your Internet Protocol settings (IPv4).   In control panel, double click on the icon of the network you are connected to.  Then double click on Internet Protocol settings (IPv4). 
 
Click on the “ Use the following DNS server address:”
Input specific server address for each line.
But what server addresses should you input there?  Ok, go to this website: www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm  and download DNSbench.
It's a freeware tool that determines which DNS server works best in your location.
The program is not an installer.  Just download and run it.  Make sure you
are connected to the internet so it can perform its function.  Click on nameserver and then run.  Wait until it finishes its thing.  See the conclusions for the program’s recommendations on what server address works fastest in your location.

I am using google's public address. 
Here are google’s public addresses:
Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4

 
Use Speedguide.net's TCP Optimizer (for XP).

This is another free tool that can perform tweaks for your internet connection.
Download it in this site:  www.speedguide.net/downloads.php.
Open the program and on its UI, slide the bar to the one that corresponds to your internet speed.    Click on the button Optimal settings. 
Then apply the changes.




Reset windows socket. 

Internet socket or network socket is what windows use to send bits to networks.

To reset it, go to the command prompt, and type this: "netsh winsock reset" without the quotes and press enter.
 
Note that after doing this, it will require you to reboot.


Okay,  I’m going to focus here on using Firefox.  If you are not using Firefox, you need not to read on. 
For Firefox users, read on..
Download Firetune.  Use it to tweak Firefox settings.  This tool may work or may not work for you.  But just give it a try.  Download it at download.com.

Add-ons I use:
Read it later.  I don’t have a ready internet connection.   So I use this to view webpages offline.  Scrapbook works the same.
Memoryfox.  This add-on optimizes Firefox’s memory usage.  A definitely must have if you’re like me who used to open multiple tabs. 
Skipscreen.  For those who used to download files from rapidshare and other such sites.
Adblock Plus.  This is one of the best extensions for Firefox.  Basically, it blocks ads from webpages, saving considerable bandwidth.

As you can see, I just installed a handful of extensions.  This is because too many extensions can make Firefox to crawl!  Not all extensions are good, there are also bad ones.

I don’t use any third party toolbar.  Although they provide additional useful functions, they also add weight to your browser, thus slowing it down.

And for the last tip, always update Firefox of course.  Newer versions are usually geared towards faster Firefox.

That’s  all for now.  If you know of  any other ways  to speed up web browsing share it here.  Post it as a reply.   
Thanks for reading.