Speed up Firefox

network.http.max-connections-per-server – 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy – 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server – 8 browser.cache.memory.capacity – 65536 From :Speed up Firefox

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Maybe I’m paranoid, but I wouldn’t apply a config setting without knowing what it does even if it’s recommended by Chris Pirillo :)

There’s a ton of websites with tons of tutorials on how to tweak Firefox in many ways, starting with GUI layout & Tab control to speeding up Firefox & preventing memory leaks.

For example, this site has 12 pages of various detailed instructions on tweaking Firefox: Settings, Basic customization, Advanced customization (that includes all the ways that Firefox has for various tweaking: Prefs.js, User.js, About:Config, UserChrome.css & UserContent.css) and a little bit about Extensions, Themes & other neat stuff :)

But it’s only one of the many websites who have Firefox tweaking tutorials ;)

This is pretty much the bible of Firefox speed tweaks, as far as I’m concerned:

http://codebetter.com/blogs/darrell.norton/archive/2005/01/28/48720.aspx

None of the first 5 entries, all pertaining to content, don’t seem to be available. Any advice or thoughts about that?

2 Barry Stinson:

Right click in about:config -> “New” – Creates new variable.

Where it says “true” – Right click -> New -> “Boolean”
Where it has numbers – Right click -> New -> “Integer”

…with appropriate values.

there is an add on called fasterfox and it lets you cuztomize all of these without having to strain your eyes searching in about:config, it also has presets such as :
-default
-courtious
-optimized
-turbo charged
and custom
here is url:
FasterFox

i really like this add on it is my fav besides ABP

and also , i have almost 100 add ons and themes and it takes my firefox 15seconds to start up, is there any way to optimize that, other than removing add ons,
im really tired rite now so sorry about bad speeling.

I just don’t get it. I downloaded a Firefox speeditupper recommended by some very knowledgeable and respected writers and testers. I haven’t perceived any change in speed although there may be a change.

If after all the versions of Firefox why haven’t the Firefox folks included all these supposedly great tweeks?

Ya know if I cannot perceive the increase in speed then all I’ve done is add more clutter my HDD with more useless program/utilities and widgets and thus slowing down my system with junk that I use for a week and never again.

Also the time I take to read about these speed tweeks and install the ones with the most promises and recommendations from people like C.P. and his readers, requires more time than I’ll save in a year or more..at least I think that’s the case.

rant/opinion spewing over now – I just wasted all the time the tweeks will save for another year writing this- going to lay down now and contemplate how much time I could have saved if I just kept my mouth shut(key board fingering idle) on this topic.

Another addon for Firefox already does this for you without need to fiddle with About. It is called Tweak Network Settings, and can be found here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/327

Fasterfox actually slowed things down for me, so I uninstalled it. Running Mac OS X 10.4.10 on an ancient G4-400, via wireless connection to a DSL hub.

All of those setting are the same as mine. I’ve made changes according to mozilla’s site and forum and I’m using fasterfox. Works great.

I use FireTune for speeding up FireFox ……….. good enough for me !

about:config > Fasterfox, IMHO.

Why? Because I have more control setting up my own settings, rather than letting an extention blindly change stuff ;)

Adan, +1 (fully agree)

I went to Firefox site and installed the FasterFox add on and I had to uninstall it because I had to reset my computer a lot because it ate up all the virtual memory. It like turned it into a memory hog. Does anyone know how to fix Firefox after using FasterFox to speed up Firefox so that it’s not a memory hog.

Thanks,

I found these same tweaks in a book called hacking firefox by extreme tech. they really didn’t do much for me. but it could work differently for others it is worth a try at least

I tried using the setting from one of the Firefox tweaking websites. It did speed up some aspects of Firefox, but now all graphics take forever to load. Not sure which setting affects the loading of graphics, but I sure would like to have my old settings back. Is there a way to return everything back to the default settings?

This was very helpful. Most of you should try upgrading your hardware if this didnt help any.

This is old, but for those who find this page on Google,
the reason some people report that the “tweaks” didn’t
work well and even made things noticeably worse is
the same as the answer to widepart’s question as to
why these settings are the defaults – because these
“tweaked” settings are worse, in most cases, then the
defaults.

Very knowledgeable people chose the defaults
because they work best on most sites. Most of the
tweaks are based on the assumption that more is
always better. The default is 8, so 64 must be 8
times as good, right? No, the default is 8 because
8 is the best choice. Only a few sites, such ones
with dozens of small imageson a page, are likely
seem any faster with these tweaks. Even in those
cases, some of the tweaks, like setting max connections
per server ridiculously high, will get you banned from
some sites or the site will not work correctly until you
fix your settings. That’s a good example – the web
standards say that your browser should try to use
any more than two connection, and the web site is
justified in dropping you if you set your browser to
use more. Someone would only change these settings
if they felt sure that the people who made Firefox in
the first place didn’t know what they were doing when
they chose the defaults.

Hi Chris..
There is a load more information on this at http://www.nettechguide.com/how-to-speed-up-firefox-page-loading-times/ and there is an addon that does a similar job I believe I think its called fasterfox.

This definately works because I have it running now and can tell you it makes a BIG difference in the speed that the pages actually load up!!

Love the show by the way..