Depending on where you live, you may have some of the same problems with a slow internet connection that I do with the internet companies in my area. In the past, this has caused me a great deal of frustration and stress until I discovered a few tricks to overcome it. Even if you have an excellent internet connection with great speed from DSL or a fiber optics cable, following these tips will make your browsing experience even better than it already is.
The worst way to slow down an already sluggish internet connection is to be performing more than one task at a time. While our culture is one that insists on multi-tasking in every area, it is not a wise idea in the online sector. Internet connections become heavily taxed by multiple uploads and downloads being performed simultaneously. What some people do not realize is that every time a new web page opens, images and other content have to be downloaded as temporary internet files. This is a certain way to slow down or even completely freeze an internet connection. Therefore, keep only one browser open at time and do not open multiple tabs on the same browser unless it is absolutely necessary.
(Courtesy of mikepetrucci)
As a similar idea, remember not to download unnecessary files. Many sites beg for our attention and want us to download their special desktop icon or new game. If you are not going to use the file, simply do not download it in the first place. Occasionally, I look through all of my programs and downloaded files and delete or uninstall those that I have never used or that I have not used in months. Remember that every download takes a small piece of memory from the computer. Several years ago, I learned the difficult way that to browse online takes quite a bit of memory as well. Unless you have a massive hard drive or upgraded memory, keep the files on your computer simple.
Some believe that using add-ons on the internet browser will make the browsing experience easier and more pleasant than without them. Even I have some add-ons that I like using. For example, I choose to have a security add-on that checks each webpage for viruses or other security threats before loading the page. I also have found that I use a search engine toolbar quite often. Therefore, I keep these two add-ons enabled. However, I do not believe that anyone needs many more add-ons than these. Only keep add-ons that make your life simpler over the long term since each one will add a few milliseconds to each page load. For one moderate length browsing session, this could add up to five to ten minutes of wasted time.
Finally, loading pages with multiple graphics dramatically slows down browsing. When I am shopping or browsing pages with images, I only choose to load the smallest number. I have learned never to choose the tab that allows me to view all the images on one page. If I do this, the page could take up to three minutes to load. Instead, I view ten to twelve images at a time, which allows the page to load within a few seconds.
Whether my internet speed is low due to very little memory on my computer or due to poor service from internet companies in my area, I have found that these four simple tips will speed up my browsing sessions. Even if you have a fabulous connection and a wonderful computer, following this advice could shave a few seconds off your browsing time. I just remember that in the world of computing, multi-tasking does not always save time.
This is a guest article by Ruben Corbo, a writer for the website Broadband Expert where you can find internet service providers in your area and compare prices on different deals for your mobile broadband needs.
