Once all the browser features are well tested, functional and not causing errors, the Firefox developers' aim is to try to speed up the browser's performance while browsing. Unfortunately, there is no magic button that can triple the speed of the browser at its simple push; despite this, trying to change the configuration parameters can still lead to improvements. The main reason why slowdowns in browsing speed are often accused is the use of a malfunctioning extension, another aspect that will be covered by this guide.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Change the Config Page Settings
Step 1. Update Firefox
Many of the configuration changes identified in the past are now included in new browser versions. To take advantage of these changes, you need to update Firefox to the latest version available. Updates are downloaded and installed automatically each time you view information about your version of Firefox.
Step 2. Backup the Firefox configuration file
Incorrect modification of the browser configuration parameters can cause a deterioration in performance or the appearance of malfunctions. Normally undoing changes to revert to the previous situation is a simple, quick and easily feasible solution, but it is always best to have a full backup of the configuration file in case you need to perform a global restore.
- Open a new navigation tab, then type the string about: support into the address bar.
- Locate the "Profile folder" parameter, then press its Open Folder button (if you're using a Mac, press the Open in Finder button).
- Go up one level from the appeared folder to access the directory that contains it. At this point you should see a folder whose name is composed of a string of numbers and letters, with the extension ".default".
- Select the folder in question with the right mouse button, then choose "Copy" from the context menu that appeared. Choose the folder in which to insert the backup copy, then select an empty spot with the right mouse button and choose the "Paste" option from the context menu that appeared.
Step 3. Always edit only one parameter at a time
These configuration settings are intended for advanced users, as an incorrect change can cause serious problems with the functioning of browser add-ons. The best choice is always to make only one change at a time and then be able to test its effects.
There are some tools available on the web that allow you to accurately check the speed of your browser
Step 4. Change the number of connections per server
Firefox limits the number of simultaneous connections that can be established with a single server. By increasing this number you will notice noticeable changes in the loading time of web pages that have many images or videos (as long as your broadband connection can handle them). Excessively increasing the value of this parameter is considered bad behavior that could lead to you being "banned" from the server. In any case, you should have more than enough leeway to make this change:
- Search for the key network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server, then double-click the "Value" field. Increase the reported value up to a maximum of 10. Some users prefer to use a smaller value, such as 8, to avoid attracting too much attention.
- Look for the key network.http.max-connections. Then set this value to 256 (just in case it's different).
Step 5. Turn off animations
When opening and closing the navigation tabs, Firefox displays short animations. Normally this mechanism does not cause problems, but disabling it will avoid the occurrence of slowdowns - in case you have a tendency to open or close several tabs at the same time:
- Set the browser.tab.animate parameter to "False".
- Set the browser.panorama.animate_zoom parameter to "False".
Step 6. Consider disabling prefetching
This is a mode of operation that involves the advance loading of pages related to the one you are currently consulting, before you actually choose to access them via the appropriate link. When it works correctly, the procedure exploits only the browser's inactivity time, really speeding up the loading of pages while browsing. If the page loading speed is still low, it is likely that prefeching malfunctions will be the cause of the problem. To disable this feature follow these instructions (if you don't notice any improvements in page loading speed, restore the initial configuration):
- Set the network.dns.disablePrefetch parameter to "True".
- Set the network.prefetch-next parameter to "False".
- Set the value of the network.http.speculative-parallel-limit parameter to 0.
Step 7. Enable hardware acceleration and WebGL
These features take advantage of the computer's graphics card to speed up the execution of certain tasks, especially the loading of video content. It should be noted that, if used with older operating systems or graphics cards, this could be counterproductive, causing an increase in loading times or the display of blurry text. Try to view the videos by activating and then deactivating this feature, in order to find out which is the best choice in your specific case:
- Set the webgl.disabled parameter to "True" or "False" to enable or disable WebGL acceleration.
- In a new navigation tab, access the about: preferences # advanced configuration page. Select or deselect the "Use hardware acceleration when available" checkbox.
- Unlike most configuration changes, in this case you will have to restart Firefox for it to take effect.
Method 2 of 3: Troubleshoot Problems Causing Slowdown
Step 1. Install an ad blocker extension.
Today, most web pages contain advertisements, which require a large portion of the total load time to load. By installing extensions like "Adblock Plus" or similar you can prevent the advertisements from appearing on the page - and thus speed up their loading.
Most websites generate a large part of their income from advertising. So consider disabling these types of extensions when you log into websites you want to support
Step 2. Start Firefox in Safe Mode.
Access the main menu of the browser (by pressing the button characterized by three horizontal and parallel lines), then press the help button (?) And choose the option Restart by disabling add-ons…. If Firefox runs much faster in Safe Mode, it means that a faulty add-on is slowing its normal operation.
Step 3. Disable add-ons
Enter the string about: addons in the address bar of the browser. Alternatively, access the main menu of the browser (by pressing the button characterized by three horizontal and parallel lines) and select the item Add-ons. Always disable one component at a time, then test your browsing speed for a few minutes. Based on the verification results, you can either permanently uninstall the faulty add-on or reactivate it from the same web page.
Step 4. Set the default theme
Using a custom theme could be one of the causes of Firefox slowing down. From the Add-ons page, go to the "Appearance" tab to reset the default theme.
Step 5. Minimize memory usage
Having recently closed a large number of browsing tabs, Firefox may experience a temporary slowdown due to the deletion of content that is no longer needed from memory. Eliminate the problem by proceeding as follows: access the about: memory configuration page and press the Minimize memory usage button.
Step 6. Change the cache size
The cache is another feature designed to speed up the operation of an internet browser, but at the same time, when it becomes too large, it can be the cause of some slowdowns. To change the cache size, go to the about: preferences # advanced configuration page, choose the "Network" tab and select the "Do not use automatic cache management" checkbox. If you have a fast hard drive with a large amount of free space, you can considerably increase the size of the cache. Conversely, if you are using a slow or nearly full hard drive, reduce the cache size to 250MB.
The advice is to regularly clear the cache, for example every two months, or whenever the browser begins to slow down its normal operation. The cache should also be emptied whenever you want to change its size (especially if you need to reduce it)
Step 7. Reset Firefox to default settings
If you are experiencing slowdowns when using your browser with a broadband internet connection, you may need to restore the default configuration in order to uninstall a faulty add-on or correct an incorrect setting. The reset procedure will delete all your personal data, including installed add-ons, themes and browsing history, returning Firefox to its default configuration. Go to the about: support page, then press the Reset Firefox button.
Method 3 of 3: Enable Pipelining
Step 1. Understand the concept of pipelining
Thanks to this feature Firefox is able to establish more than one connection with a particular server. As you can guess, this option generates a performance improvement only in case you are using a fast broadband connection. In any case, the increase in browsing speed will be minimal, and sometimes it can even cause errors or slowdowns. Most likely the results obtained through this change depend on how the web pages accessed are structured, so test this functionality to verify its real usefulness in your specific case.
Step 2. Access the "about: config" configuration page
Open a new navigation tab, then type the string about: config into the address bar.
Step 3. Enable pipelining
Search for the configuration parameter network.http.pipelining using the appropriate bar at the top of the page that appears. This parameter should have the following values: "Status: default" and "Value: false". Select the parameter in question with a double click of the mouse to set the following new values: "Status: custom" and "Value: true".
Step 4. Change other settings (optional)
In relation to pipelining there are several other parameters that you can change. Note: Changing the following parameters is not recommended unless you are an experienced user. Here is the list of parameters:
- "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests": For many years this parameter had an upper limit of 8, but now (and by default) the value has been increased to 32. Setting a higher value for this number could result in unexpected errors. Decreasing it instead reduces the browsing speed, but on the other hand allows you to use a slightly smaller portion of bandwidth.
- Activate the parameter "network.http.pipelining.aggressive": when this modification is active, you can notice a notable increase in browsing speed; on the contrary, however, if it does not work, you will experience a noticeable slowdown (also in this case the final result depends on the website visited).
- If you are used to browse using a proxy server, you will need to enable the "network.http.proxy.pipelining" entry (to locate this parameter you will need to perform a new search).
Step 5. If you are having trouble browsing please enable pipelining for secure connections only
If, following the activation of pipelining, the browsing speed should decrease or if errors are generated while viewing the web pages, restore the initial configuration by disabling it. However, you will only be able to enable it for websites that you access via a secure connection. To do this, activate the "network.http.pipelining.ssl" parameter. Most errors related to the use of pipelining occur when accessing proxy servers, so they are not a problem when using secure connections.
Pipilining, despite the problems it can generate when used with insecure connections, does not expose you to any kind of security risk
Advice
If the changes made to the browser configuration cause a slowdown in navigation or incorrect loading of images, restore the initial configuration by acting on the "about: config" page or using a backup file
Warnings
- There are many myths about the ability to speed up Firefox by changing its configuration settings. The reality is that these changes only rarely have a real impact on the performance of modern versions of Firefox, including increasing the amount of RAM dedicated to the cache or creating new configuration parameters, such as "initial paint. delay "and" trim on minimize ".
- Because it does nothing but automatically change all the configuration parameters listed in this guide, installing the "Speed" extension is not recommended. On the contrary, it has negative effects as it reduces user control over Firefox configuration and often uses outdated and ineffective changes.
