How to Temporarily Change Browser Speed Settings

By Suvro Banerji, eHow Contributor , last updated January 04, 2012

Browser speed refers to the amount of data your computer receives while you are surfing the Internet. You might want to change the browser speed temporarily to speed things up, especially while you are playing an online game or watching an online video or downloading large files. All these activities require a faster browsing speed compared to the regular speed required for generic Internet surfing.

Instructions

1. Using Internet Explorer

   • 1
     Launch Internet Explorer.
     
   • 2
     Click on "Tools" and select "Internet Options." Click on the "General" tab. Hit the "Delete" button under "Browsing History." Place a check mark beside "Temporary Internet Files," "Cookies" and "History." Hit the "Delete" button. This will give you a temporary boost in browsing speed. If it doesn't, go to Step 3.
     
   • 3
     Click on "Settings" under "Browsing History." Slide the bar to increase the amount of disk space used by your computer to browse the Web. This also should improve your browsing speed temporarily. If it doesn't, go to Step 4. You can bring the slider back to its original position once you are done surfing the Web with changed browser speed.
     
   • 4
     Restart your IE browser. Sometimes a simple relaunch of Internet Explorer helps to provide a temporary boost in browsing speed. If this doesn't help, go to Step 5.
     
   • 5
     Plug off your modem and router (if you use one). Wait at least 3 to 5 minutes before plugging it back in. This also should give you a temporary boost in browser speed.
     

   Using Mozilla Firefox

   • 6
     Launch Mozilla Firefox. Open a new tab.
     
   • 7
     Type in "about:config" without the quotes in the address bar. Press the "Enter" key. This will display a list of preferences.
     
   • 8
     Locate the "Filter" bar beneath the address bar. Type "network.http.pipelining" without the quotes. Press the "Enter" key.
     
   • 9
     Double-click on the "network.http.pipelining" command line. The setting should change from "False" to "True."
     
   • 10
     Right-click anywhere on the white window of the browser. Select "New" and then "Integer." Type to name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and click "OK." This will launch a new window. Set the value to "0." Restart Mozilla Firefox. You should see a temporary boost in browsing speed.