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Where
you are: The
Web's Too Slow Your Cache Your Web browser's cache (read "cash") is a storage area on your computer's hard disk. While you surf, your browser stores the Web pages you've visited in the cache to make return viewing quicker. The amount of Web files that your browser will store in the cache is a setting in your browser's preferences. To access your cache settings go to your browser's preferences. Internet Explorer's cache settings are under "Advanced"; Navigator's are under "Cache." You might think that setting a high cache level would speed up your surfing. Some say yes, some say no. Some believe that a browser can display pages quicker if your browser uses cached versions to display. Others believe that it takes longer for your computer to search through thousands of cached files than to download a page from scratch. The way to find out what works best for your setup is to experiment. Try setting your browser cache level to a larger level (say 10,000k) and see if that helps. Then, the next time you're browsing, try setting your cache settings to 0, empty your cache file and see if that helps. Depending on your search habits and hardware configuration, you may see some benefits from either high or low cache settings. Your modem The average residential Internet user has to dial into a server using a regular phone line and a modem. The speed capabilities of your modem will greatly affect how fast information downloads to your browser. You'd be surprised to hear how many people don't even consider this factor. 56k modems are the fastest on the market and are pretty reasonably priced. Phone line quality Unless you're connecting with an ISDN line or a cable modem, phone line noise may be adversely affecting your Internet connection. To check for line noise, you'll need to log off your computer and then pick up a phone connected to the same line. Listen for static. If you hear static, you know you have a problem. Fixing the problem, however, isn't so easy. You can try nagging your phone company into doing something about it, but the problem may not be theirs. The issue might be in your phone (try testing the line with more than one phone to rule this out), the wiring in your building, electromagnetic radiation, or it might be other factors. It's a tough one to solve. Your Internet dial-up number Find out the maximum transmission speed of the number that you're dialing to access the Web (you can get this information from your Internet provider). If you have a 56K modem but you're using an access number that only supports 28.8 transmission speed, 28.8 is as fast as you'll ever connect. Your computer's processor speed A faster computer will allow you to surf faster than a slower computer will. It's amazing the difference a faster computer can make. Frequently an office will designate one computer as the Internet access computer. Quite often it will be the slowest one in the office. As a result, people don't want to use the Web because it seems so sluggish. It's no wonder why. Your memory ( your computer's, not yours personally) If you have 64 or 128mb of RAM, this probably isn't an issue. If you have less, make a habit of not opening other programs when you're surfing the Web. All programs use RAM and, if your system is giving some of it to other programs, your browser may not have enough to work optimally. Be sure to allocate enough memory (as much as you can spare) to your Web browser. Hard drive A fragmented, overstuffed hard drive can slow down your surfing considerably. It's a good idea to keep your drive defragmented and optimized by using utility programs like Norton Utilities. If you can, try to free up some disk space by deleting or moving unneeded files to storage or transport media. Web traffic jams Web traffic generally increases throughout the day and peaks in the early evening (keep in mind people in multiple time-zones access the Web). Do your best to schedule browsing for off-peak hours like later at night or very early in the morning. Also, some sites are very popular and don't have the servers to handle all of the traffic. There's not much you can do about that except to e-mail the site's webmaster and tell them that you can't visit their site but would like to. Heavy pages
All Web pages are not created equally; some are big and slow, and some
are thin and fast. What that means is that pages that are either very
long or filled with graphics will take much longer to load in your browser
than short pages of text. If you are involved in developing a site, that's
a good thing to keep in mind. Do unto others . . . Tip: There are Graphic Design classes in your area. Sign up for FREE information from top design schools.  Some
Links You May Find Useful
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frequently
hear complaints from people, who don't have the luxury of a super fast
T-1 connection, that they'd surf the Web more but the speed is just too
slow. It's a shame because there's such a huge selection of useful information
out there that they aren't able to see. Most everyone blames speed issues
on their Internet provider. If they switch providers, they'll get better
speed for sure. Well, that may be part of the problem, but there's more
to this problem than meets the eye. Here's a few things to consider:
