Improve Internet Browsing Speed

Improve Internet Browsing Speed

Broadband speed varies widely across. The differences are based upon the location, type of broadband and the service providers, themselves.

Speed is based upon connection, download and upload of information. Speed also varies based upon individual factors. All the factors come together to help give a rough estimate of the overall broadband speed.

The following list explains all of the factors that goes into the final result of broadband speed.

- Type of Broadband. There are numerous types of broadband connections. ADSL and cable are the fastest. Other types like satellite are slower, but still faster than dial up. Even at the slowest rate broadband is still at least 10 times faster than dial up connections.

- Service provider. Some service providers can supply higher speeds. This can be due to better technology, equipment or location. Each provider will list their tops speeds for subscribers to see and this is an easy way for a person to ensure they are getting the best speed possible.

- Web Traffic. The internet is often referred to as the information highway. The reason for this is that all the information online travels through lines that work much like an actual highway. When there are a lot of people online these lines get crowded and the internet runs slower than usual. These times are referred to as peak hours. Peak hours usually occur after 7 am until 9 pm on weekdays and all weekend.

- Hardware. Hardware a person uses, from modems to cables can effect the internet speed. If a person is using outdated or damaged hardware then this will effect the efficiency and in the end, the speed of the connection.

- Personal computer. It is up to the individual to make sure that they optimize computer for running smoothly. Each person should make sure that they clean their web browsers history, temporary files and cookies on a regular basis. This helps the computer to be able to work quicker. Also older computers do not have as much memory and therefore need to be cleaned more often so the internet can run quickly.

These four factors all come together to make broadband speed hard to pinpoint. One location could get greatly different results than another simply because of the varying factors.

When looking at broadband access speeds and all the factors that can effect them it is easy to see why it providers can not guarantee a speed.

Many providers give a range of speed where the connection speed will fall.

Most users will rarely, if ever, get the top speeds, due to the factors above. Even someone will the best equipment, location and service may not see the top speeds because some factors, like web traffic, can not be controlled by anyone.

This tip is designed for increased BROADBAND speed in Windows XP while using standard Network Interface cards (NIC) that are connected to ADSL modems, or when using any directly-connected USB ADSL modem.

To speed up the Internet connection speed we need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made from the NIC or the USB modem.

This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.

Step #1 - Identify the IRQ used by the NIC/USB modem

Follow these steps:

1. Open the System Information tool by running MSINFO32.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand System Summary > Hardware Resources > IRQs.

3. Look for the listing made for your NIC (in my case - a Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter). Note the IRQ next to the specified line (in my case - IRQ21).

In case of USB modems you will first need to find the right USB device used by your modem. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager tool by running DEVMGMT.MSC from the Run command (or by right-clicking My Computer > Hardware tab > Device Manager button).

2. Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it.

3. Right-click the USB Root Hub and select Properties. Note that you might need to do so for all listed USB Root hubs (if there are more than one) in order to find the right one.

4. In the Power tab, look for your USB ADSL modem.

5. In the Resources tab look for the assigned IRQ (in this case - IRQ21).

6. This is the IRQ we're looking for.

Lamer note: IRQs and modem names might vary...

Step #2 - Modify the system.ini file

Follow these steps:

1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand the system.ini file window.

3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].

4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type IrqX=4096

where X is the designated IRQ number we found in step #1, in my case it's IRQ21.

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!!!

5. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.

6. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.

Done. Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots.

Update: The most speed improvement is visible with USB A/DSL modems, however there are reports that this tweak also does good for regular NICs. In any case, it won't harm your system, so why not try it yourself and let me know what you find.


Broadband services are available from a large array of providers. There are many types of services out there so deciding on the right product for your business may be difficult.

Broadband is a term that is used to describe high-speed connections for voice or data. Broadband connections allow for large data transfers and the ability to run applications such as streaming video easily. And therefore requires a frequent computer optimization

When choosing an Internet service for your business one consideration is the speed you need. Various services offer different speeds. For example, a T1 is a high-speed digital connection that transmits data at a speed of 1.544 Mbps. A T1 has 24 channels. The T1 is an engineered circuit that is monitored at the central office. The circuit is brought into the customer premise on fiber cable that allows it to transmit at this high speed. Once on premise, the T1 is then connected to the customer's data equipment.

A T3 line is a larger, faster T1. The T3 Internet line can transmit data at a rate of 43.232 Mbps. This speed is sometimes needed for large applications such as large data file transfers along with other bandwidth intensive uses such as web hosting and streaming video. The T3 is equal to about 28 T1s and is used for large business applications, campus environments and network backbones.

A DSL is another type of broadband connection. It is slightly slower than a T1 - the speed is based on distance from the central office to the customer premise. An advantage of the DSL is that it can typically be brought into smaller locations, sometimes even residential. However, pricing is not much less than the T1, which is also a more stable connection.

Some companies also offer OC lines. These optical carrier lines run over a SONET fiber network and can transmit at speeds of about 51.84 Mbps. There are larger OC lines also available with configurations such as OC3, OC12, OC48 and OC192. The number indicates the size of the OC circuit. OC192 lines are the largest and fastest connections available. An OC192 has transmission speed of up to 1976.64Mbps.

The choice for your business connection should be based on current and future needs as well as price. For the money, T1 circuits are typically the best buy for the small business. They provide fast transmission speeds to allow most applications as well as the ability to accommodate future applications. The T1 is a leased line so monthly charges will apply. Most companies see an immediate savings over standard line connections. The T1 is a reliable circuit. It is monitored from the central office so if a problem is detected it can easily be corrected, sometimes remotely.

This Tips & Tricks series, which incorporates regular software updates and reviews, is aimed at enhancing your broadband experience.

Q: How can I make web pages load faster?

You can speed up your browsing experience by using a web accelerator. A web accelerator can be a proxy server used by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to reduce web access times. It can also be a hardware appliance or a browser extension that you can install on your computer. In this blog, we will look at simple, cost effective ways to speed up your browsing experience using free, installable browser extensions.

What is a web accelerator?

Web accelerators are tools that can help speed up the download of web content such as plain text, HTML, markup and java script, as well as common forms of graphics such as GIF, and JPEG images, Flash and file downloads. Although they do not accelerate other forms of Internet content such as video and audio streams.

Examples of web accelerators

Two popular web accelerators are FasterFox for Firefox and the Google Web Accelerator.
FasterFox is a Mozilla Firefox extension that tweaks network connections and caches web pages so that the pages can be loaded more quickly.

How it works

Whenever you request for a web site, your ISP's computer will work out the Internet address of the web site and go to the relevant web server to download the requested file. Web accelerators can help speed up this process in several ways:
1. Tweaking the network. FasterFox allows you to tweak many network settings such as the number of simultaneous connections to the server.

2. Caching. The web accelerator stores frequently or recently accessed web sites in the cache memory on your computer. When you type in the address of the web site you want, the web accelerator will load the file from the cache instead of going to the web server, reducing the time needed for you to access the site.

3. Pre-fetching: Web accelerators like FasterFox for Firefox have a pre-fetch mechanism that makes use of idle bandwidth to load and cache all the links on the page you are browsing so that these linked sites can be downloaded faster when requested.

4. Compressing documents. Web accelerators may compress documents to a smaller size or send only what has been changed since the document was last requested. They may also filter out ads or other unwanted content so that the web site can be loaded more quickly. For example, FasterFox for Firefox includes a popup blocker for popups initiated by Flash plug-ins.

It was not that long ago when it took longer to dial-up your Internet connection than it did to read your email. With the growth in broadband high speed Internet, you do not have to wait for a connection because the Internet is always on.

At its onset, broadband high speed Internet was offered by very few companies and was out of the price range for the average user - only used only by large corporations and few gadget geeks who could afford it.

Soon, several companies were jumping onto the broadband high speed Internet bandwagon, increasing competition and driving prices down to be affordable for just about everyone. It proved to be the quickest way for companies to network their different locations. In addition, as new lines were installed, it increased availability and allowed people to be on line, just about, all the time.


Broadband High Speed Internet Keeps You Going

It was not that long ago when it took longer to dial-up your Internet connection than it did to read your email. With the growth in broadband high speed Internet, you do not have to wait for a connection because the Internet is always on.

At its onset, broadband high speed Internet was offered by very few companies and was out of the price range for the average user - only used only by large corporations and few gadget geeks who could afford it.

Soon, several companies were jumping onto the broadband high speed Internet bandwagon, increasing competition and driving prices down to be affordable for just about everyone. It proved to be the quickest way for companies to network their different locations. In addition, as new lines were installed, it increased availability and allowed people to be on line, just about, all the time.

Speed Difference is in the Bandwidth

To better understand how broadband high speed Internet works, think of it is as the flow of information through a funnel. Imagine a funnel with a four inch mouth and a quarter of an inch on the end. As information enters the funnel it flows freely but as it approaches the end, it gets compacted and slows down considerably. Imagine now, a funnel that is more like a cylinder. Four inches at the top and four inches at the end. Information comes out at the same speed in which it went in.

This is similar to information flowing through a broadband high speed Internet connection. There is little to slow it down except for the receiving capabilities of the computer. Broadband connections do not just allow for faster transfer of data, but also different data flowing to different points at the same time.

Direct Subscriber Lines (DSL) allow the line to be used for voice communications (telephone) and Internet access simultaneously, ending the need for a second phone line if you spend a lot of time on the Internet. With broadband high speed Internet you can also download movies and music about 100 times faster than was available through a dial-up service.

It has proven more reliable, as well, because telephone lines were subject to interference and "noise" if the line was older and cause the Internet connection to be lost. With broadband high speed Internet it is rare for the connection to be disrupted or fail to connect due to the fact the computer can always be on line.

Industry watchers love nothing more than a good old technology war. In the past, we’ve had Token Ring versus Ethernet, GSM versus CDMA and DECT versus CT2. Now, a new technology debate is brewing between HSPA and WiMAX for dominance in the emerging mobile broadband market. But such battles are rarely just about technology, and the mobile broadband debate is no exception.

The GSM world has seen it all before. Over the years, industry commentators have questioned whether investment in GSM-based 3G technology is worthwhile and wondered whether a succession of alternative technologies would render GSM/WCDMA obsolete. In the meantime, GSM/WCDMA operators have been steadily building their 3G businesses – rolling out networks, adding subscribers and delivering ever-enhanced functionality.

Today, the latest commercial releases of HSPA radio networks support download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps – more than a match for most fixed-broadband connections – and they are set to become even faster. GSM/WCDMA radio networks are continuing to evolve to meet growing user demand for mobile-broadband services, through further enhancements in the downlink and uplink, and on to Long Term Evolution.The performance of HSPA and Mobile WiMAX technologies is comparable. Both technologies offer similar peak data rates, spectral efficiency and network complexity. However, Mobile WiMAX requires more cell sites to offer the same coverage and capacity as HSPA. A major hurdle for WiMAX operators will be to overcome the initial high capital expenditure of the radio access network.HSPA is built on the firm foundation of the 3GPP family of standards, and the scale operators get through the established 3G ecosystem makes it very cost-efficient. HSPA can be built out using the existing GSM radio network sites and is a software upgrade of the installed WCDMA networks. Since HSPA devices are also backward compatible with WCDMA and GSM it means users can get nationwide coverage from day one.

By being pitched as a “data play” technology, with voice supported by other radio technologies, WiMAX is perceived as not having to meet regulatory requirements. However, the trend is towards more regulation of VoIP services, especially in areas such as caller ID and location provision for emergency services. WiMAX is unlikely to be exempt from regulatory requirements in the longer term.

HSPA also provides global roaming over GSM/WCDMA networks, as well as wide area coverage within many countries. WCDMA has passed the 150 million subscriber mark and is growing at a rate of 6 million per month. Since Ericsson rolled out the first commercial HSPA system in 2004, more than 150 operators in around 70 countries have launched commercial HSPA services – including major mobile operators such as AT&T, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

The Global mobile Suppliers Association reports that HSPA services are commercially available in eight countries in the Americas, 13 countries in Asia Pacific, nine countries in the Middle East/Africa, and 38 countries in Europe. HSPA is commercially available today in 26 of the 27 countries that comprise the European Union.

Juniper Research expects there to be about 1.8 billion broadband subscribers globally by 2012, with about 1.2 billion on mobile networks – with WCDMA/HSPA accounting for nearly 70 percent of mobile-broadband subscribers.

HSPA offers excellent mobility from day one, with over 300 HSPA-enabled devices available on the market – including PC cards, USB modems and modules, laptops with integrated HSPA modules, Fixed Wireless Terminals (wireless routers), phones, PDAs and media players. HSPA terminals have fallback toGSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA, and embedded modems will be available in early 2008.

While WiMAX-certified products were likely to be embedded in notebooks and PC cards during 2007, WiMAX-enabled phones will not appear on the market until 2008. It will be difficult for WiMAX handsets to match the volume and cost structure of current mobile phones – especially as the handsets cross multiple frequencies, meaning multiple radios for roaming. Industry analyst Gartner forecasts that worldwide sales of WiMAX-enabled phones as a proportion of total mobile-phone sales will remain extremely low (below one per cent), at least until 2010.

Deploying any type of cellular system incurs capital costs, no matter which technology is deployed. Because the core network behind WCDMA/HSPA is the same as for GSM, a lot of the investment has already been made. GSM/WCDMA infrastructure is already serving more than 2.5 billion subscribers worldwide – delivering tremendous economies of scale.
There is sometimes a misunderstanding that the WiMAX technology is free from Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues.

In GSM the setting of reasonable accumulated IPR costs has led to a global market with hundreds of chipset and handset vendors. More than 800 million handsets were sold during 2006. By reaching similar IPR agreements in WCDMA/HSPA, products can be offered to customers with very low IPR costs. We believe the same reasonable accumulated rates – at a moderate single-digit level – should also apply to new players in the HSPA and WiMAX arenas.

For WiMAX, it has yet to be seen which players will win large market share, and so their IPR costs are unknown. However, it is unlikely that IPR will provide any differentiator between HSPA and WiMAX.The unprecedented demand for WCDMA/HSPA means additional radio spectrum is going to be critical. It is estimated that by 2010 more traffic will be generated by data services than by voice in mobile networks, yet until about 2015, the only additional internationally agreed spectrum identified for 3G technologies is the IMT-2000 extension band, being 2500-2690 MHz. When allocating new spectrum it will be important to ensure that licensees can leverage on technologies with economies of scale. This will create the right conditions for the licensees to offer affordable broadband services based on a low total cost of ownership for the network and devices.

Ericsson sees HSPA and HSPA Evolved, with downlink speeds of 42Mbps and uplink speeds of 12Mbps, as the natural mobile-broadband technology choice for the near future, with LTE just around the corner to bring us new levels of performance. Technology choices made today will influence operations for many years to come, so while it remains to be seen if WiMAX can offer a viable business case, building on existing HSPA networks represents the fastest way to deliver mobile broadband to the masses.

Source : THIS DAY