How to Optimize Firefox for FiOS
Compared to many alternatives, Mozilla Firefox is a highly configurable Web browser. In addition to the options and plug-ins available from within its interface, Firefox allows you to access a series of advanced configuration options from within a java-based applet. If you would like to improve the networking performance of Firefox with a fast FiOS broadband connection, you will find beneficial configuration options for this within this applet. You can access the configuration options from the browser's address bar.
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Instructions
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Type "about:config" (without quotes) in the address bar and press "Enter." This opens a list of Firefox configuration options.
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Type "network.http" in the "Filter" field. This displays only network.http-related configuration options.
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Locate the "network.http.max-connections" line. This is the total number of HTTP connections Firefox can make at a time. On faster connections, this number can be safely increased. Double-click this line. This opens an "Enter Integer Value" dialog. Type "48" in the field box and click "OK."
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Locate the "network.http.max-connections-per-server" option. This value determines the total amount of connections Firefox can make to one server. Double-click this option and type "24" in the field box, then press "Enter." Although you can increase this number even higher, it will cause a negative effect on the servers you visit. In some cases, excessive values over 30 may cause you to become banned from servers. Even though 24 should be more than sufficient for most uses, if you find you are having trouble downloading multiple files at once, you could temporarily increase this value.
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Locate the "network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" option. This is the maximum number of keep-alive connections that can be simultaneously used for each server. Although the default value of "8" is fine for normal connections, you can increase this number slightly to improve performance on a fast FiOS connection. Double-click the option and enter "10" in the field, then click "OK." Many servers consider anything above 10 excessive.
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Find the "network.http.pipelining" setting. This pipelining option allows Firefox to send multiple data request packets to a server before even receiving a single return packet. Double-click the option to enable it. Although pipelining can improve page-loading performance, it can introduce errors with some websites. In these cases, the page could be missing some elements. If you find it causes a problem with a frequently visited site, double-click the option again to disable it.
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Restart Firefox to apply the changes.
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Tips & Warnings
Be cautious when making these configuration changes to your browser. Improper settings could create security risks or disrupt the browser's functionality. Keep note of any settings you have changed, and write down the default values. Should a problem occur, this will allow you to restore your previous settings more easily.
