How to Use Google If I'm Throttled

If your ISP has you by the throat, you'll need to rethink your Internet habits.

If your ISP is throttling your bandwidth usage, there's not a whole lot you can do to recover your Internet speed. Until the ISP loosens its grip, you'll have to do without some of your everyday online services. However, Google Search should remain somewhat unaffected, though this depends on what your bandwidth rate has been reduced to, and you can also ease the pain somewhat by enabling Gmail's basic HTML mode.

Instructions

1. Type the following URL into your browser's address bar:

   http://mail.google.com/mail/h/

   Normally, you can access Gmail's basic HTML mode from the bottom of your default Gmail window by clicking the "Basic HTML" link at the bottom of the page. If you are throttled, you will likely not be able to access this link at all.

2. Click the "Set basic HTML as default view" link at the top of your Gmail homepage. Whenever you sign into Gmail in the future, the basic HTML page will load automatically.

3. Avoid media-rich, bandwidth-heavy Google services such as Google Voice and Chat. Do not use Google for image or video searches. If you keep your Google usage to text searches and basic HTML emails, you will probably be able to use these services without too much trouble.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are unsure if you're being throttled, or if you want more details on what your Internet connection speeds have been reduced to, try out Measurement Lab's connection testing tools at measurementlab.net. Founded in part by Google, M-Lab offers open Internet tools to the worldwide community.

Resources

• Measurement Lab