Working with Limited Internet Access

There's an interesting discussion happening on MetaFilter about how to use the Web with bandwidth limitations. The user who started the discussion has only mobile broadband access, so he was trying to keep his costs down. But I think a lot of the recommendations would be equally useful for people with dial-up Internet access or other slower connections.

Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

• Rather than visiting all of the Web sites you need to see every day, start using RSS feeds.
• Most Web browsers allow you to disable all images: they'll simply appear as rectangles. When you need to see an image, you can have the browser load them automatically. Similarly, Flashblock lets you choose when to load Flash elements.
• Firefox Throttle is a Firefox plug-in that monitors your bandwidth usage. If you're paying for mobile access by the megabyte, then something like this is essential.
• But on the other hand, your Web browser isn't the only program that hogs your Internet access. Use Comodo Internet Security to control when and how other applications are going online.
• Disable prefetch. Firefox has an engine that preloads the most popular pages on a site when you first visit that site. I've had marked improvements in performance after disabling prefetch, even on a fast connection.

Photo: Cindy Seigle, CC license

.........................................................

Discuss This in Our Forums

What's your secret to keeping your bandwidth usage down? Share your tips with others in this Wireless Connectivity forum discussion.