MSN Web Surfing Basics

Internet traffic can slow your surfing speed

Internet servers allow many people to access a page at the same time. But not all servers are equal, and some may not be able to keep up with the demands of many people's browser requests. If it seems to be taking a long time to load a page, be patient. It's not unusual for a page to take a while to access. If you try to access a page and see a dialog box that says it's unavailable or busy, treat it just like the busy signal on a telephone and try again later. It's a good time to explore other sites on the web.

Modem speed makes a difference

For surfing the web, you will want to use a modem that runs at a speed of at least 14.4 Kbps. The faster your modem, the less time it takes to load graphics and the more interactive the session can be. A 28.8 Kbps modem is more than twice as fast as a 14.4. If you look forward to doing a lot of web surfing, a faster modem will enhance your experience.

Large files will take longer to download

The larger the file, the longer it will take to download to your browser. If you find yourself getting frustrated by slow connections, get a faster modem. It will improve the quality of your web surfing experience.

Don't forget the Stop button

If the Flying Windows logo in the upper right corner of your Internet Explorer toolbar is active for an unusually long time (longer than the time it takes to get a cup of coffee and return to your computer), use the Stop button to halt accessing your request.

How can I minimize the time it takes for a page to download?

Go to the View menu on Internet Explorer, choose Options. Under the Page section, clear the check box that says Show Pictures, and then click OK. Now when you access a web page, only the text part of the page will download.

Is there a rule of thumb for how long a page will take to download?

It all depends on the speed of your modem, but in general, with a modem running at 14.4 Kbs it takes about 1 second to download every Kbyte of information. A 30 Kbyte file will take about 30 seconds.

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