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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Applications > Decreasing browser speeds for weeks and then a new Firefox brings them back up!

Decreasing browser speeds for weeks and then a new Firefox brings them back up!
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serr
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Nov 17, 2017, 07:30 PM
 
What is going on behind the scenes here?

For the past 2 or 3 weeks internet browsing with Firefox has steadily slowed down. Now they make more of an announcement than usual over an update with talk about 2x speeds. And... the new version is right back up to the operational speeds we were used to before things started slowing down a couple weeks ago. So, 2x over whatever was crashing things but literally right back to where things used to be and not one bit more.

What's behind the scenes with this? Scripts used in webpages that demand new features? The timing is over the top suspicious. Plays like the retail store that increases its prices right before a sale so they can "mark them down".

I've been running OSX 10.12.5 currently. I still have a 10.6.8 system I use for some things (where I didn't feel like reinventing the wheel). Web browsing with the older version of Firefox supported by this OS was experiencing similar slowdowns the last couple weeks too. There are some unsupported scripts on Youtube and a few other webpages that mess with that older system but this was beyond that.

What did webpages start implementing that breaks older browser apps and appears designed to goad people into buying new hardware (if/when your current machine doesn't support the new OS)?
     
reader50
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Nov 17, 2017, 10:00 PM
 
I haven't noticed a slowdown in the weeks before Firefox 57 was released. As it affects another OS version on your system, you might check elsewhere. If you're on cable for example, I'd suggest checking modem signal & error levels.

I upgraded to 57, and it did seem faster. But user interface details drove me crazy. After a few days I dropped back to 56. Until more customization controls are released, or a critical bugfix hits.
     
mooblie
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Nov 18, 2017, 07:06 AM
 
Firefox v.57 also forcibly loses support for FireFTP - be warned.

If you use FireFTP, retrieve your FTP site settings and passwords BEFORE upgrading Firefox to v.57.
Martin in the Scottish Highlands
     
serr  (op)
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Nov 19, 2017, 01:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
I haven't noticed a slowdown in the weeks before Firefox 57 was released. As it affects another OS version on your system, you might check elsewhere. If you're on cable for example, I'd suggest checking modem signal & error levels.

I upgraded to 57, and it did seem faster. But user interface details drove me crazy. After a few days I dropped back to 56. Until more customization controls are released, or a critical bugfix hits.
It was definitely webpage related. Not every website of course. But there was clearly something going on with new scripts or feature sets being used that were making v56 lag and it started about 3 weeks ago on some webpages. The mac I'm running basically is at idle for mundane stuff like webbrowsing. Activity Monitor showed a computer hungry for more work with a Firefox web content script apparently playing hurry up and wait. I did restart the router a number of times when this started up but that was never a factor. Bittorrents and other online activity were not affected in any way when certain webpages acted up. Youtube and Reddit are two popular examples (yes, I know how to waste time online). I checked the 10.6.8 system (with I forget what older version of Firefox) and found the same thing going on.

So there's no problem for me. I'm good with the newer software. I'm just curious what someone switched on on some websites. And I'd like to be able to help some friends with older computers (and thus older OSX and thus older Firefox) when they start asking for help because "everything is so slow all of a sudden".
     
   
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