Mozilla Browser - Page caching still frequently hits the 'Net

Author

Page caching still frequently hits the 'Net

Milhouse Van Houten

2007-08-01, 1:13 am

I'm using FF 2.0.0.6 on XP and Vista, but this is not particular to this
version, it's always been this way.

Opera tends to have very good page caching. Basically, I can go "forward"
and "back" among sites, and if I've already visited the site then the
Internet is never touched (note that I use
" opera:config#UserPrefs|HistoryNavigation
Mode" set to '3' to ensure this).

I think it's even using disk cache for this, not RAM, but it's still
instant.

In FF, however, I find that often a connection is re-established, if
briefly. I've verified this by feel, by my modem lights (cable), by DU
Meter, and by Tcpview.

As I understand it, "browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers" controls
this. By default it's set to -1, which determines the number of pages to
cache from the amount of available physical memory, with the maximum number
of pages with this setting being 8.

I've tried it on -1 and I've tried specifying a particular number, like 8,
because I realize that Windows often leaves very little free memory due to
its own caching, even with 2GB.

But nothing seems to make a difference, as I can't get the back/forward
movement to always stay local, even when I've just run FF and am testing on
a single site.

Is this expected?

Thanks

Quivis

2007-08-03, 7:12 pm

On 01 aug 2007, Milhouse Van Houten<btvs@myrealbox.com>, had the
following to say to the folks in alt.fan.mozilla:

> But nothing seems to make a difference, as I can't get the
> back/forward movement to always stay local, even when I've just
> run FF and am testing on a single site.
>
> Is this expected?

I can only offer my own guesswork, since I haven't done any such
testing myself. But consider this, when you use google's cached sites
feature, it, too, seems to try to connect to the original site, if
it's available, to see if there is data that can be used. My guess
is, that Fx does the same.

I'd say yes, it's expected. But this is without knowing.

You could also try the command "Work offline" under the "File" menu.
I don't know what this does, since I've never used it, and I have it
hidden, as well.

Or, you could try over at one of the mozilla sites for more info.

HTH
--
Quivis

Milhouse Van Houten

2007-08-04, 1:13 am

"Quivis" <quivis@ask.me.first> wrote in message
news:Xns9981E5D26D014psf37r351740306k76f
s@216.196.109.144...
> On 01 aug 2007, Milhouse Van Houten<btvs@myrealbox.com>, had the
> following to say to the folks in alt.fan.mozilla:
>
>
> I can only offer my own guesswork, since I haven't done any such
> testing myself. But consider this, when you use google's cached sites
> feature, it, too, seems to try to connect to the original site, if
> it's available, to see if there is data that can be used. My guess
> is, that Fx does the same.
>
> I'd say yes, it's expected. But this is without knowing.
>
> You could also try the command "Work offline" under the "File" menu.
> I don't know what this does, since I've never used it, and I have it
> hidden, as well.

I think what you're saying is correct, since I used your idea of switching
it offline and ran some tests. With it offline, never once did it prompt me
to go online; it simply brought up the pages. Yet with it online, often it
still wants to hit the site.

So your idea of it checking to see if there are any updates (or the like)
seems to be the case. I wish it wouldn't do that, however, and I wonder if
there's a setting to change it.

Whether it's set offline or online, I always get the status bar doing a
"Read" on something and a status indicator on the right-hand side, and
consequently already-visited pages take about a second each to come up,
which is annoying if you're cycling through several of them.

My basis for comparison is Opera, where in the same situation it's
essentially instantaneous. Of course, bringing up live pages in FF is much
faster (no matter what Opera proponents say), it's just revisiting them that
isn't.

Peter Potamus the Purple Hippo

2007-08-04, 1:13 am

Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
> "Quivis" <quivis@ask.me.first> wrote in message
> news:Xns9981E5D26D014psf37r351740306k76f
s@216.196.109.144...
>
> I think what you're saying is correct, since I used your idea of switching
> it offline and ran some tests. With it offline, never once did it prompt me
> to go online; it simply brought up the pages. Yet with it online, often it
> still wants to hit the site.
>
> So your idea of it checking to see if there are any updates (or the like)
> seems to be the case. I wish it wouldn't do that, however, and I wonder if
> there's a setting to change it.
>
> Whether it's set offline or online, I always get the status bar doing a
> "Read" on something and a status indicator on the right-hand side, and
> consequently already-visited pages take about a second each to come up,
> which is annoying if you're cycling through several of them.
>
> My basis for comparison is Opera, where in the same situation it's
> essentially instantaneous. Of course, bringing up live pages in FF is much
> faster (no matter what Opera proponents say), it's just revisiting them that
> isn't.
>

in the address bar type in about :config and look for this entry:

browser.cache.check_doc_frequency

this setting compares the page in the cache to the page on
the network. Double click on it and change it to one of
these settings:

0 = once per session
1 = everytime I view the page
2 = never
3 = when the page is out of date

--
Please do not email me for help. Reply to the newsgroup
only. And only click on the Reply button, not the Reply All
or Reply to Author. Thanks!

Peter Potamus & His Magic Flying Balloon:
http://www.toonopedia.com/potamus.htm

Milhouse Van Houten

2007-08-04, 7:13 pm

"Peter Potamus the Purple Hippo" <peter.potamus.the.purple.hippo@gmail.com>
wrote in message news:f91203$r03$1@news.albasani.net...
> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>
> in the address bar type in about :config and look for this entry:
>
> browser.cache.check_doc_frequency
>
> this setting compares the page in the cache to the page on the network.
> Double click on it and change it to one of these settings:
>
> 0 = once per session
> 1 = everytime I view the page
> 2 = never
> 3 = when the page is out of date

It was on 3, so as an experiment I set it on 2 (not that that's a practical
setting to use, since pages are never updated), and I saw the same thing.
Activity on the status bar and a simultaneous hourglass cursor when moving
backwards and forwards among already-visited pages.