Security, speed - How to use Tracker and ad blocker

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(Safari 9.0.1. Extensions : DivX Plus Web Player HTML5; Ixquick HTTPS; ClickToPlugin)

Issue. Loading of pages seemed slow to me. One page out of three did not load completely. I often found myself interrupting and resuming the download to get it completed. That is what I tried to correct.

Cause ? I have assumed that this may result from ads and trackers but have no tangible proof of such assumption.

Attempted cure. From an advice I read on this forum, I have installed, standard install, default configuration, in addition to my current plugins, Adblock Plus (Ads) and Ghostery (trackers).

Result. The above does not seem to have any material effect on my impression of being slow. I realise I do not know how to use these sophisticated instruments. I realise on the mac forum pages (10 ads, 10 trackers) that I seem to now block many stuff and don't want to be felt like a pest by sites I trust. I feel like a fool for downloading stuff I do not know how to use.

Should I unistall one or more of these extensions ? Which one(s) ?

Is there a recommended method for learning the art of wisely using them ? Together ? One after the other ? TIA
 
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Actually the ones you need to uninstall are Divx Plus and Ixquick. Neither is doing you any good.
AdBlock and Ghostery work just fine without any help.
 

vansmith

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One thing to note is that AdBlock and Ghostery may slow things down in their work to block things as external whitelists need to be checked with each page requests. I've seen uBlock here hold up a page slightly because of this. Thus, this is the price you pay for blocking things. Do the same issues occur with all extensions disabled?
 
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michelangelo
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One thing to note is that AdBlock and Ghostery may slow things down in their work to block things as external whitelists need to be checked with each page requests. I've seen uBlock here hold up a page slightly because of this. Thus, this is the price you pay for blocking things. Do the same issues occur with all extensions disabled?
Okay. I have just disabled all extensions in Safari > Preferences... (Ixquick extension was already disabled). Give it 24 hours to see. I will report tomorrow about same time on how this feels on general surfing.
 
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michelangelo
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All extensions disabled (the was the question), internet is a lot slower. In particular, for certain sites, the defect I indicated in my first post ("One page out of three did not load completely. I often found myself interrupting and resuming the download to get it completed") is again quite visible. All in all today surfing "extensions disabled", including on the mac forums, was slower than yesterday's surfing with "extensions enabled". So my questions:

Ixquick is permanently disabled. Should I also disable permanently ClickToPlugin ? Divx Plus as advised (don't know why I installed it) ? others ?

Is there a recommended method for learning the art of wisely using Adblock Plus (Ads) and Ghostery (trackers) ? Together ? One after the other ? TIA
 
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There is no "art of wisely using Adblock and/or Ghostery". Just let them run.
I don't think your internet problem is extensions. Check your network settings. Are you on a router? Straight from the modem?
Talk to your ISP about any problems.
 
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michelangelo
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OK. I now have only adblock plus and ghostery activated.

I use a router purchased from my ISP (an Airties 5010 modem-router). Download rate is about 1.5 Mb/s, can go as low as 0.8 Mb/s.

Thanks.
 
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OK. Download rate is about 1.5 Mb/s, can go as low as 0.8 Mb/s.
Thanks.

With that slow speed, you must be waiting for pages to load from most visited websites?? What speed are you paying for from your provider? Did you get it resolved with your provider or was it the modem itself?
 
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chas_m

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I think the real problem is that terrible download speed. It should be 5x to 10x higher at a minimum.

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I use a router purchased from my ISP (an Airties 5010 modem-router). Download rate is about 1.5 Mb/s, can go as low as 0.8 Mb/s.

Wow that is my normal speeds. I live in a very rural area with ADSL from my land line provider. I am at the very end of the distance you are allowed to be from a substation. So, as they tell me, I am lucky to have any service. :Angry-Tongue: Plus they charge me for 3Mb/s because their lowest pricing starts at that speed. Believe me I have called and complained but to no avail. On a good day my best speed is 1.7Mb/s down and up is a joke.

But if you are not in my circumstances then I would be calling your ISP - especially if your speeds should be higher and they provided the modem.

Lisa
 
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Wow that is my normal speeds. I live in a very rural area with ADSL from my land line provider. I am at the very end of the distance you are allowed to be from a substation. So, as they tell me, I am lucky to have any service. :Angry-Tongue: Plus they charge me for 3Mb/s because their lowest pricing starts at that speed. Believe me I have called and complained but to no avail. On a good day my best speed is 1.7Mb/s down and up is a joke.

But if you are not in my circumstances then I would be calling your ISP - especially if your speeds should be higher and they provided the modem. Lisa

I feel very sorry for you and must be MOST aggravating, indeed. I have a sister-in-law, whose home is in a rural/country area and is left with what you and others are having to experience. The only improvement they could get, was going with Directv and is still that way 8 years later. Being in a fringe area, is a bummer!

We are fortunate to have 3 options, Cable, Dish, or At&t U-verse, in our location. With At&t DSL and paying for 24Mbps, I'm averaging 22. At certain times it might be 18.8 and others 26.2Mbps. Jon
 
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It is the same the whole world over. No service for anything unless you are in a major population centre where the voters are. Governments serve only their own political ends. Here in rural Australia struggle to get 7Mb/ps download and 0.75Mb/ps upload. I am told optic fibre is also eight years away for me and I only have one option ~ ADSL with old copper phone lines and 5km from local exchange. Charged precisely the same monthly amount as those on 75Mb/ps.
 
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MacInWin

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Harry, I live in a smallish city in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We have a cable company in town run by Comcast/Xfinity. Their service proves me routinely 150mpbs down/12 up. So although we are definitely not a major population center, the existence of a cable TV company in the town has let us have excellent connectivity. I can't speak for how it works in Australia, but any population dense enough for a cable company to make money can have good connectivity. (Our total population in the city is about 26,000 and if you include the surrounding county, the population served by the cable company is about 110,000 total. As I said, not a major population center.
 
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Our problem in Australia is cable is being installed by the Federal Government and with a change to the ultra conservatives (like Trump) expenditure has been throttled. That does not matter as capital and major cities were finished anyway!
 
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chas_m

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Lisa:

I don't know the options available where you are, but have you considered getting a really beefy cellular data plan instead of relying on ADSL? Depending on your use, and the cost of such a plan, this could be a life-changer.
 
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It would be a great idea chas_m if I had coverage. Oh, I have an unlimited data plan from the cellular service with the best coverage in my area. Unfortunately the signal is not strong enough to get me even 3G speeds. If I moved about 5 miles west I could have 4G but where I am at I get no G's. :\ I get decent call coverage and that is about it.

Lisa
 
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Our problem in Australia is cable is being installed by the Federal Government and with a change to the ultra conservatives (like Trump) expenditure has been throttled. That does not matter as capital and major cities were finished anyway!

harryb - I get what you are saying about ultra conservatives but I would not put Trump in the ultra conservative column. Cruz yes, Trump no. The jury is still out as to exactly where Trump falls. :Confused:

Also we have been living in the land of ultra liberal for the last 7+ years and I am still waiting on my fiber optic internet. ;D (And I have not been holding my breath either!)

Lisa
 
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With that slow speed, you must be waiting for pages to load from most visited websites?? What speed are you paying for from your provider? Did you get it resolved with your provider or was it the modem itself?
The distance to the phone switchboard is 4.7 km; That explains the highest connexion rate (1.5 Mb/s), changing ISP would not change this fundamental (distance). I believe the modem to be innocent.
 
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Lisa:

I don't know the options available where you are, but have you considered getting a really beefy cellular data plan instead of relying on ADSL? Depending on your use, and the cost of such a plan, this could be a life-changer.
Cellular is 3G at my place, too slow to justify opening a negotiation front. Otherwise, the idea would have been great.
 
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