Speed up your Chrome for faster internet

Moving your browser's cache to a RAM disk

It’s no secret that Google’s Chrome browser is fast. Really fast. But with a little help from our friend the RAM disk, we can make it even faster. If you’ve never used a RAM disk before, you’ve been missing out on a potential speed increase, especially those of you on laptops who often have slower hard drives than their desktop counterparts, but plenty or RAM.

What’s a RAM disk?

As the name suggests, a RAM disk is a virtual disk drive mapped to a specific amount of RAM. As RAM is considerably faster than hard drives, we move our browser’s cache to the RAM disk and greatly increase cache read and write times. *However, this comes at a flaw: RAM, by nature, is volatile and is flashed whenever the PC is turned off or rebooted. Your login information will be lost every time you reboot your PC. While this is better on a security standpoint, it does tend to get annoying to constantly have to login to the same sites over and over. You also lose a little bit of RAM, but in most cases, the difference will be negligible or downright invisible.

*Note: That this can now be avoided thanks to the Load & Save feature now implemented in RAMDisk. Instructions on how to do so below under "Configuring the volatile RAMDisk so it becomes non-volatile".

Download and Configure RAMDisk

We’ll be using the RAM Disk application by Dataram. It’s free and works on Windows XP X86 to Windows 7 X64. It’s also very simple to configure. Keep in mind that the free version will have an ad when launched, but does not have pop-ups.

Download and install as prompted.

Configuration

1. Launch the RAMDisk Configuration Utility application from the Start Menu, under Dataram RAMDisk.
2. In the Disk Size box, enter 200MB. (Note I am just using 200MB for this guide, The amount you wish to use depends on how much RAM your PC has to spare. I have 8GB RAM so I made my RAMDisk 2GB)
3. In the filesystem options, select FAT16. (unless you’re creating a very large RAMDisk >4GB)
4. In the boot system options, leave the default as Windows.
5. Hit the Start RAMDisk button and wait.

It’ll take a minute or two to create the disk. Once it’s done, a new drive will appear in My Computer.

My RAMDisk:

Configuring your browser

Google Chrome

Chrome, unfortunately, does not currently have an easy-access GUI to change advanced settings. We’ll need to use switches. Right-click your Chrome shortcut and select Properties from the menu. We need to add the following switches to our shortcut.

Change the cache’s directory, where the G: drive should be changed to reflect the location of your RAM disk. [Example Image]

Code:

--disk-cache-dir="G:/"

Change the cache size. In bytes; the example below is 200MB.

Code:

--disk-cache-size=209715200

Here’s an example of a complete shortcut.

Code:

C:\Users\MrXidus\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe --disk-cache-dir="G:/" --disk-cache-size=209715200

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox settings can be changed from the configuration panel (about:config) where a few settings will need to be changed.

Change the cache’s directory, where the G: drive should be changed to reflect the location of your RAM disk. If the key doesn’t exist, create a new String.

Key / Value

Code:

browser.cache.disk.parent_directory

Code:

G:\

Change the cache size. In bytes; the example below is 200MB.

Key / Value

Code:

browser.cache.disk.capacity

Code:

209715200

Opera

1. Open a new tab in Opera.
2. Paste this into the URL bar, and press enter: opera:config#UserPrefs|CacheDirectory4
3. This will take you to the configuration page, to change your cache directory.
4. Now create a folder on your RAMDisk, called “operacache”.
5. Enter the path to your “operacache” folder, on your RAMDisk, in the “Cache Directory4″ settings.
6. Remember to hit Save at the bottom of the “User prefs” settings list!

Configuring the volatile RAMDisk so it becomes non-volatile

The way the RAMDisk is set up for now, it will delete all files on the RAMDisk when it is stopped (volatile).

If you want the files to be stored, you can click on the Load and Save tab, where we can set the content of the disk, to be loaded and stored at startup and shutdown, to an image file.

If you now check “Save Disk Image on shutdown”, give it a filename, and press “Save disk image now”, then it will create the image of your RAMDisk. The image will be the same size as your RAMDisk.

Then, check the box, “Load Disk Image at Startup”, specify you image file, and optionally give your disk a label, “Ramdisk” or something describing.

Then go to File -> Save settings.

Tips :-- 

Once you have completed the steps above, Within your selected browser, Browse your most visited websites, Once they have been cached, You'll then notice the speed improvement in loading times next time you visit the page! 

If you don't wish for a website to be cached, (Such as visiting it for one time only and want to save space by not caching the website).
Browse the site using Chromes Incognito Mode or Firefox Private Browsing as these disable the caching of temp files, cookies etc.

You can use CrystalDiskMark to test the read and write speeds of your RAMDisk compared to your regular HDD

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How To Create Wireless Ad Hoc Internet Connection In Windows 8 [Tip]

create and manage ad-hoc connections in Windows 8.

Using Windows Netsh Utility

The Network Shell (netsh) utility is basically developed to let users configure network devices in both client and server editions of Windows. The support for configuring WLAN using netsh was first introduced in Windows Vista, and it’s now available in Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Using netsh wlan command, one can easily use hosted network (virtualization) feature to create a virtual wireless connection. The Hosted Network is WLAN feature, which is designed to implement virtualization of physical network adapter. Since it plays a vital role in creating a virtual wireless adapter, it’s used by a majority of virtual Wi-Fi hotspot applications, such as Virtual WiFi Router, MyPublicWiFi, Marfi etc. So, if your NIC supports wireless hostednetwork / virtualization feature, then you can create an ad hoc wireless connection and turn your PC into Wi-Fi hotspot.

As stated earlier, both Windows 7 and Windows 8 natively support configuring ad hoc wireless connection using the netsh commands. In order to create an ad hoc connection in Windows 8 using netsh utility, run CMD with administrative privileges’; just type cmd on Start Screen, right-click it and select Run as administrator.

  
 
Now, first you need to check weather your network interface supports virtualization or not. Simply, run the following command to view Hosted network supported status.

             netsh wlan show drivers 

 In case, it says No, you will need to update your network adapter’s driver. If your NIC supports virtualization, you’re good to go. Now, enter the following commands to configure an ad hoc wireless connection.
  netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=<network name> key=<passkey>  

Once the hosted network has been set to allow, you need to start the mode to create an ad hoc connection. Just enter the command below.

                               netsh wlan start hostednetwork 


 

If it says “hosted network couldn’t started”, you need to disable current wireless network device and then enable it. You may also need to refresh network adapter list from Device Manger to install a virtual network device driver.

When the hosted network is started, enable ICS for newly created Wi-Fi connection, so that you can share your internet connection with others. In order to enable ICS feature, head over to Network and Internet –> Network Connections, and open Properties dialog of network device (which is connected to internet). Now, open Sharing tab, enable Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection, and then choose the newly created ad hoc connection from the list. In our case, it’s Wi-Fi 2, as shown in the screenshot below.

 Once the internet connection is shared, check the IP address assigned to newly created ad hoc connection from TCP/IPv4 Properties. If it doesn’t assign IP address, then run netsh wlan start hostednetwork command in CMD.

After following the above steps, you will be able to connect Wi-Fi enabled devices with your Windows 8 PC. As shown in the screenshot below, the current internet connection is successfully shared with ad hoc connection.

 

Wifi Share throufh Mhotspot Software

                            mHotspot 

                                               SHARING is so simple

            Turn your windows laptop into a wifi hotspot

                                            (it is free and always will be)

3. Mhotspot Software

In most of the cases we often come across a problem, i.e a single internet connection is available for a laptop/pc. Now if we want to use the same internet connection for other wifi connectivity devices like other pc's, laptops, smartphones, printers, tablet-pcs or any other devices there arises a complexity. Here mHotSpot come in action for how to.

So, by using mhotspot software you can setup a wireless network at your home or office or on mobile. Any no. of wifi connectivity devices can be connected to the thus created network. Even the Android and other smartphones without any further modifications into them, can access the wifi internet.

You can share your internet over wifi in just two steps!! NO INSTALLATION!! required for this. mhotspot is a free-software that converts your wifi enabled LAPTOP/PC running windows OS into a virtual wifi hotspot and share your internet through wifi to other laptops, smartphones, PDA's, Tablet-PCs or any other wifi connectivity devices.

Overview & Features:
> No installation required.
> It is FREE.
> No router or external hardware is required apart from your existing one. And here is the rest of it 


Instructions:
1. Run the mhotspot.exe file.(click 'yes' if asked for access)
2. Goto Setup tab and enter the hotspot name and password of your choice.

3. Now,goto hotspot tab , click Start hotspot and "open network and sharing centre".

4. Click on the blue label of your active internet connection .
eg. Local area connection,PPOE connection, 3G-USB Connection, etc.

 5. Then a status box will appear, click properies.

 6. Go to sharing tab and tick the box,"Allow other users to connect through this computer's internet connection" and select the wireless network connection 2.

7. Need NOT setup the hotspot each time you start the application or reboot the system.
SETUP only once.
8. Click "start hotspot" to enable sharing your internet through wifi.
9. Click stop to disable sharing.
Final View:

 

 DOWNLOAD

Share your internet over WiFi by virtual wifi router

   Virtual Wi-Fi Router

2. virtual wifi router 

Virtual Router

Using Virtual Router, you will be able to wirelessly share any Internet connection, whether it’s WiFi, LAN, cable modem, cellular, or even dial-up, with any WiFi-enabled device, like laptops, smartphones, netbooks, iPods, iPads, wireless printers, etc. These devices will connect to Virtual Router just like any other access point, and the connection will be secured using WPA2 encryption, which is considered the most secure type of wireless security.

Virtual Router can be used anywhere. It’s completely free, has no ads, and it does not track your web traffic. As I just mentioned, the wireless network created or shared with the program uses WPA2 encryption, which cannot be turned off. This feature is actually built into Windows 7 and 2008 R2′s wireless hosted network API to ensure maximum security.

How Does It Work?

As I mentioned earlier, Virtual Router “makes use of” Windows 7′s Wireless Hosted Network aka Virtual WiFi technology”. Okay, so what’s that?

Since 2002, Microsoft has been looking for a way to virtualize the WiFi adapter, turning a single piece of hardware and radio into virtually unlimited adapters. Years later, all that research worked its way into Windows 7′s networking capabilities.

In essence, Virtual WiFi works very similarly to how virtualization works for operating systems. There is a transparent sharing of limited hardware resources to many operating systems. Virtual WiFi, therefore, is a software layer that abstracts the wireless LAN card hardware into multiple virtual adapters. The result is an operating system that acts like you have multiple WLAN adapters working independently, even though you only have one.

How Do I Use Virtual Router?

Using the application is extremely simple. Just head over to Virtual Router’s homepage and click the Download button off to the right. Download, install, and run the application to start using it.

When you open Virtual Router up, you’ll see the first and only window you’ll need to start broadcasting a wireless signal.

You can change the network’s SSID to whatever you’d like it to read when users locate the connection on their devices, and you can set the password to anything you like, as long as it’s at least 8 digits.

Then all you have to do is select which connection you would like to share from the drop-down menu (Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection) and click the Start Virtual Router button to start your connection.
 

Now you should be able to see your newly created connection on your WiFi devices. Just type in the password you set and you will officially be connected to the Internet.

For such a simple program, Virtual Router really comes in handy at times. I was very impressed with how easy it was to use and how well it worked. What do you think of this application?