Safari 5.0.1 or later: Slow or partial webpage loading, or webpage cannot be found
Products Affected
Safari 5 (Mac OS X 10.5), Safari 5 (Mac OS X 10.6), Safari 5 (Windows)
Symptoms
When loading webpages in Safari 5.0.1 or later, you may experience the following:
- Slow performance
- Partially-loaded pages
- Webpage "cannot be found" message
Resolution
Your DNS server(s) or your router may be affected by DNS prefetching in Safari 5.0.1 or later.
First, try a different DNS service
Try a different DNS service, such as one of the DNS services below. This will test to see if the root cause of your issue lies with your selected DNS servers.
- OpenDNS (http://www.opendns.com/)
- Google DNS (http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/)
- Or, search the Internet for "Third-party DNS services" for more options and information
For information about how to change DNS settings in Mac OS X, see Editing DNS and search domain settings.
If the issue persists in Safari, return to your original DNS server settings if desired, then continue with the next section.
If the issue persists, disable DNS prefetching
Choose your operating system below to learn how to disable DNS prefetching.
Mac OS X steps to disable DNS prefetching
- Open Terminal (in /Applications/Utilities).
- Execute the Terminal command below to disable DNS prefetching:
defaults write com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled -boolean false
- Quit Safari, then open it again and test for the issue.
Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 (32-bit) steps to disable DNS prefetching
- Open the Command Prompt (Choose Windows > Run).
- Execute the Command Prompt command below to disable DNS prefetching (include quotes):
“\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\defaults.exe” write com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled -boolean false
- Quit Safari, then open it again and test for the issue.
Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 (64-bit) steps to disable DNS prefetching
- Open the Command Prompt (Choose Windows > Run).
- Execute the Command Prompt command below to disable DNS prefetching (include quotes):
“\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\defaults.exe” write com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled -boolean false
- Quit Safari, then open it again and test for the issue.
If disabling DNS prefetching resolves the issue, your router may be the root cause. Consider one of these options:
- Keep DNS prefetching disabled.
- See if your router has a firmware upgrade available that might address this issue. Contact your router's support staff or visit its website for more information about how to obtain and install router firmware updates.
- Upgrade to a more modern and robust router.
Enable DNS prefetching if the issue persists, or after upgrading your router/firmware.
Steps to re-enable DNS prefetching in Mac OS X
- Open Terminal (in /Applications/Utilities).
- Execute the Terminal command below to re-enable DNS prefetching:
defaults delete com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled
Steps to re-enable DNS prefetching in Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (32-bit)
- Open the Command Prompt (Choose Windows > Run).
- Execute the Command Prompt command below to re-enable DNS prefetching (include quotes):
“\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\defaults.exe” delete com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled
Steps to re-enable DNS prefetching in Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (64-bit)
- Open the Command Prompt (Choose Windows > Run).
- Execute the Command Prompt command below to reenable DNS prefetching (include quotes):
“\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\defaults.exe” delete com.apple.safari WebKitDNSPrefetchingEnabled
This article covers one possible reason for issues loading webpages in Safari. Mac users can review Mac OS X: Connect to the Internet, troubleshoot your Internet connection, and set up a small network to troubleshoot other Internet connection issues.
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