if you have a DSL / cable connection you can find useful things here, if you use IE7
FF is very fast but i still prefer Internet Explorer for some reason so after some checks today i found and just tested this trick
http://pcs.suite101.com/article.cfm/...ernet_explorer
i used the number "20" when it comes to the value he suggests instead to set to 10 and i have never seen it quicker with thumb websites.... give it a go.
tested here on XP PRO SP3 dsl 20mbit (yes if you dont change this thing thumbs still load a bit slow).
enjoy!