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Web Protection slows Safari website loading dramatically

RTP

I upgraded to 9.0, and immediately websites started loading slowly on Safari. I added all my regulars to "Allowed Websites", have done computer restarts, and tried toggling all the Sophos options on or off. The one setting that helps is turning "block access to malicious websites" to "OFF". 

Even with Websites in the allowed list, load time went from up 5 - 10 seconds, to the original nearly instant. Any thoughts why this is? Shouldn't putting a website in the allowed list help?

Open to your thoughts!

:1013447


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    I've tried all the links and if I really watch closely I can see a slight difference, on some pages, when the Sophos Web Protection URL reputation check is on - the page takes a fraction longer to load. I don't see a delay anywhere near the lower end of 5 seconds though.

    Now we all have to assume there is going to be some delay with web page loading - you cannot expect web protection to prevent a malicious page from loading without SAV getting in the middle of the routine. The only question is how long is justifiable/acceptable?


    If you consider what SAV may have to do so check the address (I imagine that this is the rough process): wait for a new page to be requested; stop the current load and grab the address; forward the request to a Sophos server; get the OK back that it's clean; create the original browser request and allow it. How long should that take?


    An important thing to note is that the local SAV doesn't 'scan' the webpage being loaded (that would take longer) and it doesn't have a list of bad sites stored locally. SAV checks with a central server if the site is clean or not and has to wait to hear back. What would cause that process to be delayed (or even fail)?


    If we assume that the Sophos servers (probably load balanced global servers) are up and working fine wherever you are in the world, and we know that the sites are slower for you and not me. . .then we can assume it's not the local SAV installation causing the problem. Fair assumption?  If so the problem may be caused by DNS and the number of additional web address connections are being made automatically by the first request.

    Safari has prefetch and there are a lot of sites explaining how to troubleshoot problems with slow page loading (Apple even admit to it with an article) - and these problems have nothing to do with SAV.

    Maybe that's the problem - your ISP's DNS is not working as well as it could be?  I know what you're thinking: I've twisted the problem around to your ISP and/or browser set up and away from SAV :smileysurprised: but if everyone experienced this problem I imagine we'd all be switching the feature off and shouting 'no thank you' at Sophos.

    It is possible to change the DNS or even turn off prefetch you could try that.

    :1013461
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  • 0

    I've tried all the links and if I really watch closely I can see a slight difference, on some pages, when the Sophos Web Protection URL reputation check is on - the page takes a fraction longer to load. I don't see a delay anywhere near the lower end of 5 seconds though.

    Now we all have to assume there is going to be some delay with web page loading - you cannot expect web protection to prevent a malicious page from loading without SAV getting in the middle of the routine. The only question is how long is justifiable/acceptable?


    If you consider what SAV may have to do so check the address (I imagine that this is the rough process): wait for a new page to be requested; stop the current load and grab the address; forward the request to a Sophos server; get the OK back that it's clean; create the original browser request and allow it. How long should that take?


    An important thing to note is that the local SAV doesn't 'scan' the webpage being loaded (that would take longer) and it doesn't have a list of bad sites stored locally. SAV checks with a central server if the site is clean or not and has to wait to hear back. What would cause that process to be delayed (or even fail)?


    If we assume that the Sophos servers (probably load balanced global servers) are up and working fine wherever you are in the world, and we know that the sites are slower for you and not me. . .then we can assume it's not the local SAV installation causing the problem. Fair assumption?  If so the problem may be caused by DNS and the number of additional web address connections are being made automatically by the first request.

    Safari has prefetch and there are a lot of sites explaining how to troubleshoot problems with slow page loading (Apple even admit to it with an article) - and these problems have nothing to do with SAV.

    Maybe that's the problem - your ISP's DNS is not working as well as it could be?  I know what you're thinking: I've twisted the problem around to your ISP and/or browser set up and away from SAV :smileysurprised: but if everyone experienced this problem I imagine we'd all be switching the feature off and shouting 'no thank you' at Sophos.

    It is possible to change the DNS or even turn off prefetch you could try that.

    :1013461
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