Firefox stopped loading websites for some users

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2022
Users are reporting that Firefox on Mac and Windows now hangs indefinitely when trying to access any websites. Fortunately, there is a work-around.

Firefox
Firefox


The issue first appeared to have been triggered by an overnight update to Firefox version 96. However, some users of older versions have subsequently reporting the same severe problem.

It appears to be related to a Firefox company data analytics server, rather than the browser itself. The server is said to have been recently updated to HTTP3, and the Firefox browser is failing to connect to it. According to the company's Bugzilla page, it's then creating an infinite loop bug.

The company has yet to fix the issue, but multiple users have found a workaround that appears to be temporarily solving the problem. It involves disabling Firefox's HTTP3 implementation until a proper solution is issued.

How to get Firefox to load webpages again


  1. Launch Firefox and a new, empty window

  2. In the address bar, type about:config and press Return

  3. On the configuration screen that appears, search for network.http.http3.enabled

  4. Change the setting to false

  5. Quit and restart Firefox

The official Firefox Twitter account has said that a cloud provider was the source of the problem. A browser restart should fix the issue.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    beowulfschmidtbeowulfschmidt Posts: 2,139member
    A more straightforward workaround, though, is to switch to Safari, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge.

    Read on AppleInsider
    It might be more straightforward, but for Windows users, one of those isn't available, and the other two suck donkey farts.

    Workaround it is.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 2 of 7
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    beowulfschmidt said:
    A more straightforward workaround, though, is to switch to Safari, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge.

    Read on AppleInsider
    It might be more straightforward, but for Windows users, one of those isn't available, and the other two suck donkey farts.

    Workaround it is.
    Then the proper workaround is to switch to a Mac and then use Safari.  ;)
    williamlondonStrangeDays
  • Reply 3 of 7
    beowulfschmidtbeowulfschmidt Posts: 2,139member
    macxpress said:
    beowulfschmidt said:
    A more straightforward workaround, though, is to switch to Safari, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge.

    Read on AppleInsider
    It might be more straightforward, but for Windows users, one of those isn't available, and the other two suck donkey farts.

    Workaround it is.
    Then the proper workaround is to switch to a Mac and then use Safari.  ;)
    When a Mac will run Elite Dangerous VR and Skyrim VR without a lot of pain and expense, I'll consider it.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 7
    mygigmygig Posts: 40member
    This happened to me yesterday. I was so mad at my router! Only after a while I realized all my other devices worked fine 😅
  • Reply 5 of 7
    maciekskontaktmaciekskontakt Posts: 1,169member
    macxpress said:
    beowulfschmidt said:
    A more straightforward workaround, though, is to switch to Safari, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge.

    Read on AppleInsider
    It might be more straightforward, but for Windows users, one of those isn't available, and the other two suck donkey farts.

    Workaround it is.
    Then the proper workaround is to switch to a Mac and then use Safari.  ;)
    I tried that workaround 15 years ago. It was temporary for 14 years. Now I use Linux Mint desktop (one of them is old MacBook Air converted, but not supported by Apple) and occasionally Windows 11 Pro in VirtualBox. The workaround you suggested was good... when Steve Jobs was alive and Apple did not lack discipline or engineers would be slapped by Jobs. Nowadays, it is not the same under Cook. Apple is old Microsoft and even Microsoft is becoming what Apple used to be under Jobs. Time to make better research and stop telling people outdated stories. i did mine.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 6 of 7
    maciekskontaktmaciekskontakt Posts: 1,169member
    And since when do you people think Safari is even close to Firefox? Just do a research. Check also market share for browsers. Maybe you should start opening eyes. I dropped Safari after two first years on Mac OS X circa 2007. It was Firefox or other browsers (SeaMonkey or even Tor). These days you may consider Vivaldi or Brave as they are picking up and beating Chrome and Edge due to tracking removal from base that is Chromium. Yes even FLoC is removed from those two browsers and Google does not like where their Chromium project went with it. Firefox is second and also superior in security solutions, but it has glitches like this.
    edited January 2022 williamlondon
  • Reply 7 of 7
    williamlondonwilliamlondon Posts: 1,324member
    maciekskontakt said:
    macxpress said:
    beowulfschmidt said:
    A more straightforward workaround, though, is to switch to Safari, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge.

    Read on AppleInsider
    It might be more straightforward, but for Windows users, one of those isn't available, and the other two suck donkey farts.

    Workaround it is.
    Then the proper workaround is to switch to a Mac and then use Safari.  ;)
    I tried that workaround 15 years ago. It was temporary for 14 years. Now I use Linux Mint desktop (one of them is old MacBook Air converted, but not supported by Apple) and occasionally Windows 11 Pro in VirtualBox. The workaround you suggested was good... when Steve Jobs was alive and Apple did not lack discipline or engineers would be slapped by Jobs. Nowadays, it is not the same under Cook. Apple is old Microsoft and even Microsoft is becoming what Apple used to be under Jobs. Time to make better research and stop telling people outdated stories. i did mine.
    Laughable insanity, why are you still here?
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