Here’s A Quick Way to Speed Up Facebook Loading Speed [MALAYSIA]

Filed in: Malaysia, Social Media, Tips — March 15th, 2011

MALAYSIA – Facebook is loading slow after the Japan earthquake? It is because the submarine telecommunications cable system has been affected by the disaster. Here you will learn how to re-route your Facebook connection to Malaysia hosted Facebook proxy server for faster loading speed.

Why Facebook becomes so slow for Malaysians?

According to Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) announcement, the Japan earthquake at 11 March affected the Japan – US Cable Network (JUCN) and Asia Pacific Cable Network 2 (APCN2) cable networks linking Malaysia to USA and Hong Kong.

Malaysians’ connection to Facebook.com server in USA go through hop servers hosted by Hong Kong Internet Exchange in Hong Kong. Thus, the connection speed of Malaysia-to-Facebook drops dramatically because of the cable networks connection problem.

Solution: Find a new route

In order to get back the Facebook connection speed, we Malaysians need to bypass the server in Hong Kong. Thanks to HeHeHunter.net, he has discovered a Facebook proxy server [203.106.85.66] (Akamai) hosted locally in Malaysia.

Now, you need to FORCE your computer to use the IP address to access Facebook.com. You need to edit HOSTS file on your computer.

How to change default Facebook route

Here are the instructions for Windows/Linux/Mac OS X users. (HeHeHunter.net has the credit for Windows and Linux instructions)

Windows users:

Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\
Open hosts file with notepad.exe
Add the following: 203.106.85.66 www.facebook.com
Save.
Visit http://www.facebook.com and enjoy the fast speed!

Tip: Getting error when try to save hosts file? Check the workaround on Microsoft Support.

Linux/Ubuntu users:

Go to Application –> Accessories –> Terminal
key in the following: sudo gedit /etc/hosts
Under 127.0.1.1 , input the following:
203.106.85.66 www.facebook.com
Click Save
Close gedit and terminal.
Visit http://www.facebook.com and enjoy the fast speed!

Mac OS X users:

Open terminal.app (Application -> Utilities -> Terminal
type: sudo nano /etc/hosts
type your password when prompted
Add this line at the end of file: 203.106.85.66 www.facebook.com
Press Control-O to save the file, press Enter on filename prompt.
Press Control-X to exit the text editor.
(optional) Flush DNS cache with the command: dscacheutil -flushcache
Visit http://www.facebook.com and enjoy the fast speed!

Warning: While it is easy to edit HOSTS file but messing it up will cause unexpected web browsing experience.

Result

Once switched, the Facebook loading speed back to normal, it’s fast! The ping time before is average 541ms, after is average 115ms.

The modification only modify for “www.facebook.com”. If you access Facebook via “http://facebook.com” it will still use the default routing path. Good to test if Facebook route back to normal or not.

You should revert back (remove the added line) after the submarine telecommunications cable system has been fixed.

Security concern

Update (16 March 2011): While many readers thank me for the tip to make Facebook loads A LOT faster, some readers have raised security concerns about using unknown and unverified server to access Facebook account.

The information I found out about the IP address [203.106.85.66] is that it is a AkamaiGHost (Akamai’s HTTP Acceleration service), which is designed to serve as a “geographically co-located caching server” for a website. [source]

You are recommended to turn on Facebook secured connection (HTTPS) for additional protection.

Hope these helps.

Tags: facebook, japan earthquake, Malaysia

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http://www.facebook.com/dawa.law Dawa Law

Hi bro, just to correct your statement. It’s not a proxy server for Facebook.

Actually that server is for mobile version of Facebook: http://m.facebook.com

You can actually check by adding the following to the hosts file:
203.106.85.66 m.facebook.com

Then when you go http://m.facebook.com it will divert to mobile version

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

hmm. I ping m.facebook.com, the IP is 66.220.149.19.

If 203.106.85.66 is a mobile facebook server, how come it loads the full version of Facebook.com?

I still think 203.106.85.66 is a proxy. It loads the Facebook version depends on your request, either desktop or mobile.

http://www.facebook.com/dawa.law Dawa Law

Hi, it was pointing to 203.106.85.66 for m.facebook.com few months ago when I tried it…

http://pczonenow.com/ Charleston

Boo Hoo, If it could helps to load FB faster, what’s the fuss.

Liew,thanks for the article.

http://liewzy.com Liewzy

Work like a charm!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=721271477 Tommy Ming

A Proxy by ACER? I think it’s of no use. It doesn’t feel any faster to me.

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Hmm. Not sure what’s your source of IP info. Here is what I got from APNIC. It shows the IP address belongs to “AKAMAI CYBERJAYA”.

Belwix

this is useless, the ip you gave us of
AKAMAI-CYBERJAYA-TMNET which is belong to someone name Khairil Hakim Mustafa Alsafri.1st you mention about facebook slow to malaysia becoz of natural disaster. and you gave us the proxy ip of malaysian too.

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Useless? Have you try it yet?

1. He is the contact person for the IP range/server.

2. The earthquake hits Japan and affected the cable, which we normally used to route to USA. So, we use a Malaysia IP to skip the route.

3. Now, what is the problem?

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

If it doesn’t work for you then it is not. Remember to revert back your changes.
http://www.facebook.com/dawa.law Dawa Law

Hi, If you change it to google.com of course it will be the same ip. but can you reach google with that ip? no.

LiewCF

Isn’t it because the server on the IP has not configure to handle “google.com” request?

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http://www.melvinf.com melvin,foong

Now I am slow because everyone is using the same proxy

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

hahaha…

Ao

Don’t you think this is a bit unsafe to go through an untrusted proxy? If you are not careful, yhey could do a FORM substitution when forwarding you to do some nice phishing.

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

I don’t think it is just another proxy. Article has been updated for the security concern.

voterx

Awesome. Well explained and clear instructions I’ve bookmarked your blog going to be checking in on updates from now on.
Rosamundwo

How to turn on Facebook secured connection (HTTPS) for additional protection.

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Facebook’s Account Setting > Account Security > Secure Browsing (https)

Rosamundwo

Thanks!

Rosamundwo

ahh, found the answer..
Anonymous

thanks bro. Really appreciate it
Jiro_brian33

I dont get it the part to insert the IP address..where do i should add them at?

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

add under the line write 127.0.0.1

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000225274542 Fird Ross

Hey thanks! your tip works wonderfully!
Azlan Hassan

Everytime i tr
Azlan Hassan

Everytime I try to save it always give the message “make sure the path and file name is correct”.

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Here is the workaroud from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923947

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Left2Kill

worked like a charm
sham

thank la..
it works.. hehe
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http://twitter.com/KhairulJBlack Khairul Jacob Black

Got one for Twitter, ah? ;D

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Twitter is fast, isn’t it?

ordell

How to revert the changes back (on Mac OS X)? What commands do I have to type in the terminal?

http://www.liewcf.com/ LiewCF

Simply edit the HOST file again and delete the line you added. You may
want to flush the dns cache too.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2011, Disqus