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A report on large downloads in Firefox says changing the `network.http.response.timeout` preference may improve resuming after an interrupted transfer. The author describes the result as experimental, has not checked Firefox’s source code, and stresses that the server must support resumable downloads.
A user report says changing Firefox’s `network.http.response.timeout` preference may help some large downloads resume after an interruption. The proposed adjustment is to set the preference to 0 or a very high value, but the author calls the results experimental and says the method depends on the server supporting resumable downloads.
The report says Firefox versions 28 and later use a default value of 300 seconds for `network.http.response.timeout`. Its author found in informal testing that setting the value to zero or a much larger number appeared to make large downloads more resumable and somewhat more stable. The page does not provide a controlled test, sample size, or a measure of how often the change works.
The author suspects the timeout may affect Firefox’s attempts to recover from a failed transfer, including possible retries, but says they have not confirmed the mechanism in Firefox’s source code. The report also describes Firefox as sometimes ignoring an existing `.part` file, a temporary download file, when resuming. That observation is not established as a general behavior across Firefox versions or systems.
The workaround is limited: the report explicitly says it cannot make a download resumable if the server does not support resuming. It also mentions `wget -c` as a command-line alternative the author found more reliable, but does not offer comparative testing or establish that it will work for every download.
A Possible Fix for Interrupted Transfers
Large files can take long enough to download that a connection interruption may force a user to retry, wasting time and bandwidth. If the reported setting helps Firefox recover a transfer that the server supports resuming, it could offer a relatively simple configuration workaround for some users who encounter this problem.
That potential benefit remains unverified beyond the author’s testing. The report does not establish how common the issue is, which network conditions trigger it, or whether changing the preference has trade-offs. Readers should treat the setting as an experiment rather than a guaranteed fix, and the server’s support for partial-content requests remains a separate requirement.
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Firefox’s Timeout and Resume Behavior
The report attributes the behavior to a preference called `network.http.response.timeout`, which it says has been set to 300 seconds since Firefox 28. It does not cite Firefox documentation or source code to confirm the setting’s precise role in download resumption, and the author says they do not know why changing it appears to help.
The page also says download-resumption problems in Firefox have been reported in some form since 2005, but supplies no supporting references or detailed history. That statement is the report author’s characterization, not independent evidence that the same underlying bug persisted unchanged across releases. The supplied material does not identify a recent Firefox release, a Mozilla announcement, or a formal bug-tracker response tied to the workaround.
“Setting network.http.response.timeout to 0 (or something very big) in about:config seems to make big downloads both resumable and at least a little more stable.”
— The report’s author
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How Reliable Is the Workaround?
The report does not establish whether the setting consistently changes Firefox’s resume behavior, what conditions are required, or whether results differ by operating system, Firefox version, server, or network. It also does not explain exactly how the timeout preference interacts with download retries or `.part` files. No controlled results or independent confirmations are included in the supplied source.
It is also unclear whether setting the preference to zero has effects beyond the download issue described. The source gives no evidence about possible downsides, and it does not say whether Mozilla considers this configuration supported or recommends it. Users should not assume the adjustment is safe or effective in every case based on this single report.
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Further Testing and Mozilla Guidance
The next useful step would be independent testing across current Firefox versions and servers that are known to support resumable transfers, with results compared against the default timeout setting. Checking Mozilla documentation, source code, or a relevant bug report could also clarify whether the preference governs the behavior the author suspects. The supplied report does not say that such testing or a Mozilla response is planned.
For now, the source offers a possible user-level workaround, not an announced Firefox change or an officially confirmed fix. Whether it helps a particular download will depend on the server and on conditions the report has not pinned down.
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Key Questions
What Firefox setting does the report suggest changing?
It suggests changing `network.http.response.timeout` in Firefox’s advanced configuration (`about:config`) to zero or a very high value. The report presents this as an experimental workaround, not an official recommendation.
Will this make every download resumable?
No. The report says the server must support resumable downloads. A Firefox setting cannot add that capability to a server that does not provide it.
Has Mozilla confirmed that the timeout causes the problem?
The supplied report does not include confirmation from Mozilla. Its author says the effect appeared in informal testing but that they did not verify the explanation in Firefox’s source code.
What alternative does the report mention?
The author says `wget -c` worked as a non-Firefox workaround in their experience. The report does not provide comparative testing or guarantee it will work for every server or file.
Source: hn
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