Web browsers

What's a browser?

A Web browser is, at base, a relatively simple piece of software.  Given a unique Web address -- formally called a "uniform resource locator" or URL -- it coordinates communication between your computer (or PDA or mobile phone) and a server computer where a particular Web site's content is stored.  

When you open your browser and type in a URL, the browser translates the address (using a system called DNS), contacts the particular server, and requests the "page" you asked for.  When the server sends the page contents, the browser translates the codes for the text, images and other elements (written in a language like HTML or XML), formats all that for your device screen and displays the result.

What content does a browser access?

In addition to text and images, Web sites may also offer the opportunity to "stream" audio and video, or download files containing documents, images, software or other content.  Web pages may be "static" (the same for everyone) or dynamically created, such as when a search engine constructs a page of results for a particular query.  Web browsers also are used to access shared applications (software) that have a "Web interface" -- indeed, almost all modern shared software comes with some kind of Web access capability.

Powerful "active" elements in a page may be used to enhance the visual experience -- in effect, running small programs on your computer.  Unfortunately, these active elements can also be used for malicious purposes.  While the vast majority of Web content is benign, it's possible for it to contain harmful elements like viruses or data-harvesting spyware.  If you follow safe practices however, you'll generally be just fine. 

What do you recommend I use?

If you are reading this on a computer screen, you are almost certainly familiar with a least one of the major browsers: Microsoft's Internet Explorer (for Windows PCs and Apple), Safari (for Apple), Firefox (for Windows and Apple), or Netscape (for Windows and Apple).

For Microsoft Windows users, we generally recommend Internet Explorer or Firefox.  For Apple/Mac users, we recommend Safari or Firefox.   For more on those, and to download the latest versions, click on the links in the previous sentence.

Depending on the site that you are navigating to or application that you are accessing, you may need to try a different browser.  Typically though, the browsers recommended here will work fine.  (The most common problem is an application that has been designed to work only with Internet Explorer, which, unfortunately, runs only on Windows.)

What kind of problems can I have with my browser?

As noted, applications are becoming more and more "Web-enabled."   So access to computing resources is ever more dependent on your Internet browser and Internet connectivity. 

Malware and spyware are major problems with many different browsers.  These malicious programs exploit security "holes" in the browser application and essentially create security and basic usage problems with your browser.  Appropriate security settings for your browser will help keep your computer malware- and spyware-free.

Some Web-based applications (like Citrix, as discussed below) require browser plug-ins for full functionality.  If your browser is not capable of downloading and using the required plug-ins, you may not be able to use the web-based application properly. 

(For example, two common technologies are Java and ActiveX Controls.  Some applications require specific versions of Java or Active X.  If you computer cannot support either of those two technologies when needed, you may have trouble accessing the application you need.)

What about "pop-up" windows?

Pop-ups are a common recurring problem.  They are typically used as mechanisms for advertisements on Web sites, and can be quite annoying even if you get only a few.  If you see a cascade of them, it may mean your computer has malware or spyware installed on it.

To reduce the annoyance factor, most browsers now come with "pop-up blockers."  By turning this service on, you can usually block pop-ups effectively. 

The problem with that solution is that pop-ups are sometimes used for entirely legitimate purposes, such as presenting a separate log-in screen when you reach a restricted area of a Web site.   If your pop-up blocker blocks one of these, you may not be able to use a Web site fully.  You'll need to enable pop-ups in your browser while you use that site and then disable it when you are done.  (Or you can add that particular site to your "trusted" list, which will then enable pop-ups only for it.)

I'm using the Citrix Application Portal, which browser should I use?

Citrix works well with most browsers.  For Windows, your best choice is probably Internet Explorer.  For Apple, we recommend Firefox over Safari, though both will work.

To use Citrix with any browser, you will need to install small "client" program.  You should use the Citrix ICA client on Windows PCs using Internet Explorer and the Java client option for Safari or Firefox.  (You can learn more about Citrix, and get instructions for installing the necessary clients, here.)