Web browsers are used to navigate the internet and Firefox is one of the top web browsers used nowadays. It was introduced in 2002 and since then, it has grown considerably. Firefox is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and many other top OS. It is also supported on iOS and Android devices.
However, many users have reported that they are getting stuck at the phase of TLS Handshake when they are trying to visit a website. This happens when a user is entering the name of a website and then the loading of the webpage fails. The process of TLS handshake Firefox takes only a few seconds.
If you are one of the users who is facing this Firefox TLS Handshake problem, then do not worry. Here, you will get to know about the TLS Handshake, the reason, and solutions for this TLS Handshake Firefox problem.
What is Firefox TLS Handshake and When it is Needed?
TLS or Transport Layer Security Handshake is needed when to start the secure session, authentication, and key exchange is required. When a computer is performing TLS Handshake Firefox, the process involves the exchange of session key information, client and server authentication, and cipher negotiation.
This procedure consists of many server and client exchanges. Within these exchanges, if a single configuration of the browser becomes incorrect, then the TLS Handshake Firefox fails and the web pages fail to load.
Reasons for the TLS Handshake Firefox Error:
When this Firefox TLS Handshake problem occurs, some users get affected for some particular sites, while others get affected for all websites. However, the page eventually gets loaded after a long time. But, the pages get stuck in the TLS Handshake Firefox process in the majority of the cases. Some of the common reasons for this error are:-
- The settings for your system time and date are wrong.
- The server does not support the protocol that the browser is using.
- Some settings of your browser are the reason for this error.
- The connection is being interrupted by some third-party software.
- The cipher suite is not supported by the server which the user is using.
- This error can be due to path building error, expired or revoked SSL/TLS certificate, the URL of the hostname is incorrect, invalid or incorrect self-signed certificate.
Excellent Solutions to Fix the TLS Handshake Firefox Problem:
Now, let us see how to fix TLS Handshake Firefox problem if you are facing one yourself:-
Solution 1: Clear the Browsing History and Caches
When you are facing some trouble with your browser, the first thing that you need to do is to delete your browser history and cache. Follow the steps to successfully perform the process:-
- Go to the upper right corner of the screen and select History icon.
- Now, a drop-down menu will appear. From this menu, you have to click on the History.
- Next, select the “Clear Recent History” option.
- Then, select the range of time for which you want to clear the history and cache.
- You have to tick the box for the items you wish to remove.
- After selecting, you have to click the “Clear Now” button.
The completion process will take a few seconds. When the process is complete, check if you are still getting some errors while performing TLS Handshake Firefox. You can move on to the next solution if this problem is not solved.
Solution 2: Create a Fresh Profile
Sometimes, the TLS Handshake Firefox is interfered with by the personalized settings of your profile. Due to this reason, you will be able to start with a clean slate by making a fresh profile. This will also help you to determine whether the Firefox TLS Handshake problem is actually being caused by your personalized profile settings or not.
Follow the given steps to create a fresh profile:-
- In the address bar, you have to write “about: profiles” and hit Enter.
- Now, the window of the Profile Manager will open. Then, press the “Create a New Profile” button.
- After that, set up your preferences and personal settings by following the “Create Profile Wizard”.
- After that, your profile will be completed and then select the “Set as default profile” option. Now, close the Firefox application.
Open Firefox from the newly created profile and see if there is still an error in the TLS Handshake Firefox. Now, you can fix your previous profile. However, locating the exact reason for the problem will be very difficult.
So, you can uninstall the extensions, double-check the proxy connection and disable and re-enable the add-ons. You can transfer the data from your old profile to your new one if you fear that your data will be lost.
Solution 3: Identical Information on Self-signed Certificates
Firefox can have trouble processing the certificates of SSL if you are accessing an internal website or a developer. Firefox can get choked by the possible paths when the new certificate contains similar information and it has been replaced numerous times. You can notice that when you have stored about 9 to 10 self-signed certificates, Firefox will slow down.
So, you can resolve this problem by performing TLS Handshake Firefox with the help of the following steps:-
- Open Firefox and in the address bar, you have to write “about: support”.
- Go to the field of “Profile Folder” and click on the “Open Folder” button.
- Now, locate the “cert8.db” file. Then, you have to rename this file. This will help Firefox to replace the file when it restarts.
- Next, open Firefox and go to the site that was affected previously.
If you see that the site is opening perfectly, then it means that the problem with the TLS Handshake Firefox is solved.
Solution 4: Disable TLS Handshake Firefox
You can disable TLS Handshake Firefox if none of the solutions worked for you. Check out the given below steps to successfully disable TLS Handshake Firefox:-
- Open Firefox and go to the menu option. After that, select the “Option”.
- Then, go to the “Advanced” tab and then select “Encryption”.
- After that, go to “Use TLS 1.0” and “Use SSL 3.0” and uncheck the boxes beside them.
- Next, you have to select the “OK” button.
- Lastly, restart the Firefox application.
After this process, the steps to disable TLS Handshake Firefox will be successful. Now, whenever you visit a website, the TLS Handshake Firefox will be automatically disabled.
Final Words
Hope that the solutions for how to fix TLS Handshake Firefox are clear to you from the above discussion. These are very effective and easy solutions that you can implement on your own. You will surely be able to fix the Firefox TLS Handshake error by any of these solutions.