What is Browser Link?

Question

When I use Visual Studio (I’m using the 2013 version, I don’t know if the previous ones have) with the Browser Link enabled, there is always a GET request in the browser console (F12). What would this request be?

XHR finished loading: GET "http://domain.com/__browserLink/requestData/45d702dfc31b4ded88bc432b6dfdb762?version=2".

Opening the file, I see the following shortcode: Archive in Pastebin for being very extensive.

In this answer is informed that:

Browser Link is a feature of Visual Studio 2013 that creates a communication channel between the development environment and one or more web browsers. You can use the browser link to update your web application in multiple browsers at the same time, which is useful for cross-browser testing.

The author says it’s a Communication Channel, but what communicates?

What is the use of this connection?

This slows down the development environment?

Note: I’m not using Signalr.

Answer 1

When Browser Link is enabled Visual Studio acts as a Signalr server where browsers connect via a script injected into the rendered html page.

Basically it serves to refresh pages from multiple browsers simultaneously when you open them in the IDE:

But the best definition (and hint) is as follows:

In the latest edition of Microsoft’s epic saga, 'Things no one asked for', we were given the Browser Link. No doubt the most important thing you need to know about it is how to turn it off. You can do it globally by changing the option from within Visual Studio:

Source here.