There is nothing more disappointing than sitting down watch TV only to find a spinning icon followed by a warning that your Internet speed is too slow to stream. When everyone in your house is trying to watch their own show on Netflix, hulu or Disney Plusespecially if someone else is on a Zoom conversationyou may experience buffering, pauses and reduced video quality that make watching your show difficult – or impossible.
Before slow charging and low resolution, go back to cable (seriously don’t do that), try these simple solutions. The faster the internet, the better your streaming quality, but there are many ways to make sure your devices have the fastest internet connection possible. Our tips work whether you’re streaming on a Xbox, Play station, iPad, Roku, fire tv, Apple TV or the apps in your Smart TV.
Upgrade your internet speed
This is certainly the most obvious, but when was the last time you asked your provider how fast the offer is now? If it was a few years ago, it probably has new services (maybe even fiber) that can significantly boost your download speeds.
You need at least 15 Mbps download speeds for: 4K streaming, but actually you want much more than that. It is also possible that there are new providers or services from other companies in your area. When I moved into my house, the phone company had the best option: a pretty fast DSL that was much better than the local cable provider. Now that cable company has six times the speed at 60% the price. I was able to save money and increase my internet speed quite drastically.
This is definitely the first place to start. If you stick with the same provider, they can usually flip the proverbial switch without sending a tech to visit your house. Then you have faster internet. If you switch providers, say from cable to fiber, the new provider will probably have to send someone to your house to install it.
read more: Best Internet Service Providers of 2022
Upgrade your router or hub
The WiFi router you get for free from your ISP is probably terrible. I upgraded my router the day before my new internet service was installed and it gave me a 20% speed increase. Many carriers even charge for their basic routers, so if your carrier allows it, you can: save some money in the long run by buying a good one outright and reduce your bill a little bit every month.
You’ll also likely get better range and signal throughout your home with an upgraded router. So if you’ve always had a bad connection in the back of your house, for example, a better router can help.
A new or different router may also allow you to connect over the 5GHz range (“normal” Wi-Fi is 2.4GHz). 5GHz is generally faster and less likely to interfere with other devices. However, it also does not go through walls. Our favorite all-round budget option is the TP-Link Archer AX21.
Read more: Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2022
If your house is particularly large, or the walls appear to be lined with lead, it’s worth getting a mesh wifi system. These use multiple devices scattered around your home rather than a single device. CNET’s favorite mesh system is TP-Link Deco W7200.
Read more: Best Mesh Routers for 2022
Switch to wired Ethernet
While useful, Wi-Fi can be quite slow on some networks, especially if several people are streaming at the same time. Wired internet, aka Ethernet, is a lot faster and has no problems with walls, interference or distance (well, at least not in a house). While running wires can be annoying, it provides the most reliable connection and may at least be worth doing on your main TV.
The Roku Ultra is one of our favorite streamers with built-in Ethernet.
Sarah Tew/CNET
To use a wire, check your device. Most streamers lack the Ethernet port needed for a wired connection, but inexpensive $15 USB adapters are available for the Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks. Unfortunately, most Roku devices don’t work with Ethernet. The exceptions are the Roku Ultraserving as a built-in Ethernet port, and the Roku Express 4K, Roku Express 4K PlusStreambar and Smart Soundbar Pro, all of which work with an optional Ethernet adapter.
Streamers with built-in Ethernet, no adapter required, are generally more expensive, but they can be worth it if you want a simpler connection or prefer Roku’s system. Our favorite streamers with built-in Ethernet are the Roku Ultra and the Apple TV 4K.
Other options are the Roku Ultra LTthe standard Apple TV and the Nvidia Shield TV. Most smart TVs and game consoles also have Ethernet.
Move your router
Simply changing the location of your Wi-Fi router can help a lot. If it’s on or near the ground, or in a closet or on the other side of your house, you could be limiting the signal and speed without even realizing it. Wi-Fi can go through walls, but high and with fewer walls between the router and streamer will make a difference. If the router has antennas, positioning them correctly (one vertical and one horizontal) can also help.
The same is true on the other side. If you have the streamer in a closet, that doesn’t help either. In a perfect world, the streamer would have a direct line of sight to the router. This isn’t necessary, of course, but anything you put between the two will reduce the signal and possibly speed.
An alternative version of this would be to get a Wi-Fi booster, or run Ethernet to a second Wi-Fi router (or the mesh option mentioned above). If your house is tall or large, there are plenty of options beyond the scope of this guide.
Kick the kids (off the wifi)
Think of your internet connection as a pipe full of water. There is only so much water to go around. If you’re trying to stream in the living room, but the rest of the family is also trying to stream in other rooms, there may not be enough “water” to go around. Everyone will have problems.
I’ll leave it up to you who gets priority in that case. Anyway, I don’t touch it.
That said, moving some devices to wired rather than wireless can help that aspect of your overall home network performance. You can also try downloading your favorite shows and movies to devices like Phones and tablets to watch at home when a balky internet connection precludes streaming.
Test your results
A internet speed tester like Speedtest or Netflix’s Fast.com can give you an idea of what you’re dealing with right now. If you use the Android or iOS version, make sure to place the phone or tablet near the streaming device to get the most accurate result. With each change you make, retest and see how it affected the signal.
Many streaming problems can be solved with these steps I described. The key is to give the device the fastest internet possible, in every way possible.
read more: Best streaming deals: save on Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Spotify and more
Do you have a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he has written on topics like: why you shouldn’t buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works and more.
Do you have a question? Tweet to him @TechWriterGeoffand then check out his travel photography on Instagram. He also thinks you should check out his best-selling sci-fi novel and its sequel.
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