Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

This wikiHow teaches you how to achieve quality and stability while watching videos online. While the online video experience will largely depend on the speed and strength of your Internet connection, there are a few things you can do to limit buffering and improve media playback across channels. like Netflix, Hulu and even YouTube.

Steps

1. 

   Limit the number of ongoing actions to make room for streaming videos. Make sure that no unnecessary programs (even browser tabs) are being loaded or opened while you are streaming.
   • For example, you should close background programs (such as Skype, Steam, web browser, etc.) that you don't have to use when watching online videos.
   • If your computer, phone or TV is downloading data, consider waiting for the download to complete or pause it while you are streaming.

2. 

   
   
   Temporarily disable other Internet connections. If you have a computer, phone or other device using the same Internet connection when you watch online, you are sharing the connection with these devices. To minimize "distraction", turn off the Internet connection for as many devices in the house as possible.
   • If the streaming device is the only thing connected to the Internet, the quality and speed of your media playback will improve.

3. 

   
   
   Watch online during off-peak hours. When someone uses the same line with you for streaming, downloading data, etc., the connection's partition will be significantly occupied and the quality of your streaming becomes pretty bad. Try watching video online at a time when other people are not on the network.
   • You should also keep an eye out for local peak times, as watching online after office hours and on weekends can slow down Internet speeds in general throughout the region.

4. 

   
   
   Test Internet speed. You need to know the approximate number of download speeds in megabytes per second (mbp / s) you are paying your Internet service provider. If the speed after the test is much lower than the theory, you can call the operator to request processing.
   • If your download speeds match or are close to those advertised by the ad provider, then it is likely that the problem is on your side, not the carrier.

5. 

   Reset the router if necessary. If you have never reset your home network since installing it will have a positive impact on your Internet speed.
   • Rebooting the network or "power-cycling" will clear the network's cache.
   • Resetting the router alone will restore the network to its default settings, while also erasing all connected devices such as phones, tablets, computers, and so on.

6. 

   Update online viewing device. Whether you are watching online video using your computer, phone, game console, smart TV or refrigerator, this device needs to be updated to the latest version. The easiest way to make sure your device is up to date is to check for an update every time you prepare to go live.
   • This habit has some limitations, depending on the operating system; If you are watching online with an older device (such as a Windows laptop that is 3-4 years old or older), the device may not be able to respond to the new operating system update.
   • When watching online using an app like Netflix or Hulu, make sure you're using the most recent version of the app.

7. 

   Set up a blank line between the router and the streaming device. The more obstacles there are between the transmitter and the router, the worse will be your online viewing experience. If possible, make sure there are no obstacles from the router to the device you are streaming to.
   • If that is too difficult, you can try to limit the number of devices that use electricity or solid objects between the router and the streaming device.
   • If you are using an Ethernet cable, skip this step.

8. 

   Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. If you are catching a Wi-Fi signal from your router to connect to the Internet, you can switch to using the physical connection.This not only increases connection speed and stability, but also reduces network drops (unless the router is turned off), and avoids obstacles between the streaming device and the router.
   • If possible, use shielded Ethernet cables when connecting from a router in another room to the equipment. This will help minimize the possibility of cable damage.

9. 

   Use the router's 5 GHz channel instead of the 2.4 GHz channel. If your router is a "dual band" model, you'll have two types of channels: 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz. Channel 2.4 is more common than channel 5.0, so use channel 5.0 to limit the number of connections you have to share.
   • Most routers have two channels and give you two Wi-Fi networks to connect to; The name of the 5.0 channel is usually a variation of the regular Wi-Fi channel name.
   • Note that while channel 5.0 broadcasts the Wi-Fi network faster, it doesn't have the same range as channel 2.4, so you'll need to bring the streaming device closer to the router.

10. 

    Adjust quality of streaming service. Unfortunately you'll have to accept the quality in exchange for the viewing stability you want. Most streaming services and video players have a quality setting (usually indicated by a gear icon) so you can adjust the word "HD" (or whatever quality from "720p). "or more) to" SD "(or" 480p "or less).
    • Many streaming services, like Netflix, will optimize video quality at set-up. This means that if you start with high Internet speeds and when the connection starts to drop, Netflix will still try to stream at high quality even though this doesn't make much sense for your connection status.
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Advice

• Finally, you can change to a different model of your router or transmitter, or upgrade to a higher Internet plan to achieve the desired online multimedia viewing experience.

Warning

• If your router's maximum download speed is lower than the maximum download speed of the Internet packet, the connection quality is not worth your money.