If your new to streaming videos and live TV you may be unaware of the variables that determine your video quality and experience. Throughout this article were going to provide you with some background knowledge to help you get a better understanding of internet streaming. We’re going to figure out what the perfect internet speed is for our home, what router is the best fit for our Wifi Network, and the differences between Wifi and a Direct connection, These tips are not a requirement but more of a troubleshooting guide for improving your current streaming experience.
So if your constantly waiting for videos to load or getting interrupted because of buffering, chances are, you don’t have a high enough internet speed. To figure this out all we have to do is run a speed test. If your using your freestream media player you can do this from the main page or click here to watch the video otherwise, we recommend going to ookla.com and run the test from the internet browser of your device.
For streaming HD video or live tv channels you will need at least 15 mbps or 25 mbps if your streaming 4K movies. Most of us are paying for speeds well above that but after running a speed test some of you might find that your not getting what your paying for. If your speeds are below the minimum requirements even though your paying for high speed then the problem might be with your router.
If you’ve ever taken a look at your internet bill you’ll see plenty of small monthly charges and one of those are for renting your providers router. Nearly all the time these pieces of equipment are out of date upon installation even though they are responsible for making sure you get what you pay for. We highly recommend purchasing a third party router which is capable of transmitting your high speeds and this will benefit your entire home network. The best option on the market is the Netgear Nighthawk but you can always read our router review to see more options.
Now all the tips above are for improving your streaming experience over a WiFi network. We can avoid these issues by connecting directly to our router via Cat5 ethernet cable. When you connect directly to your internet router you are able to avoid any possible interference from other electronics and won’t have to worry about distance and signal strength.
If you have any questions send us an email or check out our YouTube channel for videos and if you have not already subscribed please do to stay current with new updates and tips.