Why do buffering

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Power cycling your modem and router. That just means unplugging them, counting to ten, and reconnecting them. Set your wireless router to use the 5GHz band rather than 2. Make sure you have not exceeded your monthly traffic allowance. Some ISPs throttle users who consume too much bandwidth. Binge watching will do that.

Change your DNS server. The one from your ISP may be slow. You can configure your router to use Google 8. Free up bandwidth wherever you can. Even when you are not using them, Wi-Fi devices are constantly pinging your wireless router. That can add up if you have multiple laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices in the house. All have the ability to shut off Wi-Fi. Give it a try and experiment. Intel, Nvidia, and AMD are constantly refining and optimizing graphic driver performance; some driver updates can make a considerable difference.

While new drivers usually are faster than older ones, occasionally a bad version slips through. These are usually quickly rectified. It is good practice in general to always use the latest drivers for all devices, so take a few minutes to update your graphics drivers.

As fast as Wi-Fi has become, when it comes to internet speed, there is still no substitute for a hardwired connection. If you have high internet speed, but you still encounter buffering, consider using a networking cable. You can get a solid signal with up to 50 feet of Ethernet cable. You may need an extra adaptor for your computer, as well as the cables and connectors. The problem might be on your local computer, and in your web browser in particular.

Browsers maintain a local cache for sites you previously visited. When you revisit a website, the browser checks the cache; if the local content is current, it loads from there rather than downloading it. The problem? Your browser can get overloaded with temporary and cached data that slows it down.

As a result, one easy and fast fix for video buffering problems is to clean up your browser, which involves clearing out cookies and wiping your browsing history. A streamlined browser runs more quickly, which will reduce buffering times. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps.

Related Articles. Article Summary. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. This allows your streaming video to build a bigger buffer.

This allows the video to play longer before it needs to buffer again. Quit all other background programs. Other background processes and downloads will consume extra resources and bandwidth that could otherwise be attributed toward live streaming.

Even if they are running in the background. Quit any games and applications that may be running in the background when doing live streaming. Limit the amount of devices connected to your network.

When streaming videos, make sure internet usage is limited across devices. Power off any internet-connected devices that are not needed. Performing a hard reset on your router allows it to re-establish an internet connection. To restart your router, simply unplug it for about 10 seconds and then plug it back in. Allow a few minutes for the router to boot back up and for your streaming device to reconnect to it. Restart your web browser or streaming application.

Sometimes streaming applications encounter problems. Closing the application or web browser and restarting it can go a long way to fixing these problems.

You should always restart the application after restarting you router. Move your wireless router closer to your streaming device. If you move too far away from your wireless router, your internet connection will start to become unstable. Walls, metal objects, and electric devices can also interfere with your wireless connections. Try moving closer to your wireless router, or place your wireless router in a centralized location where it isn't blocked by as many walls, and other objects.

Alternatively, you can connect a second wireless router , or mesh wi-fi system to extend the range of your wireless network. Consider using a wired internet connection. Wireless internet connections are more likely to be disrupted by problems with signal, frequency, and physical obstructions, such as walls or furniture. Possibly the most common form of buffering occurs when your internet speed is too slow to download the amount of data needed. In this scenario, your device will buffer the data for the video and then begin playing it when there is enough data downloaded to prevent lag in the stream.

If the stream reaches the point where it no longer has enough data downloaded, it will pause the video, and thus you have to wait again while more data downloads. The buffering process can vary greatly based on how long the video is and the data contained within it. The buffering process may last just a few seconds for a shorter video, or several minutes for a longer video.

If buffering is something that you are experiencing regularly, it may be time to upgrade your internet speed.