gionek imbard iolann
Eboni Kleifgen
Yes, this is certainly the most obvious, but when was the last time you asked your provider how fast its offerings are now? If it's been a few years, it likely has new services (maybe even fiber) that could greatly increase your download speeds. Recently I switched from 250Mbps cable to 1Gbps fiber for $10 less a month. When I canceled the cable internet they said "Oh, we can reduce your rate by $30 a month, or increase your speeds for the same money." They, of course, never offered that without me saying I was canceling. Just something to keep in mind.
This is definitely the first place to start. If you stay with the same provider, usually it'll be able to flip the proverbial switch without sending a tech to visit your home. Afterward, you'll have faster internet. If you switch providers (from cable to fiber, for example), the new provider will probably have to send someone to your house to install it.
The Wi-Fi router that you get for free from your internet provider is likely terrible. I upgraded my router the day before my new internet service was installed and I got a 20% boost in speed just from that. Many providers even charge for their basic routers, so if your provider allows it, you could save some money long-term by buying a good one outright and reducing your bill a bit each month.
You'll also likely get better range and better signal throughout your home with an upgraded router. If you've always had a bad connection in the back of the house, a better router might help with that.
A new or different router might also give you the option to connect via the 5GHz range ("normal" Wi-Fi is 2.4GHz). 5GHz is generally faster and has less chance of interference from other devices. It doesn't go through walls as effectively. Our favorite all-around budget option is the TP-Link Archer AX21.
If your house is particularly large, or the walls seem to be particularly obstructing, it's worth considering a mesh Wi-Fi system. These use multiple devices spread around your home instead of one single device. CNET's favorite mesh system is TP-Link Deco W7200.
Although convenient, Wi-Fi can be quite slow on some networks, especially if multiple people are streaming at once. Wired internet, aka Ethernet, is a lot faster and doesn't have issues with walls, interference or distance (well, not in a house, anyway). Though running wires can be annoying, it provides the most reliable connection and can be worth doing on your main TV at least.
If you want to use a wire, check your device. Most streamers lack the Ethernet port required for a wired connection, but cheap $15 USB adapters are available for the Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon's Fire TV sticks. Most Roku devices don't work with Ethernet, unfortunately. The exceptions are the Roku Ultra, which has a built-in Ethernet port, and the Roku Express 4K, Roku Express 4K Plus, Streambar and Smart Soundbar Pro, which all work with an optional Ethernet adapter.
Streamers with Ethernet built in, no adapter required, are generally more expensive, but they could be worthwhile if you want a simpler hookup or prefer Roku's system. Our favorite streamers with built-in Ethernet are the Roku Ultra and the Apple TV 4K.
Simply changing the location of your Wi-Fi router could help a lot. If it's on or near the ground, in a closet or at the far end of your house, you could be limiting the signal and speed without even realizing it. Wi-Fi can go through walls, but being high up and with fewer walls between the router and streamer will make a difference. If the router has antennas, positioning them correctly can also help (one vertical and one horizontal).
The same is true on the other end. If you've got the streamer in a cabinet, that's not helping either. In a perfect world, the streamer would have a direct line of sight with the router. This isn't necessary, but everything you place between the two of them decreases the signal and potentially lowers the speed.
An alternate version of this would be to get a Wi-Fi booster or run Ethernet to a second Wi-Fi router (or the mesh option listed above). If your house is long or large, there are lots of options beyond the scope of this guide.
Think of your internet connection as a pipe full of water. There's 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 might not be enough "water" to go around. Everyone will have issues.
That said, moving some devices to wired instead of wireless might help that aspect of your overall home network performance. You might also try downloading your favorite shows and movies to devices such as phones and tablets to watch around the house when a balky internet connection precludes streaming.
An internet speed tester like Speedtest or Netflix's Fast.com can give you an idea of what you're dealing with 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, test again and see how it affects the signal.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of things like cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
Can you connect your Mac to a different network to help rule out the issue being related to your network connection? This would be trying an Ethernet connection if available, or just a different Wi-Fi network connection: Connect to the internet with your Mac
My observation is that the Video Quality seems to dip in and out and at one time I thought it was the network. Running the Activity Monitor and watching Safari network activity and throughput suggested that every time the video deteriorates the network went slow - not the network but Mac's access. I thought I'd found it by removing a PROXIE setting and selecting Auto Proxy Discovery. Then, instead of allowing the Location to be Automatic - set up a new location with NO customisation. Every try improved the time between quality going from "Good to Best" (Amazon video definition).
But, it still seemed to happen - on all browsers, Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Safari. So it must be my MAC - where next? Well, watching Amazon Sport using a Private browser Window seemed to be the answer. What is loading and causing Safari to loose video quality? It's not the few extensions (switched off-even uninstalled) - it's not WiFi (used Ethernet connection the router) but, Private browsing fixes the problem - why? Don't know.
It's true unfortunately, I'm afraid I was too premature in reporting the workaround. I also had big hopes when I found that >Preferences >battery >Battery >uncheck "Optimise video streaming while on battery". Unfortunately, all these things seem to improved the time between video quality degrading episodes, but they don't fix the problem permanently.
Problem is, that for me, Safari is the browser I prefer and I want it to work. I'm sure that I have observed this HD degrade in Brave, FireFox and Chrome - so maybe we should be concentrating on the MAC. Why I say that is; "sometimes" when selecting a web video to play, the target tab turns black and there is no activity - if you then HotKey "option + Command + E" - you may need to have activated the Develop Menu is Safari Preferences (last item on the Advanced Tab), then as soon as the cache files are cleared the busy ring starts running and the video loads. May be a helpful clue?
yea this is nuts. even since jobs left us ,apple is screwing the pooch waaay too often . and i wish people would stop giving instructions to re-configure the entire setup or change an app or some crazy thing.
if my computer was streaming a particular site and now i installed an update /new mac os and now a particular thing isnt working . its a crap written codec . lets just get it fixed OR explain the setting that some apple clown added and turned ON instead of leaving it off for default .
I for one don't think that investigating ways to "work around" this, is in any way an attempt to fix it. But our experiences may be helpful to others. Finding a clue that could lead those, who do code Safari, to a code interaction with the OS that is causing the symptom we see. By the way, I've yet to hear anyone complain of Safari's video performance on iOS. To that end, I've added AddBlocker and other extensions I use in macOS and have tested them in iOS extensively without finding this "fuzzy streaming"
I've found that Apple have gained my trust and respect through the years. I wonder if you have ever worked in the "guts" of any complex IT environment? I've worked in IT since the '60's and swapped from an IBM PC (although I worked for them for 25years) to the Apple 1 in the late 70's - nothing ever released in IT is perfect and even if it is, there is no way it can be seen to be when it is added into a constellation of other software. The interaction between the 5 Apple products I use, is simply amazing and magical (defined by an awesome wonder on how they work). That some of these reactions may be broken or less that reliable is simply a given - that there are so few to complain about is a testament to;
I divided my WiFi channels between 2.4Ghz and 5Hhz on the router, as I had some of my "stuff" which could connect to the 5G WiFi and some could ONLY to the 2.4Ghz - mainly an old iPhone and a Google ChromeCast - they wouldn't even "find" the available 5G network. It seemed logical to me but then a tech at my broadband provider found this;
Effectively, doing this allows the router to "serve" both 2.4 and 5 Ghz devices when they connect to that one WiFi network. Switch off the (second channel) 5Ghz network and you'll find your old devices still connecting at their limit and the newer ones at the higher speed. (You may have to provide a password for them to do this)
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