Streaming Troubleshooting – Are You Getting The Signal?

There are many things that can impact your streaming experience like:

• The environment of your streaming device.
• Your internet plan.
• The type of connection you use to access the internet (Wired or Wi-Fi).
• The location and environment of the modem.

You will find some simple solutions on how you can improve your streaming experience below.

Electronics Near Your Streaming Device

Electronics emit electromagnetic interference. The more electronics, the more interference. If your streaming device is near a group of electronics, the interference may impede the wireless connection and negatively impact your streaming experience. Speaker systems are big source of interference because of the magnet.

Recommendation: Move any electronics near your streaming device at least 2-3 feet away, especially speakers. You reduce the risk of seeing loss of speed, connection loss, freezing, and drop in resolution.

Your Internet Plan

The internet plan you are subscribed to is key when streaming. An average video stream is around 6Mbps for HD. We recommend an internet plan of 6Mbps for 1 HD stream. The more streams in use, the more bandwidth you will need. Depending on the size of your household, how many devices are connected, and how much bandwidth each device is using will determine what plan you should subscribe to. If you do not have the right plan (speed), your overall internet experience will be poor.

Recommendation:  If you have multiple streaming devices, consider upgrading your internet plan. If upgrading is not an option, you can improve your streaming experience by reducing the number of devices connected. You can also improve your stream by testing different wireless channels.

Note: Ultra 4K Resolution require a minimum plan of 24Mbps per stream.

Wired Or Wi-Fi Connection

To get the best speed, use wired. Wired is not as susceptible to interference like Wi-Fi. Environmental inference may cause wireless speeds to drop in half. This means if you have a 12Mbps plan, your Wi-Fi connection may be around 6Mbps. When you add additional devices, the speed drops further.

Recommendation:  Use a wired connection when possible. If wired is not possible, test different wireless channels to see which works best. Run a speed test with one device connected. If your results are near your plan, you are in good shape. Have AT&T Internet service? Check out our 2Wire/Pace or Motorola article to learn how to adjust modem settings. 

Open And Elevated Area

For your streaming device to get the best signal, we recommend having it off the floor and elevated. This will improve reception of the Wi-Fi signal. Check out our Modem Environment for a visual. 

Within range of your modem.

The further away your modem is from your streaming device, the weaker the signal gets. The thickness of the walls and the type of frame can also impact how far the signal can travel. The Wi-Fi meter on a tablet, or smart phone, is good indicator of the Wi-Fi signal. If the bars are low, the signal is weak.

Recommendation: Keep your streaming device within range of the modem. 50 feet is recommended but not the rule. The environment of your home will determine how far the signal can travel.  To improve signal strength, test different channels to see which works best. You can expand distance of the signal by using the 2.4Ghz setting.

Note: 2.4Ghz does get weaker over distance. 5Ghz improves the strength but does not travel as far as 2.4Ghz due to the nature of the signal.

ChrisZ, AT&T Community Specialist