Nowadays, streaming and gaming have really formed the core for entertainment in most homes. With advances in several devices connecting to the internet, the optimization of home networks has become one of the key ways to ensure smoothness in performance. Really, sluggish buffering time, lagging connections, or just complete disconnections bring down one’s spirits. Here are a few strategies that will improve streaming and gaming performance.
Measure Your Internet Speed
First, find out at what speed you currently access the internet. You can make use of any of the online internet speed test methods to find out your upload and download speeds. Most streaming services recommend a minimum speed of 25 Mbps for HD content; if you want 4K streaming, then you will have to employ higher speeds. That’s when you need to call your service provider if the readings are significantly different from what you pay for. Lastly, in case there are several users in your household who continuously stream and game at the same time, it is a good idea to upgrade your plan of action with more speed.
Pick the Right Router
The type of router you use has a lot to do with the performance of your network. You can really amp up your home internet with a good investment in a dual-band or tri-band router. In other words, they contain both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. You could segregate these according to usage of devices. While the 2.4GHz band offers greater range, the 5GHz band sports quicker speeds for streaming and gaming. And for those on better budgets, tri-band routers are also available that dole out even more bandwidth to a number of devices.
Position Your Router Strategically
Where you actually place your router can make or break the performance of your network. Your router should ideally sit in the middle of your house and away from walls and other objects that may block the signal. You can also try mounting the router on a high shelf for better coverage. Also, keep your router away from other devices that interfere with its signal, like microwaves and cordless phones. Position the antennas of your router to allow for maximum spread of its signal.
Give Extra Attention to QoS settings
A number of newer routers boast Quality of Service settings that let you prioritize bandwidth to a specific device or application. You can fill in the settings of your router and give higher priority to the devices you use for gaming or streaming-so that they get better bandwidth required for smooth functioning. This is quite helpful in the case when you have a number of users on the same Wi-Fi, as that causes buffering or lagging due to bandwidth competition.
Limit Background Applications
The background applications from the devices connected to your network consume bandwidth, and streaming or gaming may be slow. You will achieve better performance if you turn off the applications you do not use and devices not in use. These include file-sharing applications, auto-updates, and multiple-device streaming for some services. Limiting the number of active connections frees up the bandwidth for your gaming console or streamer.
Consider Wired Connection
While Wi-Fi might be quite convenient, the actual physical connection through Ethernet offers so much better stability and often a faster connection for gamers and streamers alike. If at all possible, try hooking your gaming console or streaming device directly to the router with an Ethernet cable. That would make sure latency is minimal and provide much more reliability in the connection, which is quite critical in competitive gaming and high-definition streaming.
Monitor Your Network Regularly
This will also provide insight into the issues before they blow out of proportion by checking your network on a regular basis. Management tools in the networks allow you to see real-time device use, real-time signal strength, and bandwidth consumption. This will let you be proactive in managing your network-when you see where the need for change is, you can make one, so your streaming or gaming doesn’t get spoiled.
Applying them means you are going to give yourself the best home network for streaming and gaming. This will provide quite smooth and enjoyable streaming and online gaming for you and your family later.
