why is my roku buffering

When your Roku stream keeps buffering, here are the first steps you should take.

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Why your Roku keeps buffering, and how to set information technology

Frequently, the number i cause of unwanted buffering is a weak or unreliable Wi-Fi connection. Here's what you can exercise to improve your Wi-Fi:

Improve your Wi-Fi connectedness

The first thing you should exercise is bank check your signal strength to run across if the Roku is connecting properly.

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First, you'll want to check your Roku'south Wi-Fi signal strength.

Using your Roku remote, select "Settings," then "Network," and choose "About." Wait for your bespeak strength – if information technology'south listed as Fair or Poor, you should try some of the suggestions below to ameliorate the signal.

ane. Move the Wi-Fi router closer to the Roku. If the router is far away, or blocked past an object in some fashion, your Wi-Fi speed can be seriously compromised.

two. Reduce the use of other devices on the network. Check to run across if other devices — streaming players, computers, or gaming systems — are also online at the same time. You may need to limit those other devices to give the Roku more of your network bandwidth.

3. Upgrade or replace your router. If your router is several years former, it might non exist up to the task. The router's software might also be out of date. If possible, update the router'due south firmware, or replace information technology with a newer model that supports a high-speed 5GHz network. You may desire to consider Google's Wi-Fi router, or this Linksys router for larger homes.

Restart your Roku

Depending on which Roku device you accept, there are unlike ways to restart it.

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Of grade, any time you encounter an unexpected problem with a device like your Roku, "rebooting" information technology can help eliminate temporary glitches.

Completely power off the Roku and restart information technology to come across if that eliminates the buffering problems. For tips on how to do this for different Roku models, bank check out our article "How to plough off any Roku device."

Manually override the Roku bitrate

Manually adjusting the maximum bitrate may, in some situations, ameliorate your buffering.

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Nigh of the time, your Roku automatically (and correctly) chooses the right bitrate for video streaming based on your network speed.

 In some rare situations, though, yous tin can improve playback by manually overriding this setting – so if y'all take tried everything else, give this a try equally well.

one. Using the Roku remote, press the post-obit sequence of buttons to get to a subconscious settings screen: Printing Home five times, press reverse scan three times, and then press forward scan twice.

2. Y'all'll now see the Fleck Rate Override screen. Select "Manual pick."

3. Choose a lower bitrate and then exam your Roku to encounter if that has solved your buffering problem.

If none of these fixes work, you may want to contact Roku or your internet service provider to become further aid with your buffering issues.

Related coverage from How To Practice Everything: Tech:

• How to become Disney Plus on your Roku device, and lookout man Disney'south new streaming service with a free seven-mean solar day trial

• How to mirror your Samsung Galaxy S10's screen onto a Roku histrion for presentations, gaming, and more than

• 'Does Roku accept Spotify?': How to download and stream Spotify on your Roku device

• How to add the YouTube TV app to your Roku player and watch over 70 live television channels

• How to connect your Roku device to Google Assistant to control your Roku with phonation commands

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative globe of scientific discipline fiction into modern-mean solar day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before inbound the Air Strength to operate satellites, teach infinite operations, and exercise space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content pb on the Windows squad at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's as well a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than ii dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC Globe, How To Geek, and Insider.

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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/why-does-my-roku-keep-buffering

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