How to Stop Buffering When Streaming: Best Ways in 2024

Getting a spinning icon (sometimes called a throbber) in the middle of a screen when you’re enjoying a movie is a loathsome experience. It usually means that the content is buffering, and playback should resume soon. However, buffering sometimes takes longer than expected, resulting in a frustrating streaming experience.

Most streaming services and even internet service providers (ISPs) have to ensure the quality of their service. So, buffering issues can sometimes be caused by a problem on your end. Luckily, there are proven solutions that you can use to achieve a seamless streaming experience. This guide will show you how to stop buffering when streaming.

Let’s get started!

What Is Buffering? A Quick Overview

Most people say buffering happens when video playback suddenly stops and there’s a loading icon. However, the loading icon actually appears when buffering has stopped or failed. You won’t notice any playback interruptions when the buffering process works as intended. So, what exactly is buffering?

Buffering is the process of preloading defined amounts of data into a reserved memory called a buffer. During online streaming, the video application plays the preloaded data while waiting for the next portion of the video to be loaded into the buffer. In theory, this process is seamless and fast and runs in the background for a smooth streaming experience.

You’ll notice buffering has failed if your video starts to load or stops in the middle of playback. Due to buffer memory constraints, buffering only downloads and preloads a small amount of data during streaming sessions. If the entire video were preloaded, it would simply be offline streaming.

What Causes Buffering Problems?

Internet connection issues are the leading cause of buffering problems. But at times, buffering issues can be caused by problems with the playback device. Here’s an overview of what causes delays and problems with buffering.

• Slow internet speed: A slow internet connection often causes buffering issues because it can’t handle speed-intensive tasks like streaming.
• High video quality streaming: Streaming high-resolution content, such as videos in 4K, can result in buffering now and then if your connection speed isn’t up to the task.
• ISP Throttling: ISPs’ practice of throttling aims to reduce your internet connection speeds or bandwidth. Throttling can happen during peak internet usage hours or when you engage in speed-intensive tasks.
• Streaming device issues: Your smart TV or streaming dongle may run out of memory or storage, affecting the amount of data that can be preloaded in the buffer.
• Router/modem configuration issues: If your Wi-Fi modem is too far from your streaming device, you may experience slow internet connection speeds, which can cause buffering. Other network settings may also interfere with your ability to achieve maximum speed.

How to Stop Video Buffering: 10 Tips to Fix the Issue

Despite the various causes of buffering issues, here are ten proven fixes to solve buffering problems. These fixes address the issues on your device and how you can configure your internet connection for a smooth streaming experience. Read on.

1. Close Other Programs, Applications, and Browser Tabs

Streaming on your computer is not always problematic because computers have abundant resources such as memory. This is why computers can run many programs at once without performance issues. However, one resource that can hinder you from streaming seamlessly is your internet connection.

With many applications running in the background, there’s a higher chance more apps will hog your internet connection. This is true for apps that use the internet to function correctly, such as update services. Other than apps, browser tabs with active services may consume a significant amount of internet bandwidth.

For a smoother streaming experience on your computer, close all other apps and services that don’t currently need an internet connection.

Buffering problems are more common on other streaming devices that lack adequate resources. For instance, most streaming devices have 1 GB of RAM and about 8 GB of disk space. With just a few apps running, both memory tends to fill up quickly.

To free up memory and improve your streaming experience, you should close running apps and clear app caches. This can be a hassle on many smart TVs and streaming devices. Restarting your device now and then is an easy and quick way to close all open apps. You may also be able to find apps in your device’s app store that can streamline the process of closing apps you’re done using.

2. Disconnect Other Devices from Your Network

Devices on your home network, such as computers, smartphones, and other smart devices, use some of your internet bandwidth even when idle. Other than your own devices, it can be problematic if another internet user has devices connected to your network.

To avoid buffering when streaming, disconnect other devices you’re not using to free up bandwidth. Devices such as computers can be configured not to use the internet when idle.

3. Use a VPN

A VPN is a nifty tool that can help you bypass ISP throttling and recover your internet bandwidth. Most ISPs practice bandwidth throttling during peak hours or when an individual engages in bandwidth-intensive tasks such as downloading or streaming. This throttling benefits other users competing for the same ISP’s bandwidth, especially when the ISP has an inadequate infrastructure.

However, getting a fraction of the service is unfair—you should receive the bandwidth you pay for. ISPs throttle individuals’ bandwidths by monitoring their activities. They can see all your online activities and usually throttle only one or two types of activity.

You need a VPN to hide your online activities and avoid this injustice. A VPN achieves this feat by encrypting your connection. Thus, your ISP won’t know what you’re doing online. They’ll only see that you’re using a VPN. Additionally, a VPN helps you bypass geo-restrictions and access other worldwide services.

However, a VPN can make your buffering problems worse if you don’t have sufficient internet bandwidth. The VPN’s encryption process takes up some of your bandwidth, significantly affecting your internet speeds. Nonetheless, the top VPNs offer a great balance between privacy and speed.

I recommend the three premium VPNs below. They’re all well-rounded, offering the best services that beat buffering issues. They have vast server networks and are compatible with most devices. They also provide unmatched unblocking abilities for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney Plus, HBO, Hulu, YouTube, and other streaming platforms. You can also use these VPNs for other activities, such as torrenting and playing online games. They all come with risk-free money-back guarantees.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN across all criteria. It offers super-fast speeds with proprietary technologies, the most advanced security and privacy features, and a streamlined user experience.

2. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is an excellent VPN with fast specialty servers for various activities, including streaming. It even has proprietary NoSpy servers that prevent third parties from knowing you’re using a VPN. Secure and user-friendly.

3. PIA

PIA offers the most servers of any VPN and allows the most simultaneous device connections. Fast, secure, and user-friendly like the other two VPNs.

4. Configure Your Router to Offer 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Bands

Most modern routers are dual-band. They can transmit internet connections using 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. Fortunately, most internet-enabled devices can also receive internet connections in these two bands. Most routers are configured by default to use the 2.4 GHz band.

The 2.4 GHz band is preferred because it covers a large area and penetrates walls easily. However, it transmits data at lower data rates and is prone to interference, as most appliances and electronics use this frequency. This band is most suitable when devices are far from the router.

The 5 GHz band doesn’t cover a large area or penetrate walls easily. Nonetheless, it transmits data at higher rates and is not severely affected by other electronic interference. This band is most suitable for devices that are near the router. Its higher data rates are appropriate for high-bandwidth activities such as online streaming, videoconferencing, and multiplayer gaming.

Use the 5 GHz band for streaming purposes to maximize your router’s performance and minimize buffering. However, ensure your streaming devices are near the router. The process of setting up the 5 GHz band varies by router, so it’ll best serve you to look up how to do it on your brand and model of router.

5. Use a Wired Ethernet Connection

Wi-Fi is convenient, but to avoid buffering problems, you may need to use a wired connection. An ethernet connection offers faster speeds since it carries a lot of bandwidth and is not prone to interference.

Modern ethernet cables are rated for 10+ Gbps speeds, while older cables provide as little as 1 Gbps or even 100 Mbps. If your ISP offers higher speeds than your ethernet cable can transfer, the cable will limit the speed your device receives. In that case, you should consider upgrading to a newer ethernet cable. See this article for a succinct breakdown of which ethernet cable is right for you. Remember to get an ethernet cable long enough to reach from the ethernet port on your wall to your streaming device.

Nowadays, most smart TVs and streaming devices have a built-in ethernet port. However, you’d need to buy a USB ethernet adapter for streaming devices without one. I recommend trying the other solutions in this guide before purchasing specialized equipment.

6. Reduce Streaming Video Quality

As a rule of thumb, the higher the resolution, the bigger the video file. Thus, you will likely experience buffering failure when streaming in higher resolutions with a slower internet connection. Streaming in a lower resolution is a quick fix to stop buffering failure.

Most streaming services, such as Netflix and YouTube, use Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR) to deliver content. ABR detects your device’s network bandwidth and processing capabilities and decides on the best video quality for streaming. Sometimes, ABR fails, and you might experience buffering problems.

Thus, it’s a good idea to stream in a lower resolution to avoid buffering delays. Most streaming services offer a setting to change your video quality. Usually, those settings are auto, high (meaning 4K or FHD/1080p), medium (meaning HD/720p), and low (meaning SD/480p). If you’re streaming on a smaller screen, like your smartphone, you can probably use HD (720p) quality instead of higher resolutions without a noticeable difference.

7. Pause the Stream for a Few Moments

On a slower internet connection, it takes time for the buffer to be preloaded with enough data, which results in frequent buffering every few seconds. To enjoy a seamless streaming session, pause your stream for a few seconds. This ensures the buffer has adequate data that the video player can stream without interruptions.

This method works especially well if you’re streaming TV episodes (smaller files) on a lower resolution.

8. Update, Restart, or Optimize Your Streaming Devices, Streaming Apps, and Router

You might experience intermittent buffering due to unforeseen hard-to-troubleshoot issues with your devices or streaming apps. The solution to these issues may be to perform a restart. Restarting your devices or streaming apps purges corrupt and problematic files that might cause streaming problems.

Unplugging your streaming devices and router for about 10 seconds before plugging them in again is recommended. For your apps, force-stop them and clear caches or cookies if you use a browser for streaming. You can also check for updates if you aren’t set to receive automatic updates.

For optimization, proceed as follows:

• Configure your streaming device or router to use Cloud Flare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) DNS servers. These public DNS servers offer a faster lookup service than your default ISP DNS servers. Don’t configure these DNS settings if you use a smart DNS to bypass geo-restrictions. Look up a guide on changing your DNS server to one of the two I mentioned so you can easily make these changes.
• Turn off hardware acceleration or leave the setting on auto. Most video players allow your device to decode videos using software or hardware capabilities (hardware acceleration). Hardware acceleration is handled by the GPU instead of the CPU. If your device has a weak GPU, you may experience buffering and stuttering issues. You can change hardware acceleration settings on your device and within your browser.
• Check for malware. On desktops, malware can take up a lot of bandwidth that could otherwise be used for streaming seamlessly. Get premium antivirus/antimalware software to keep malware at bay.

9. Download Content and Watch It Later

Instead of streaming your content online, you can download and save it for later viewing. Unlike buffers with limited storage, downloading the content stores it on disk space, which is usually very large. Most smartphones nowadays have a disk space of at least 64 GB, and some have storage capacities of up to an insane 1 TB.

Most streaming services, such as Netflix, allow users to download content. However, not all content is available for download on all streaming services. Additionally, some streaming devices have limited disk space. To avoid downloading problems, you can expand your device’s storage or download the content on a different device that you can cast/mirror to your streaming device.

10. Upgrade Your Internet Connection

If all the above solutions don’t stop your buffering problems, here is your last resort: upgrade your internet connection. Your internet speed dictates your overall streaming experience. Fast internet will have minimal/zero buffering, even with multiple users or devices using the same internet. For streaming purposes, a single user can get by on an internet connection of 20 Mbps (megabits per second).

According to Netflix, here are the recommended internet speeds for streaming various video qualities.

• High-definition (HD), or 720p, video requires a 3Mbps connection.
• Full high definition (FHD), or 1080p, video requires a 5 Mbps connection.
• Ultra-high definition (UHD), or 4K, video requires a 15 Mbps connection.

If you don’t know your connection speed or want to verify you’re getting what you’re paying for, check your internet speed at speedtest.net or fast.com.

For a seamless streaming experience, you may want an internet plan with no data limits. Most internet plans offer 1 TB/month of Wi-Fi data, which will be more than enough for most users. That said, some ISPs, like Google Fiber and Spectrum, offer internet plans with unlimited data.

Bottom Line

Occasionally, you may experience buffering problems when streaming your favorite video content. These problems can arise from your ISP or internet plan, Wi-Fi or ethernet hardware, streaming device issues, or even streaming service.

Fortunately, there are various proven solutions. This guide walked you through the best methods to stop buffering problems in 2024, which mainly consisted of managing your bandwidth and troubleshooting your setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Topic: How To Guides, Streaming