A look focused specifically on buffering — the real bandwidth maths, why Wi-Fi is usually the real culprit, and the player setting most guides ignore.
These figures are per stream. Two 4K screens running at the same time need double the 4K figure, not the same total.
Your plan’s advertised speed and the speed actually available are not the same thing when other devices, background downloads or the rest of the household are competing for it. Run a speed test on the exact device you watch on, at the time you usually watch.
A fast internet plan doesn’t help if the signal reaching your streaming device is weak. Walls, distance and interference from other 2.4 GHz devices (microwaves, other routers) degrade Wi-Fi in ways a speed test next to the router won’t show you.
Routers tucked away in cupboards, behind TVs or on the floor lose a considerable amount of range. A router placed centrally, up high and away from other electronics performs noticeably better for every device in the home, not just the streaming ones.
Some internet providers slow down streaming-type traffic at peak times, whatever speed your plan offers. It shows up as consistent buffering every evening at the same time, even when a speed test looks fine.
Most IPTV player apps let you manually increase the buffer size in the advanced settings, trading a slightly longer initial load for far less stuttering during the stream on a borderline connection — worth adjusting if switching to a wired connection isn’t an option.
Also getting freezes, black screens or app crashes, not just buffering? See our full troubleshooting guide, organised by symptom and by device.
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