This article covers general tips for setting up a fast and stable home Wi-Fi network.
When adding your Tablo to your network, we recommend using an Ethernet connection. If this is not possible, using a Wi-Fi connection is fine, especially using the advice below.
Looking for instructions on how to set up your Tablo via Wi-Fi?
If you want to stream high-quality video without the annoyance of pauses, slowdowns or buffering, it's critical to have a fast, high-quality home Wi-Fi network. Keep reading for tips on how you can ensure your home network is ready for streaming.
Table of Contents
- Use Your Own Router
- Use the Latest Router Technology
- Find the Best Place for Your Router
- Ensure You Have Good Coverage
- Adjust the Antennas
- Choose the Right Channel
- Avoid Interference from Other Appliances
- Check the Wi-Fi on Your Streaming Devices and Smart TVs
- Enable Security
- About Mesh Networks
- When You Can, Use Ethernet
Use Your Own Router
If you rent your router from your internet service provider, the technology is likely older and slower. Devices that combine routers and modems also offer poor Wi-Fi coverage, often leaving 'dead zones' where an adequate Wi-Fi signal doesn't reach.
Additionally, with rental fees averaging $10-$15 per month, it's often more cost-effective to buy your router. Make sure to check with your ISP before choosing a new router, as they may specify which ones are compatible.
Your router's throughput speed should match or exceed the internet speed you pay for from your ISP. For example, if your internet service has a maximum download speed of 300 Mbps, you should purchase a router at least that fast.
If your ISP requires you use one of their routers, but you still want more control over your home network, you can sometimes enable a wireless bridge mode between the two devices.
Use the Latest Router Technology
Router technology has come a long way in the last few years. Newer routers will offer upgraded internal components and stronger external antennas, which can increase performance and range.
Make sure yours runs either the 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) or the newer 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) standard, both of which are designed to handle the speeds required for video streaming. All newer routers can transmit data over both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequencies, something called 'dual band'. More on that later.
If you already have a newer router, check periodically for firmware updates to keep it secure and running at top performance.
Newer routers have an auto W-Fi optimization feature. If yours has this, it's a good idea to run it about once a month to ensure your settings remain keyed to work with the wireless traffic in your immediate vicinity. That way, if a neighbor floods the channel your router is using with noise, your Wi-Fi optimization will switch your router to a less congested one.
Find the Best Place for Your Router
While most Wi-Fi routers won’t win any awards for being beautiful, you should resist the urge to hide it away. To get the best performance from your router, it should be as high as possible in a central location in your house, away from obstructions.
Proper placement should help ensure that there are no locations in your home where the Wi-Fi signal is too weak or doesn't reach at all.
Ensure You Have Good Coverage
It can be difficult to ensure a strong Wi-Fi signal reaches every room in your home if it is:
- Very large (more than 2,500 square feet)
- Very tall (spread out across 3 or more floors)
- Has interior walls made of brick, glass, concrete or metal
If you suspect you have Wi-Fi 'dead zones' in your home, download a free tool called InSSIDer on your laptop and bring it to that area. -30 dBM is a perfect signal, -50 dBM is good, and anything under -60 dBM is not fit for video streaming.
If you're having particular trouble with buffering video on devices in far-flung corners of your home, like the basement or garage, newer mesh-style network routers can help. However, they come with their own problems. More on that later.
Adjust the Antennas
If you think all of your router’s antennas should be pointing up for the best reception, think again. According to those in the know, it’s actually best to have one pointing up and the other pointing horizontally as the Wi-Fi antennas on your devices, like your smartphone or streaming stick, can have differing orientations.
Choose the Right Channel
If you live in an urban environment, there are likely multiple Wi-Fi signals competing for space on the popular 2.4 GHz frequency, which can cause interference. You can combat this by choosing a different 2.4 GHz channel on your router or moving some of your devices to the less crowded 5 GHz spectrum.
The free tool called InSSIDer can show you which channels are the most crowded in your area.
For more details, see here.
Avoid Interference from Other Appliances
Another reason to take a close look at your router’s channel and frequency settings is that common household appliances can interfere with the 2.4 GHz frequency. For this reason, your router shouldn't be located near items like microwaves, baby monitors, cordless phones or wireless headphones.
Check the Wi-Fi on Your Streaming Devices and Smart TVs
If you frequently experience video slowdowns on one particular television, it could be due to a weak Wi-Fi connection. It's easy to check because most streaming TV devices and smart TVs display the current Wi-Fi signal strength in their settings menu.
Older 'stick-style' streaming TV devices can be particularly susceptible to this issue because of the combination of slower, lower-quality Wi-Fi technology and being hidden behind your television. If updating to a newer streaming stick isn't possible, adding an HDMI extender to allow the stick to peek out from behind your TV can help.
Enable Security
If your Wi-Fi password is something simple like ‘1234’, your neighbor (or someone even more unsavory) might be able to link to your network and steal your bandwidth. Make sure to change your router's default credentials and edit the network name from the standard (like Linksys) to something new that doesn’t identify you (IE, 'Sparrowhawk', 'Sunrise', 'Juniper', etc.)
About Mesh Networks
Mesh network routers have multiple wireless hubs that share the same SSID, aka network name. This allows your internet-connected devices to seamlessly jump between access points if the Wi-Fi signal degrades or as the device moves through your home.
While this ability is great for surfing the web on your tablet as you wander between your kitchen and your bedroom, if your streaming TV device is frequently hopping between hubs, it can cause video streams to pause and buffer.
To reduce this risk, connect your Tablo, smart TV, or streaming device directly to one of the mesh network's hubs via Ethernet. If a direct connection isn't possible, place the Tablo and/or streaming device about a foot away from the nearest hub. Placing a gadget any closer to a wireless access point or router risks creating interference between the devices.
When You Can, Use Ethernet
While you can do a lot of things to improve your Wi-Fi network, nothing can really beat the speed and stability of a wired Ethernet connection. If you can connect a device like Tablo to your network via Ethernet, do so.