4th Generation and legacy Tablo DVRs need to be connected to a quality home Wi-Fi router with consistent internet access to function optimally and avoid slowdowns or buffering during playback.
But how fast does your internet and home network need to be to use Tablo? Keep reading for details.
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WAN vs. LAN
Think of your home network like a small town. It's connected to a busy highway but has many smaller streets.
Your wide area network (WAN) is the highway. Its speed (or bandwidth) is determined by the external internet access that you purchase from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
The advertised speed of internet service packages is based on download speed (traffic coming into your home network) and upload speed (traffic going out of your network).
Your local area network (LAN) is like the streets in your town. The speed of your LAN depends on the specifications and setup of your home Wi-Fi router. If the throughput (or streets) are too narrow or congested on your LAN, traffic will slow to a crawl even if the highway (WAN) is fast.
4th Generation Tablo devices rely on your external internet (WAN) for several things, including:
- Watching and recording free internet-based streaming channels
- Downloading TV Guide Data
- Downloading firmware updates
However, unlike purely internet-based streaming services like Netflix, the speed of your internal home network (LAN) is more important because 4th Generation Tablo devices rely on it for:
- Watching live over-the-air antenna TV
- Watching ALL recordings (from both antenna TV and free internet-based streaming channels)
Even if your external internet access (WAN) is very fast and working well, hidden slowdowns on your local Wi-Fi network (LAN) between your Tablo and your smart TV or streaming device can result in buffering or other errors.
Bandwidth and Tuners
Bandwidth is the amount of information a network can process at one time. It's usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).
Programming you can access through 4th Generation Tablo devices is in high definition quality, which requires an average bandwidth of 10 Mbps per active stream.
However, each Tablo contains TWO or FOUR over-the-air tuners and an additional TWO or FOUR 'virtual' tuners used for internet-based free streaming channels. That means a potential maximum bandwidth of around 40 to 80 Mbps on your home (LAN) network when your Tablo is at capacity.
(Legacy network-connected Tablo devices have the option to adjust the live TV and recording quality, allowing for lower-bandwidth streams for slower networks.)
Network Speed Requirements
4th Generation Tablo DVRs require a bare minimum external internet (WAN) download speed of 40 Mbps. However, households using multiple simultaneous remote streams or other bandwidth-heavy activities will need higher speeds. Gaming and video conferencing typically use under 10 Mbps, though multiple simultaneous activities will increase total demand.
For the average family, the FCC recommends ISP packages with a 100 Mbps download speed. This should provide enough bandwidth for your Tablo and other needs.
When it comes to internal home network (LAN) speeds, a home Wi-Fi router with a minimum throughput of 100 Mbps is required.
Thankfully, Wi-Fi router technology has improved dramatically many affordable Wi-Fi routers support well over 100 Mbps and modern 5 GHz or 6 GHz Wi-Fi can often handle significantly higher throughput.
If you haven't updated your router in the past 5-7 years, switching to a newer model can dramatically improve your experience with all of your internet-connected devices, including Tablo.
When you purchase a router, take a close look at both Ethernet and wireless speed. Both should match or exceed the bandwidth of your external internet service.