Everyone wants to enjoy a long night of binge-watching, but being interrupted by endless buffering circles or pixelated video quality ruins everything. While many will blame their internet service provider for this, the truth is that it is not always the ISP’s fault that your streaming marathons are going as expected. Sometimes, it is your WiFi router that is culpable because your router plays a big role in keeping your streaming marathons smooth and uninterrupted, as it controls how efficiently your internet is delivered to your devices.
In the textile world, online learning and digital research have become part of everyday life. Whether you’re streaming a live webinar on sustainable textiles, watching a YouTube tutorial on weaving technology, or attending a virtual textile conference — a stable internet connection matters more than ever.
Learn way to choose the right WiFi router can make the difference between a flawless streaming marathon and a frustrating night of lag. So how can you pick the right router for streaming marathons? Let’s find out.
Match Router Speed to Your Internet Plan
You should start by matching your WiFi router to your internet plan because your router should be powerful enough to handle the internet speed that you are paying for. If your internet plan provides 500 Mbps but your router only supports up to 200 Mbps, you will never be able to enjoy the full speed. This can lead to the network being bottlenecked, and your stream quality can drop or even buffer.
Whenever you go shopping for a router, you should check its maximum supported speed. Make sure that its maximum supported speed exceeds your internet plan so that your router won’t be the weak link, and you can use the full potential of your internet service.
Dual-Band and Tri-Band Support
Streaming can eat up your bandwidth, especially when multiple devices are connected. This is why dual-band and tri-band routers are important. Dual-band routers operate on two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band can be used for general browsing, while the 5 GHz band can be used for faster, interference-free streaming. You can assign your smart TV or laptop to the 5 GHz band for smoother streaming.
Tri-band routers go a step further and add another 5 GHz band. Such routers are perfect for households where multiple people are streaming simultaneously. So make sure that you choose a dual-band or tri-band router so that your streaming stays steady.
Quality of Service (QoS) for Prioritizing Streaming
The Quality of Service (QoS) is a feature that your WiFi router must have because this feature allows you to prioritise internet activities and traffic on your network. Through the QoS feature, you can prioritize streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ on your network to ensure that they get priority and first access to bandwidth on the network. This means smooth streaming, even when other users are gaming, downloading files, or making video calls on the network.
The QoS feature of the router can be accessed through the admin panel or default web address of the router.
Beamforming for Stable Connection
Older WiFi routers used to spread WiFi signals in all directions, which wastes energy and weakens connections. Newer routers these days come with beamforming technology, which directs signals straight towards your device, and this is what you should look for in a router that will ensure smooth streaming marathons.
This feature can make a huge difference for streaming because your smart TV, laptop, or tablet will receive a stronger and more focused connection. With the beamforming feature enabled, you won’t have to worry about sudden quality drops or endless buffering. You can learn more about the beamforming feature from your router’s guide, such as if you own a Tenda router, you can learn about this feature and how to configure it through the Tenda’s guides.
WiFi 6 Support
If you want to future-proof your streaming marathons, you should choose a router with WiFi 6 support because WiFi 6 provides faster speeds for HD and 4K streaming, better efficiency when multiple devices are connected, and reduced latency for seamless and smooth playback. Since all streaming platforms are pushing towards higher-quality formats like 4K HDR and even 8K in the future, choosing a WiFi 6 can ensure that your router can handle high-quality streaming without any interruptions or hiccups.
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
