About Starlink Buffering, Starlink Internet offers speeds fast enough to allow for video streaming and gaming.
However, you may notice a few buffering or lags shown by a spinning circle on the screen. Buffering occurs when there are slow connections or poor signals from satellites.
Starlink experiences buffering regularly. If your internet is slow, you’ll have difficulty watching your favorite show.
This article highlights why Starlink buffering occurs and how to solve the issues.
What is Buffering?
Although most people associate buffering with the spinning circle on the screen, its real definition is something else.
Buffering occurs in any streaming platform or player that shows videos online.
During play, small segments of the video preload behind the scenes so that the viewer can have a smooth watching experience.
This process of preloading video segments is what we call a “buffer.” Buffering is supposed to happen constantly, and with a steady connection, you shouldn’t be able to notice it.
Without the buffering technology, we couldn’t watch videos in a smooth, continuous frame like offline videos.
What Causes Starlink Speeds To Slow Down?
Slow internet connection depicted by snail
Starlink rarely shows buffering issues; when it does, your internet connection is likely too slow.
The data required to buffer the video is insufficient to guarantee a smooth viewing process.
The severity of buffering depends on the internet speed and the video you’re watching.
At certain internet speeds, you can watch a video in 720p resolution, but it may start buffering when switched to 4K resolution.
The difference is that each resolution requires a certain amount of preloaded data to offer seamless viewing.
However, slow internet is the major cause of buffering and can cause inconsistent browsing or video streaming.
Tips To Increase Stalrink Speed
There are many ways to restore your internet connection and increase browsing speeds. Let’s look at some major tips to help you increase your Starlink speeds and avoid buffering.
Check The Internet Speed
Starlink dish illustration
First, you need to confirm if the speeds concur with your package. A normal speed test should help you determine the cause of buffering.
The residential plan has speeds between 20 Mbps and 100 Mbps.
The business plan clocks speeds of 220 Mbps on a good day but sometimes dips below 50 Mbps.
RV users have the lowest speeds of 5 and 50 Mbps and are easily susceptible to buffering in video streams.
Internet slows down during peak hours, and it is common to experience buffers. Browsing from 7 pm onwards is considered peak hours and is mainly caused by congestion.
Use Ethernet Instead Of WiFi
While WiFi offers fast speeds, it is unreliable for a steady connection. The technology often experiences drops in connection due to its wireless Standard.
Switching to ethernet can instantly improve your speeds. Simply connect the ethernet cable to the Starlink router and your device.
It is not the most aesthetic trick, but it works wonders when you need zero buffering speeds.
The older Starlink models have an ethernet port built into the router, but you’ll have to buy a new adapter if you own one of the second-generation Starlink dishes.
Downgrade the Video Quality
4K video resolution logo
It is easy to watch lower-quality videos even at slow speeds. Starlink internet plans generally allow video streaming, but when you use a high resolution, all the data is gobbled up on buffering.
The video may show, but the overall internet connection will be slow on other devices.
So, if you want to avoid it, simply downgrade to lower resolutions like 1080p or 720p, depending on which you’re most comfortable.
Most streaming platforms like Netflix will have the option to reduce video resolution.
Disconnect Other Devices
Too many devices on your WiFi connection will hog the bandwidth and cause buffering. Disconnecting some of these devices will free up some data for video streaming.
Try to remove unwanted devices or any device that may be using a lot of internet and see if the buffering stops.
Invest In Mesh Nodes
Sometimes, the issue could be that there isn’t enough signal in your house to provide optimal speeds.
You can confirm this by using ethernet connections and checking if the speeds are higher than WiFi.
Mesh node networks solve the coverage issue as you can enjoy the same speeds from a considerable distance from the router.
Clear History and Close Unwanted Programs
Detective looking at the search bar
Having many programs running on your computer may cause buffering. Ensure you close any app you no longer need and turn off programs that use the background internet.
Your computer may be downloading updates or updating every app on the system. Such instances cause slow video streaming.
Pause The Video
Another tip we learned from dealing with slow internet is to pause the video for a few moments, then play.
It gives the app enough time to buffer a few minutes ahead of the video so that you can watch without any glitches.
It’s one of the ingenious fixes that can solve most of your streaming issues.
Upgrade your Starlink Router
The Starlink router needs consistent maintenance. Some small bugs may slow down internet speeds.
For a great streaming experience, upgrade your router’s firmware and check if it works.
Upgrading is a great option when both wired and wireless connections are slow. You can also hard reset the router if upgrading does not work.
Change The Streaming App
If you’re using a streaming app and the video starts buffering, it could be an issue with the app, not Starlink.
Most services have bugs on the apps and require regular updates to avoid buffering.
Depending on the device, you can use a web browser to stream instead of using the app. For instance, Netflix is compatible with Chrome, Edge, and Safari browsers, and you can use Chrome to stream movies instead of the app.
Conclusion
Starlink buffering can be very disappointing, especially during live streams or videos. We hope this article has enough tips to ensure your videos run smoothly.
However, if all the steps above fail to restore the buffering situation, contact Starlink customer support staff. They will give a better insight on how to restore connection and advise accordingly.