📺 How to Fix Buffering on Laptops and Mobiles When Using Wi-Fi

Lilian

April 11, 2025 14:21

Experiencing buffering while streaming video on your laptop or mobile device? This can often be due to using a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, which is more prone to interference and slower speeds. Switching to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network can significantly improve your streaming experience.

🛠 Step-by-Step Instructions

✅ Step 1: Check What Wi-Fi Band You Are Connected To

On a Laptop (Windows)

Click the Wi-Fi icon in your taskbar.
Click on the connected network.
Select Properties.
Scroll down to find the Network band – it will say either 2.4GHz or 5GHz.

On a Laptop (macOS)

Hold the Option key and click the Wi-Fi icon in the top menu.
Look for the Channel field.
- Channels in the 1–13 range indicate 2.4GHz.
- Channels in the 36–165 range indicate 5GHz.

On a Mobile Device (Android/iOS)

Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the name of the connected network.
If the network name (SSID) includes "5G", you’re likely on 5GHz.
Some Android devices display band info under Wi-Fi details.

✅ Step 2: Switch to the 5GHz Network

Open Wi-Fi Settings on your device.
Look for a Wi-Fi network with a name like YourNetworkName_5G or YourNetworkName-5GHz.
Tap or click to connect.
Enter the password if prompted.

💡 Tip: If your router doesn’t show a separate 5GHz network, log in to your router settings and enable the 5GHz band or split the SSIDs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

✅ Step 3: Forget the 2.4GHz Network (Optional)

This prevents your device from automatically reconnecting to the slower band in the future.

On Laptop/Mobile

Go to Wi-Fi Settings.
Click on the 2.4GHz network.
Choose Forget This Network or Remove.

✅ Step 4: Restart Your Streaming App

After switching to 5GHz, restart your streaming app or refresh the page.
Check for improvement in buffering and video quality.

🚀 Why Use 5GHz Wi-Fi?

Feature	2.4GHz	5GHz
Speed	Lower	Higher
Range	Longer	Shorter
Interference	More (from other devices)	Less
Ideal Use	Basic browsing	HD/4K Streaming, Gaming

⚠️ Note: 5GHz offers better speed but has a shorter range. Try to stay within the same room or one room away from your router for optimal performance.

🧑‍💻 Still Buffering?

Reboot your router.
Close other bandwidth-heavy applications.
Update your device’s software.
Contact your ISP to check if you can increase or improve your internet plan.