Why Does Spectrum Keep Buffering? 12 Ways To Fix!

One of the distressing thing that happens while streaming the Spectrum app is buffering. Most streamers complain that Spectrum TV keeps buffering, which makes the streaming experience so bad. 

Luckily, some solutions will fix the Spectrum app’s buffering and make it smoother. So let’s discuss all the quick solutions one by one. 

Why Does My Spectrum TV Keep Buffering?

Before addressing solutions, you should know why the Spectrum TV app is buffering or lagging on your streaming devices. 

When your Wi-Fi network has low bandwidth or congestion, the Spectrum app starts to buffer. It requires a stable and fast internet for buffer-free streaming experience. The cache and firmware issues also slow the performance of the Spectrum app. 

Below are some reliable solutions that will get you out of this problem. 

1- Troubleshooting Low Network Bandwidth 

The Spectrum app starts buffering because of a subpar internet connection. 

Usually, when the network bandwidth is low, your streaming device will receive weak Wi-Fi signals, making your streaming experience so wired. 

Whenever many devices are connected to one Wi-Fi network, it impacts the bandwidth and makes it low. In this situation, you must restart the Wi-Fi router to free up the bandwidth. 

How to restart the router?

Unplug the router for 60 seconds, now wait for the next 30 seconds and plug it back.  

After resetting the router, it will remove temporary glitches, free up the bandwidth and make the wifi more stable and fast. 

Now reconnect your streaming device with the network, and enjoy streaming Spectrum TV without buffering. 

Related Post: How To Get Spectrum App On Vizio TV

2- Power Reset Your Streaming Device 

Sometimes, due to software glitches, the Spectrum app starts to buffer. To fix all such temporary glitches and clear the cache, you should power reset your Streaming device. 

Most of us watch Spectrum TV on a smart TV, FireStick or Roku, and the power resetting is same for all these devices.

First, unplug the device from the power outlet for at least 30 seconds, press and hold the power button for 15 seconds, and plug the device back into the switch.  

This simple process will clear the cache buildup, eliminate firmware glitches, and reduce the buffering of the Spectrum app. 

3- Update The Spectrum TV App

You should update the Spectrum TV app on your streaming devices. The outdated streaming app conflicts with the system firmware and starts to buffer. 

That’s why whether you’re watching Spectrum TV on Roku TV, Amazon FireStick, or any smart TV, you should update the app to its latest version. 

4- Uninstall The Spectrum App

If the Spectrum app is still buffering after updating it, you should reinstall it. 

There might be a problem with your account; by reinstalling Spectrum, all of the app caches and data will be clear, and it establish a new connection with Spectrum TV servers. 

Reinstalling the app also reduces data usage and improves the overall performance of the Spectrum TV app. 

Related Post: How To Get Spectrum App On LG TV? 

5- Use Ethernet Connection 

The Ethernet connection will speed up the internet speed, directly improve the performance of Spectrum TV, and reduce buffering. 

Unlike Wi-Fi networks, the Ethernet provides more reliable and stable internet speed. You just required one ethernet cable to establish the connection. 

Similarly, if you have large family and everyone connect to the same Wi-Fi network, the bandwidth will decrease. In such a scenario, the ethernet connection is the best solution for faster internet speed on your streaming devices. 

6- Close The Other Background Running Apps

Every streaming device has limited memory and resources; if a lot of apps are running in the background, they allocate more resources, due to which the streaming apps start buffering. 

That’s why close all the apps running in the background before watching the Spectrum app. This process will free up space in the memory for Spectrum TV and reduce buffering.  

The power reset I mentioned above (in solution # 2) is the best way to deal with background running apps. 

7- Lower The Video Quality 

The Spectrum app requires a stable internet connection for a seamless streaming experience. But if you have unstable internet, lower the video quality for lag-free streaming. 

The content on Spectrum TV is now available in 4k Ultra HD, but this resolution requires faster internet. The Spectrum app will start buffering on 4K resolution if your home’s wifi is slow. 

For the best and smoothest streaming experience, you should switch the video quality to 720P or 1080P; both content resolutions require less internet. Even on a slower internet, you can stream seamlessly. 

8- Disable VPNs

Are you using VPNs? If yes, then you are mistaken because the VPNs are the main cause, due to which Spectrum keeps buffering.

VPNs alter the IP address and align it with other countries; in some regions, the Spectrum app is restricted, so you won’t be able to stream Spectrum TV on VPNs.   

Secondly, the VPNs dull your internet, so the Spectrum starts buffering. 

That’s why I suggest you turn off the VPN before starting streaming in the Spectrum app. 

Related Post: Get Spectrum App On Hisense Smart TV?

9- Update The Firmware Of Streaming Device 

Sometimes, outdated firmware fabricates glitches in the streaming devices, due to which Spectrum keeps a buffer. 

I recommend you to always turn on the auto updates on your devices to prevent them from glitches and bugs. 

Even though most streaming devices like FireStick, Roku, Apple TV, and other Smart TVs automatically update the firmware. But sometimes, the updates fail to install due to an unstable internet connection. 

You should manually search for the new updates on the device, and if any are available, immediately install it. The new updates not only fix the glitches and bugs but also bring new features to your streaming device. 

10- Use 5 GHz Wifi Instead Of 2.4 GHz

One of the prime reasons why Spectrum keeps buffering is the use of low-bandwidth wifi. 

There are two kinds of wifi networks: 5GHz and 2.4GHz. For faster and more stable internet, you should use 5GHz bandwidth. Also, 5GHz performs better in shorter range, nooks or small apartments.   

But if you have a large home or the Wi-Fi router is too far from your streaming device, use 2.4GHz wifi. The 2.4GHz performs better in long-range. 

So, according to your needs, you should pick the best option to avoid buffering of streaming apps. 

11- Check The Uptime Of Server 

Sometimes, there is too much load on the servers of Spectrum TV, due to which it starts buffering. You can also check the uptime of the server of the Spectrum app on DownDetector. 

In case the server is down in your region, the only thing you can do is wait. Spectrum TV has an expert engineer who solves the server issue within a few minutes. 

12- Factory Reset Your Device 

The last and ultimate solution to deal with buffering of the Spectrum app is to factory reset your streaming devices. 

By doing a factory reset, all the data and apps will be deleted from your smart TV. This method brings factory default settings to your device. Factory reset improves the performance and reduces the glitches.  

After doing a factory reset, install the Spectrum app on your device, and I’m sure you won’t face any buffering issues this time. 

Final Wards

The Spectrum app’s buffering is the worst problem; it ruins all the streaming fun. But luckily, there are some fixes you can follow to resolve the buffering of Spectrum TV. 

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