To stream videos and audio on Roku, you need to have the internet connected to Roku. But having just an internet connection on Roku does not work because you also need to have good internet speed. Only with a good internet speed, you can stream videos on Roku. With different network speeds, the quality of the videos you watch will be different. To check the internet speed of Roku, use the following methods.
How to Check Your Network connection?
First, connect your Roku device to the internet and use the following steps to check your internet connection speed.
(1) Press Home on your Roku device, select Settings, and choose Network.
(2) Select Check connection to check Roku’s internet speed.
How to Review Your Network Connection?
(1) Launch your Roku device and press Home on your Roku remote.
(2) Select Settings and choose Network.
(3) Choose About.
If you are using a wireless connection, you need to check the Signal Strength and Internet Download Speed results.
And if you’re using the Roku’s Ethernet Port to connect to a wired connection, then you will only need to check the results of Internet download speed because the Signal strength will not be available for a wired connection.
What Do The Results Mean?
For Signal Strength, you will only see one of the values below
- Excellent: This means the wireless signal is ideal for Streaming.
- Good: This means the wireless signal is strong and suitable for streaming.
- Fair: This means the wireless signal is not that strong but it is still suitable for streaming.
- Poor: This means the wirelless signal is weak and this may cause playback issues or more.
For Internet download Speed, you will see one of the values below
- Good: This means that your internet connection is working properly and without any issues.
- Poor: If your signal strength is other than poor then make sure that there is no other devices connected to your network are streamig or downloading files. You may also cantact your service provider to upgrade your internet connection.
You can also see the bandwidth of your connection in the Internet download speed. If your bandwidth is consistently greater than the values listed below, then you can enjoy a wonderful streaming experience with the specified resolution.
- Standard definition, or SD: Need more than 3Mbps or more
- High definition, or HD: Need more than 5Mbps or more
- 4K Ultra HD, or 4K UHD: Need more than 25Mbps or more
- 8K Ultra HD, or 8K UHD: Need more than 30 Mbps or more
How Do I Change my Streaming Speed on Roku?
If your signal strength or download speed is low and you want to change the resolution in which you watch the videos to a minimum so as to reduce the amount of internet speed required, then you can follow the steps below:
(1) Turn on your Roku device and press Home on your remote.
(2) Go to Settings and select Display type.
(3) Deselect Auto-detect and choose the video resolution you want to stream.
How to Improve Your Internet Speed?
You can improve your internet speed by using the methods below:
Reset your Router and Modem
(1) Unplug the power cable from your router and modem and wait for at least 30 seconds.
(2) Plug the power cable back into your router and modem. If your router or modem is not turning On, press the power button available on your router or modem to turn it back On.
Improve Your Internet Speed by Keeping your Roku and Modem Close to Each Other
If your modem and Roku device are a few rooms away, signal strength or internet download speed can be affected. So, try to keep your modem and Roku close to each other so that you can improve your internet speed.
Conclusion
To stream on Roku without any buffering or other issues, Roku requires minimum internet connection speed to be about 1.5Mbps for Standard definition and 3.0 Mbps for High definition. If you like this article, kindly leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Related: BBC News on Roku
FAQ
(1) Is it possible to check the internet connection speed on Roku?
Yes, you can check the internet connection speed on Roku.
(2) How much bandwidth does Roku use?
In the standard definition, you will use 800MB per hour. In HD, you will use 2 GB per hour. If you choose 4K, you will use about 6GB per hour.
(3) Does Roku use the internet when TV is off?
No, Roku only uses the internet when you are streaming.