If you’re streaming NFL games this year, you know how dangerous a slow internet connection is. Nobody wants to be a few seconds behind and miss a crucial last-second touchdown while the neighbors upstairs cheer, especially when They host a TV party at their home.

The fact is, when you’re streaming big events at the same time as everyone else, lag happens. There’s not much you – or your neighbors – can do about this collective baseline lag. If your cheering neighbors upstairs consistently seem to be several seconds ahead of you, that’s a sign that your home network may also be experiencing issues that are slowing down performance.

Read on for quick tips and steps to optimize your internet connection. If you are still having problems with slow streaming speedsyou may need to make some long-term changes, such as Update your Wi-Fi router. Let’s first focus on simple, quick improvements that you can tackle in a few days so you’re ready for the big game.

Take a speed test

The first step to improving your internet connection is to find out what internet speed you are actually getting. I have a sneaking suspicion that many of you aren’t sure what speed you should be getting, so if you’re not sure, check your account online and make sure you know what speed you are paying for.

Next, run a simple internet speed test to see if you can Download and upload speeds You need in the room where your TV is located. The best and most thorough approach is to run multiple tests at different times of the day to get a complete picture of the speed of your connection. Why? Average download and upload speeds vary depending on how busy the network is, so pay attention to such factors when testing.

There are many free Internet speed testsbut the one I use most often is the Ookla speed test. I have the app on my Apple TV and can see the results on my LG TV, but you can also run it in your browser or use a free speed test app on your Android or iOS device.

In our CNET guide to how much internet speed you really needwe recommend at least 25 Mbps for streaming 4K video, per FCC guidelines, so that’s your starting point. Overall, most households will aim for download speeds of at least 100 Mbps if such speeds are available and affordable where you live, especially considering the number of smart devices connected in the home (which we’ll get to in a bit below).

After testing your speeds, compare them to the speeds you pay for. If the numbers are far apart, it might be worth contacting your ISP and finding out if there is something wrong there. If possible, you can even try Negotiate a faster plan for less money than you are paying now. If you have been with your ISP for a while, you may be surprised at the better and cheaper plans that are now available.

Check your layout

Wi-Fi is incredibly convenient, but it can also be to blame for your buffering issues. Simply put, the farther your streaming device is from the modem and router, the lower its Wi-Fi speed will be. If the speed is low enough, you will notice buffering as the streaming device struggles to transmit the video content over the air fast enough to show it to you in real time. For comparison, my colleague at CNET pays for gigabit speeds but didn’t reach those speeds until She optimized her Wi-Fi setup.

I already mentioned that I ran my Ookla speed test from my AppleTV. The reason for this is that my wife and I decided to connect our Apple TV directly to our router using an Ethernet cable. We wanted to use our streaming services — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plusetc. — to achieve the fastest speeds in our house, which would not be possible via WLAN. If possible, a wired Ethernet connection increases the speed of any device you connect it to, such as your TV.

If you can’t connect via an Ethernet cable, the next best thing is to watch the NFL on a device or TV in the same room as your modem and router. The closer the distance between your router and your Wi-Fi streaming device, the better your chances of uninterrupted performance.

Use your router to check your household’s bandwidth usage

If you’re still having problems even though your download speeds seem fine, it might be your router. First, try the oldest trick: turn it off and on again. I know this can be frustrating, especially if you’ve ever asked someone from tech support for help and the first response is, “Have you unplugged it and plugged it back in?”

In fact, sometimes it can be that simple: restarting your router will often reset it and make it work better.

Another aspect to consider is the number of people and devices using your network. We already mentioned that the ideal download speed for streaming 4K video is 25 Mbps, but every device on your network is using bandwidth, making it harder for your TV to consistently use 25 Mbps.

Our homes are now equipped with a variety of networked devices, including Mobile phones, Laptop And Smart TVs. Not to mention Game consoles, Surveillance cameras, Voice assistants, connected speakers/sound systems, intelligent thermostats, Smartwatches and countless others Smart home devices. They all compete for bandwidth.

Take inventory of the smart devices in your household and come to an agreement with your partner, roommate, kids, or whoever else lives in your household about what can be temporarily removed from your network to allow for a less congested network while you try to stream the NFL this year.

So if you have people at home who are not football fans and want some alternative programming, talk to them beforehand and see if you can make a list of shows or films that can be downloaded before the important games. Maybe download a copy of Magical for the kids. Or maybe the non-football fans would like to watch a few episodes of The Last of Us or some classic episodes of The officeWhatever it may be, take the time to get your household on board and download these alternatives early and you can avoid arguments, fights and bandwidth overloads on key match days.

Complete a final checklist

OK, you’ve completed several practice runs. Now it’s time. The NFL football season runs through February 9th and you don’t want to miss a game. It’s time to go over the assignments again to make sure all your efforts weren’t in vain.

Run the speed test again

Those fantastic download speeds you registered a few days ago won’t do you any good if they aren’t enough when you need them most. It’s always wise to check your download speed before checking off other items on your list.

Return to your router and check the bandwidth status

Do you remember your inventory of smart devices? Go through the list and remove them from your network. Even if you have discussed this with the other household members beforehand, take the time to remind them of your plan. For example, you don’t want the kids to deviate from the script and play online Fortnite instead of sticking with the movie you’ve already downloaded. This will make for less stress when it comes to the medals.

Now you can get the best experience possible for your current home decor. You’ve done everything you could, now have fun.