Roku Keeps Buffering? What to Check on Your Network and Device First

Read the signal where you're watching

When your show stops to load, we'd read the Roku's connection results before moving anything because they give you a useful comparison for the changes that follow. Roku says buffering, dropped Wi-Fi and weak-signal messages usually point to the wireless connection between your device and router.

Use your remote to open Settings > Network > About and look for Signal strength. The reading will be Poor, Fair, Good or Excellent. Keep a note of the wording so you have the original result to compare with your adjusted setup.

Then select Check connection to test the signal and download speed. Keep both results: they're the two things you'll check again after changing placement. Poor or Fair means your Roku isn't receiving a strong Wi-Fi signal, making the space between the player and router worth your attention.

If pairing is keeping you from using the remote for this check, follow our guide to pairing your Roku remote before returning to the network settings.

Restart the whole connection

Include the modem and router in the restart, along with your Roku. A full restart can resolve connection problems, so it's a useful next check before you rearrange the room. This method uses the devices' power connections, which also gives you a restart option when you can't reach the Roku's settings.

Unplug your Roku device, router and modem, and wait about 15 seconds with all three unplugged. Plug the modem back in first, followed by the router, then the Roku player. Keep that reconnection order as you work through the devices.

Once the Roku is back, try playing your show again. If the loading interruptions continue, use your earlier signal reading to guide the next check: Poor or Fair points toward placement, while competing Wi-Fi activity is another thing you can address.

Give the router and Roku a clearer path

Look at both ends of the wireless link: where the Roku sits and where you've put the router. Their positions matter, so consider which device you can move to bring them closer together. Reducing the distance is one part of improving the path between them.

Also look at what's between those positions. Choose a path clear of walls, cabinets and large furniture. For example, a nearer spot that still puts a cabinet between the devices leaves an obstruction to address, so consider distance and the objects in the way together.

Don't place either device inside an enclosed space. Keep the router and Roku out of cabinets when choosing their new positions so the enclosure isn't still obstructing the wireless link.

Try putting both devices higher up, such as on a shelf. If your router has antennas, adjust them in different directions to spread the signal. These give you placement options beyond simply moving the player closer along the same piece of furniture.

Check the router's immediate surroundings as well as the route to the TV. Keep it away from cordless phones, microwaves and baby monitors, which can weaken Wi-Fi. Clearing furniture from the path and separating the router from these devices address different parts of the setup.

A streaming stick can sit behind an obstruction

Look behind the screen if your Roku streaming stick plugs directly into the TV. The television itself can block Wi-Fi, so this arrangement deserves attention even after you've cleared cabinets and other furniture from the route to the router.

For a streaming stick in that position, use the free HDMI extender to move it out from behind the TV. The purpose of this change is to get the stick out from behind an object that can block its wireless signal.

Consider the stick's new position from the router's direction too. You're looking for a clearer wireless path to the Roku, including the last part of that path around the television.

Other screens and downloads share the connection

Look for activity on phones, game consoles and other smart TVs using your Wi-Fi. Large downloads and streaming on those devices can slow your Roku's connection. This check is useful when the basic changes haven't settled the buffering, including when the signal reading is Good or Excellent.

Pause large downloads or streaming on those other devices to free up bandwidth. Try your Roku stream while that activity is paused, and watch whether the repeated loading eases. Keeping the other activity paused during this check lets you assess playback with less demand on the connection.

What if another TV streams fine while your Roku struggles? That stream is still part of the Wi-Fi activity to consider, and the Roku has its own position relative to the router. A working stream elsewhere doesn't establish the Roku's signal quality; use the reading on the Roku and check competing activity.

Low power or random restarts need a power check

Pay attention to a low-power message or a player that randomly restarts. Those symptoms give you a separate device check to make alongside the wireless checks. If your Roku player is powered from the TV's USB port, power it directly from a wall outlet instead.

Use this power-source change for those stated symptoms, and watch whether the warning or random restart returns afterward. If you need to work through the warning in more detail, our guide to Roku low power keeps that check focused on the player's power supply.

Try the connection in another setup

If the connection problem continues, try connecting your Roku device to another TV or a different Wi-Fi network. Your phone's hotspot is one option for trying another network. Note which alternate setup you used and whether the Roku connected there.

Keep the connection result clear in your notes: which TV or network you tried, and whether the connection succeeded. That's the result used to interpret this test, and it gives you something specific to report if you need help checking the connection.

Roku identifies a successful connection in that alternate setup as pointing to your home network setup. If the connection problem remains unresolved after these checks, contact Roku Support or your internet service provider and tell them which alternate setup you tried and whether it connected.

Check the improvement in your viewing position

After moving the router or Roku, return to Settings > Network > Check connection. Compare the signal and download-speed results with the readings you kept before the changes. This gives you a way to judge the new arrangement using the connection that reaches the player.

Look at both parts of the result when assessing placement. The signal reading lets you compare reception, and the download-speed result shows whether that part of the connection improved too. Use those results to assess the position you plan to keep, then return to your show and check whether the loading interruptions have eased.