Wi-Fi is shared, affected by walls and neighbours, and busiest in the evening. These tips are ordered from free to small spends.
Free
- Move the router into the open, up high, away from the TV's metal and from the microwave.
- Connect the TV to 5 GHz. Give the bands different names if the router merges them, so you can choose.
- Change the Wi-Fi channel in the router settings if neighbours crowd it; an analyser app shows the busy ones.
- Restart the router weekly.
- Limit background traffic in the evening: pause cloud backups and game downloads.
Small spends
- Ethernet cable to the TV or box. The best fix.
- Powerline adapters use house wiring when a cable cannot run.
- Mesh Wi-Fi for larger homes, with a node near the TV.
- A stick with better Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) if the TV's own Wi-Fi is weak.
Avoid
Cheap single-band range extenders: they halve speed and add delay.
Questions and answers
Is 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz better for IPTV?
5 GHz, at normal room distances. 2.4 GHz reaches further but is slower and crowded.
Do Wi-Fi extenders help IPTV?
Cheap ones often make it worse. Mesh or powerline is better.
Should I use a cable for IPTV?
Yes, whenever possible. It is the most effective fix.