Electronics

[Jordan2]

@hckynutjohn I  have a router (I rent from Verizon) that sits on a table. 

[hckynutjohn]

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@Jordan2 wrote:

@hckynutjohn I  have a router (I rent from Verizon) that sits on a table. 

@Jordan2 

How does the router connect to Verizon? 

hckynut 🇺🇸

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[gadgetgal613]

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@Jordan2 wrote:

I moved into my one bedroom apartment last June. I have Verizon Fios, and get my internet from them ( cable was too costly). I have HULU Live and have had problems from day one. The router sits in the living room the tv has a Roku Stick. I don't have that many issues with it (I put up with buffering, freezing, and being thrown off line). In my bedroom which isn't far away I have a Fire Stick in the tv and have more problems. I called Verizon yesterday there is nothing wrong with my signal (I have 300 mbps which is supposed to be enough as it is only me on the internet only using one tv and my computer at the same time). I don't have issues watching content that isn't live (could be a problem with live content on HULU Live). Would purchasing a new ROKU stick with claims of long range Wi-Fi perhaps enhance my connection? I have an offer from ROKU for their $50 stick for $35. 

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Sometimes old devices can't take advantage of the higher speeds.  If you check your speed and are getting 300 mbps, there shouldn't be any buffering.  I have Smart TVs but use my Apple TVs to stream only because I have it set up the way I like it and it's easy to use.  The best way to figure this out is to select a show and stream it on every device you own.  Stream it through the Roku, the TV, your computer and phone and see if any of the devices buffers.  If the Roku is the only one with the problem, you may need to update.  Post back with your results. 

[gardenman]

WiFi is a radio signal and anything metal between the router and the device receiving the signal can severely limit the signal strength and quality. Moving the router a bit, horizontally and in some cases vertically, can vastly improve matters. Things like a stove, refrigerator, or metal bookcase between the router and the receiving device can impede things. Doing a speed test is good advice, but the WiFi won't be the full 300 MBPS in most cases. The closer you are to the router the faster the speed should be.

WiFi also transmits on channels and if your WiFi and some nearby neighbors are using the same channels, that can affect your signal also. There's lots of information online on finding and fixing WiFi issues. I have heard of lots of people with good internet having issues with live Hulu. It could be a Hulu issue more than a WiFi issue.

[Jordan2]

@gardenman I think my problems are a result of the HULU app. I don't have trouble with any of my other apps, only when watching live tv on HULU. This is an ongoing problem if others have complained why can't they fix it?

[gardenman]

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@Jordan2 wrote:

@gardenman I think my problems are a result of the HULU app. I don't have trouble with any of my other apps, only when watching live tv on HULU. This is an ongoing problem if others have complained why can't they fix it?

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Why can't they fix it? Time and money. Modern apps typically have several million lines of code. The Twitter app reportedly has ten million lines of code while Facebook's app has sixty-two million lines of code. Hulu probably has over a million lines of code in their app. And those who developed the app and created those lines of code were likely fired after the app was created. Their job was done. When problems pop up, there's typically a very small pool of software engineers left to sort through the code to find and fix the issues. Sorting through a million plus lines of code and trying to figure out if a change here or there will affect something else, is challenging. If there's a fundamental issue with the code you sometimes have to start over and creating a million plus new lines of code takes time and money.

And things get absurdly complicated when you're dealing with the app needing to work across multiple devices (Android, iOS, smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, etc.) Testing an app for every possible configuration can take months or years and with new operating systems coming out on a routine basis, it's a never-ending task. It's not really a surprise an app is glitchy. It's more of a surprise when one works perfectly in every situation. 

[gadgetgal613]

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@Jordan2 wrote:

@gardenman I think my problems are a result of the HULU app. I don't have trouble with any of my other apps, only when watching live tv on HULU. This is an ongoing problem if others have complained why can't they fix it?

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Have you tried to uninstall then reinstall the app?  People now call everything an app but, they really are programs which can get iffy or have problems.  I would look for an update to the app and see if there is an update for your Roku device. 

[Drewps5co0tt]

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@Jordan2 wrote:

I moved into my one bedroom apartment last June. I have Verizon Fios, and get my internet from them ( cable was too costly). I have HULU Live and have had problems from day one. The router sits in the living room the tv has a Roku Stick. I don't have that many issues with it (I put up with buffering, freezing, and being thrown off line). In my bedroom which isn't far away I have a Fire Stick in the tv and have more problems. I called Verizon yesterday there is nothing wrong with my signal (I have 300 mbps which is supposed to be enough as it is only me on the internet only using one tv and my computer at the same time). I don't have issues watching content that isn't live (could be a problem with live content on HULU Live). Would purchasing a new ROKU stick with claims of long range Wi-Fi perhaps enhance my connection? I have an offer from ROKU for their $50 stick for $35. 

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Your problem is not your speed (you have MORE than enough speed to stream...I MEAN WAY MORE than enough)!  Your problem is you are using cheap hardware (anything Amazon, Roku, etc., is a NO-GO).  I suggest you invest in an Apple TV, you'll never look back!

Also, if you're router is not a 5GHz/AC router, I suggest you upgrade to one and make sure your hardware supports Wi-Fi AC, it's super fast (or you could upgrade to the latest Wi-Fi 6 but it's super expensive right now (the routers are anyway).  I have Wi-Fi 5 (AC) and never have any issues streaming.  I dumped cable last year and everything I do in my APT is over the internet now.  I have no issues, and even am subscirbed to a lower speed tier than you have.

[sugar plum]

@Jordan2 

It could be your router. I would suggest purchasing your own router. I never had luck with any router rented from a provider. Plus you'll save money. You can purchase a router from Amazon, Best Buy, etc. TP Link is a good brand but it died last year after 10 years of use. Right now I'm using an Eero from Amazon that I purchased on Prime Day at a good discount.

I have Fios internet only with the same speed. My 2011 LG TV with a 3 year old Roku Ultra is in my bedroom where the router is located. My old Roku streaming stick is in my LR with an even older TV and I have no problems using either.

[Jordan2]

OP here, so I replaced my Amazon Firestick with my second Roku stick. This is my bedroom set which was giving me a lot of problems. So far the Roku stick is working better than the Amazon Firestick did, hopefully I won't have to buy a new set yet.