How to Increase Netflix Instant Streaming Speed

Netflix requires a lot of bandwidth to stream instant movies and TV online. You need an Internet download speed of about 1.5 megabit per second (Mbps) to stream in standard definition and 5 Mbps to stream in HD. If you're having problems with streaming, troubleshooting your Internet connection can help. While it won't let you stream instant Netflix in HD on a 2 Mbps connection, freeing up some bandwidth can prevent problems with streaming quality.

Shut Down Bandwidth Hogs

If you have other computers or Internet-connected devices turned on, they may be taking up valuable bandwidth that Netflix streaming needs. You must shut these programs and devices down to free up the bandwidth that they're using.

In Windows, press CTRL, ALT and DEL simultaneously to start Task Manager. In Windows Vista and 7, click "Resource Monitor" to view your network traffic. Expand the "Network" section at the bottom of the monitor. The processes that are using the most network resources will appear in the list.

Windows XP doesn't have the Resource Monitor like Vista and 7. However, you can check the Applications and Processes tabs to see which programs are using the most system resources. You can also use a third party network bandwidth monitor such as Rokario Software's Free Bandwidth Monitor to see how much traffic is passing through your network adapter. Check the active processes you find in Task Manager on the Uniblue System Process Library to see which ones typically eat up bandwidth.

Shut down all programs that are using large quantities of bandwidth. Also turn off all Internet-connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players, set top boxes, game consoles and computers that aren't currently being used.

Solve IP Address Conflicts

If your Internet connection speed is extremely slow, you may be experiencing an IP address conflict. This occurs when two or more devices on your network are using the same IP address. To solve this problem, you must release and renew your IP addresses on each computer experiencing the conflict. In Windows XP, click "Start," then "Run." In Windows Vista and 7, click the Start button, then click the Start Search box. Type "cmd" and press "Enter." At the command prompt, type ipconfig/release. Press "Enter." Your IP address should now read 0.0.0.0. Then type "ipconfig/renew" and press "Enter" again.

If the problem persists, reboot each device that might be contributing to the problem, including your Netflix ready devices, modem and network router.

Test Your Internet Speed

Testing your Internet download speed will help you determine your available bandwidth for streaming Netflix. There are several free Internet speed tests online that you can use without registering. Make sure to run several tests to see if you're getting consistent bandwidth. You can also add together the results of the download tests, then divide them by the number of tests to get an average download speed. Keep in mind that you usually can't get the full download speed promised by your Internet service provider. However, getting close to the maximum speed is possible. For example, on a 1.5 Mbps Internet connection, a download speed of between 1.2 and 1.3 Mbps is very good. It's also quite sufficient for streaming Netflix instant movies and TV shows at high quality.

For more information, read How to Stream Netflix Movies and TV on an HDTV.

Sources:

"How do I "renew your IP address" to repair my wireless network connection?" Microsoft.com
"How do I find out what programs are accessing my internet connection?" Microsoft.com