Why Does The DirecTV Stream Keep Buffering?

By Trae Jacobs,

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If you have DirecTV, you are probably already enjoying all the amazing features it has to offer such as direct streaming of TV, movies, and games, and maybe have even connected one of the industries many devices to have access to almost every entertainment option there is! But if your DirecTV is constantly buffering, you will probably want to know why, and more importantly, how to fix it!

Your DirecTV may be buffering for several reasons:

Problems connecting to your network.
Slow broadband speed.
DirecTV needs to be updated.
Insufficient bandwidth.

To learn a little more about why these problems may be occurring and how to fix them, keep reading! We have everything you need to know about why DirecTV steam keeps buffering, how to find out which problem you are facing, and of course, how to solve it.

Why Does the DirecTV Stream Keep Buffering?

The first step in solving your buffering problem is figuring out why the issue is occurring. It’s important to know that it is normal for DirecTV to buffer every once and a while, but if it is happening more than you would like, it can get pretty frustrating.

As we have learned, there are essentially four main reasons why your DirecTV may be consistently buffering:

Problems connecting to your network.
Slow broadband speed.
DirecTV needs to be updated.
Insufficient bandwidth.

So let’s break them down so you can find out which problem you are facing.

Problems Connecting to your Network

These days, almost every device is a smart device, which means that it needs to connect to a wireless network in order for you to enjoy all of its amazing features.

If your DirecTV is having trouble connecting or staying connected to your home WiFi network, it will certainly cause several problems, including continuous buffering.

You can easily find out if network connectivity is your problem, just follow these simple steps:

Press the MENU button on your television or DirecTV remote.
Select SETTINGS & HELP.
Click NETWORK SET UP.
Select TEST CONNECTION.

Your TV will then let you know if your DirecTV is successfully connected to your wireless network. If it is a connection problem, don’t worry, we are going to find out how to fix the issue right now.

First, you need to ensure it is a problem with the internet itself, not your TV. You can use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, sit near the television and try to connect to the network.

If it works perfectly, it’s actually your DirecTV that is having trouble and you will need to disconnect from the network on the television, restart the TV, and try to connect again.

If connecting your other device does not work, it is a problem with your network. We recommend restarting your router by unplugging it for several minutes before plugging it back in and trying again.

Unfortunately, if that does not work, you will need to reach out to your ISP (internet service provider) and see if they can fix the problem.

Slow Broadband Speed

While a slow broadband speed is also an internet connection problem, it’s not necessarily one you can fix yourself.

If it seems like your home wireless network is not working fast enough on any of your connectable devices, it is most likely because your broadband speed is too low for what you are asking your network to do, i.e. you have too many devices streaming or connected.

In order to solve this problem, you will certainly need to contact your ISP and you may need to update your wireless internet package to be able to handle your many smart devices.

DirecTV Needs to Be Updated

As with most streaming devices, DirecTV occasionally needs to be updated. If you keep putting off your update when it pops up on your TV, you are not alone!

But if your DirecTV is constantly buffering, you should probably check in the settings to see if there are any updates available.

Running an update may just fix your problem in seconds!

Insufficient Bandwidth

Although we are quite accustomed to our WiFi working flawlessly for all of our various devices, just as you can not have sufficient broadband speed, you can also be lacking in bandwidth.

Bandwidth is the amount of signal your WiFi can be transmitting at any one time, and you just may not have enough for all your devices.

While it’s fairly challenging to figure out if this is your problem on your own, your ISP support center will be able to tell you if you need to invest in an internet package with more bandwidth.