Hi All, 

Winter is here, and with that comes plenty of evenings to catch up on your favorite shows! With that in mind though, with everyone mostly doing the same thing at the same time on Freeview OnDemand, Netflix, Lightbox or YouTube you may come across something called "Buffering" its when a video stream pauses momentarily to allow content to load to your device, it becomes a nightmare if it happens all of the time. 

Those with poor internet connections will encounter this issue more than those with a reliable solid connection, most of the time poor internet connections are usually caused with Hardware and how your internet is set up at home, below I have some tips and tricks to troubleshoot any issues with your internet so you can do more on what you love like watch a great show on TVNZ using Freeview On Demand! 

• WHERE IS YOUR MODEM LOCATED? Modem location is key, as it broadcasts signals which allow your devices to connect to the internet, just like with any transmitter and especially mobile reception, location of your modem is important. A modem positioned central to the house will provide wide coverage in a standard household whilst a modem in the upstairs room or a study at one end of the house will be affected by distance and walls which block signals to your devices especially a smart tv.
  
  If you are limited in where to put your modem (Due to the location of the jackpoint or Fibre ONT) then you can purchase network accessories which can deliver solid connections throughout your home without relocating your modem or jackpoint, these systems are called "Mesh" or "Extender" Devices and can be brought from your local electronics retailer have a chat to the staff. 
  
  
• YOUR MODEM IS OLD This is usually the case if your modem is more than 5-6 years old, modems last a short time due to the technology evolving over time, a modem obtained in 2009 won't have the power or the same compatibility as a modem received in 2018/19. You can talk to your Internet Service Provider about getting a new modem, they may charge you one or may arrange something else for you, alternatively you can buy your own at trusted network / electronic retailer.
  
  
• USE A WIRED CONNECTION RATHER THAN WIFI, I personally have my router near my TV as the TV is centrally located in my home, that way I can connect all my devices like my Apple TV, Smart TV and computer using a wired ethernet cable than WIFI, because signals are a shorter distance it eliminates wireless interference and congestion when you try and stream shows, 
  
  
• YOU COULD BE ON A BAD INTERNET CONNECTION, This is something you will need to talk to your ISP about, you could be on a older connection for example Ccopper (ADSL) you can see if you can upgrade to UFB (Fibre), Wireless Broadband or even upgrade your current Copper Connection to VDSL ( a part fibre part copper service)You can have a quick check to see what you can get here