Have you ever been watching a live stream on Twitch, and the video starts buffering? If so, then you know how frustrating a buffering issue can be, the overall effect it has on user experience, and how difficult it can be to stop twitch buffering.
Not only do buffering issues interrupt twitch streams, but they can also slow down other video streaming activities. If your twitch keeps buffering, it is also likely that other apps and programs on your device won’t perform well.
In this blog post, we are going to take a look at some of the most common reasons why Twitch keeps buffering, as well as some tips on how to fix it!
Why Does Twitch Keep Buffering?
Buffering is a common occurrence if you’re streaming videos or watching live broadcasts on platforms such as Twitch. Here are the most probable reasons why you are experiencing twitch buffering issues.
Too much going on in the background
If background apps are running while you’re trying to watch a stream – such as music players, Skype or Google Chrome – they could be using up precious bandwidth that the player needs to function properly. We recommend turning these off before streaming begins so that nothing will interfere with playback quality!
Wi-Fi interference from another signal
This might sound like something only computer nerds would care about, but Wi-Fi interference really does happen and can slow down your internet speed, which will cause twitch buffering!
If you’re experiencing buffering, it might be because the wireless signal comes from another device (such as your neighbor’s house) or a non-related source of interference.
You are using too much bandwidth
If Twitch keeps buffering, this could mean that there isn’t enough bandwidth to go around for everyone who wants to stream and watch content at once. You can prevent any more problems by upgrading your plan to have unlimited access with no data caps!
If none of these tips work, you should try using a VPN to get a more stable internet connection. By doing this, you will connect to a more stable server and could give you a lag-free experience on twitch. Furthermore, a VPN hides your internet activity from your Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISPs are well known for bandwidth throttling if they see users partaking in data-heavy activities, something which a Twitch stream constitutes.
The VPN will mask your IP address, so you won’t have to worry about anyone finding out where you are watching from.
Your firewall is blocking access
Your computer’s firewall may be preventing you from enjoying a stable connection on the Twitch streaming platform. Depending on the system you’re using, your firewall settings might need adjusting so that you can easily enjoy Twitch sans buffering.
Browser issues
If you’re using a browser such as Chrome, then your browser may be the cause. The hardware acceleration feature, DNS settings, cookies, and browsing history could create buffering issues for you.
How Do I Fix Twitch Lag?
If you’ve landed on this blog post, then you’re probably wondering, “how do I fix frequent buffering?”. Just like we provided you with the reasons why you are experiencing buffering, we also have some solutions to all of the potential causes listed above.
Read on to find out how to improve the quality of your Twitch streams by closing apps and adjusting your system and internet settings!
Close background applications
If Twitch keeps buffering, the first thing to do is to close any unnecessary background applications that you have open on your computer. Background apps can cause a major problem since they can slow down your system and result in a super slow internet connection that causes a buffering issue.
Ensure that any background applications aren’t updating their software while you’re using Twitch, as updates can also cause Twitch lagging.
Use a VPN
Bandwidth throttling from your ISP can cause serious buffering too. One way to avoid this is to use a Twitch VPN. VPNs hide your internet activity from your ISP, including streams, so it won’t be able to see what data-heavy activities you’re doing online and slow down your internet connection.
Reconfigure your firewall
Your firewall could be blocking full access to Twitch, but you can change the IP range in the settings section to overcome buffering problems. If you use a Windows computer for Twitch streams, access the settings, access Windows Defender Firewall, and change the blocked IP address range to bypass the firewall.
Change your DNS settings
DNS can severely slow down your internet connection and cause buffering. By changing your DNS servers, you can get faster speeds and streaming performance.
To change your settings on a Windows system, you need to access your network settings and click on Change Adapter Options. From here, right-click on your network icon and select properties. Then, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on properties. Here, you can input new DNS servers and resolve your buffering problem.
Adjust your browser settings
You can change your browser settings to improve speed and lagging. Access the advanced area in your web browser and clear browsing data. You can also turn off hardware acceleration settings by unchecking Use Hardware Acceleration When Available.
Remember to keep your device fully charged
Streaming video is an intense activity for any device, and it can quickly drain your battery if you’re not careful. Make sure that you have a fully charged power source nearby at all times to avoid interruptions in viewing!
Do I Need a VPN for Twitch?
If you’re a Twitch streamer, it is good to install VPN software onto your computer. Not only does a VPN prevent Twitch buffering, but VPN software can also give you more privacy online during speeds.
Third parties like Internet Service Providers, the government, and hackers can watch what you’re doing online and find out personal information about you based on your internet activity. If you want to keep your streaming activity private and hide what streams you watch, then a VPN can help.
VPNs encrypt your data, and most keep no logs which means that your activity while using the VPN will never be disclosed.
Moreover, a VPN can change your geo-location, providing you access to Twitch regardless of the country and region you’re living in. Some parts of the world block access to streaming platforms like Twitch, so use a VPN if you live in a restricted country.
What are the Best VPNs for Twitch?
If you’ve disabled hardware acceleration, changed your IP address range, and cleared browsing data, but you’re still experiencing Twitch buffering issues, then a great way to resolve this issue is by using a VPN.
However, not all VPNs work well with Twitch since some VPNs can severely slow down your connection and cause even more buffering and lagging. We recommend avoiding free VPNs since these often impose bandwidth limits and aren’t powerful enough to bypass geo-restrictions and unblock Twitch in heavily restricted regions.
Here’s a rundown of the best-paid VPNs for Twitch. All of these providers work well with the platform and won’t cause stream buffering.
Surfshark
Surfshark is one of the best VPN solutions to help avoid Twitch buffering since it employs its own DNS servers and offers fast network speeds. Since the provider handles DNS requests on its network, you don’t need to worry about your DNS settings slowing down your Twitch connection.
Moreover, Surfshark uses advanced technology to ensure that users experience fast speeds. Even if you connect to a physically located server far from your real location, you won’t notice any excessive lag.
Surfshark offers split tunneling, which means you can just send your Twitch streaming traffic via the VPN tunnel and access all other apps and websites via your regular network. This works well if you want to do other stuff online during Twitch streams and don’t want to cause your VPN to slow down.
NordVPN
Another great VPN to help with your Twitch buffering issue is NordVPN. NordVPN uses its very own fast tunneling protocol called NordLynx, which can increase your connection speed and help you avoid lagging on every media streaming platform you use.
As well as this, NordVPN uses obfuscated servers that hide your VPN usage from websites and enables you to more easily bypass restrictions online. Your Twitch activity will also be completely private at all times with NordVPN since the provider uses advanced encryption to hide your activity from your ISP.
NordVPN also offers a zero-logs policy, meaning that all of your Twitch activity will remain private and won’t ever be written to hard drives and potentially shared with government agencies or any other interested parties.
ExpressVPN
For a lightning-fast connection during Twitch streams, ExpressVPN is an excellent choice. Express employs the Lightway protocol, which is its very own protocol based on open-source WireGuard. Lightway makes for extremely fast connection speeds, perfect for all your Twitch streaming needs.
ExpressVPN also employs private DNS on every single one of its servers, so you needn’t worry about your DNS requests slowing you down. What’s more, Express employs excellent security tools such as the Network Lock to ensure that your Twitch streaming is never accidentally exposed to third parties if the VPN connection goes down.
ExpressVPN is by no means the cheapest service, but we believe that its high cost reflects its excellent service.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is our go-to VPN for data-heavy activities like Twitch streaming, torrenting, or gaming. The provider offers unlimited bandwidth, which is perfect for Twitch users and can help overcome buffering issues.
You can connect CyberGhost to your home router to bypass connection limits and protect all of your operating systems. This means CyberGhost’s AES-256 bit encryption will automatically protect all Twitch activity, and you’ll enjoy a good connection every time.
Can Antivirus Software Stop Twitch Buffering?
On rare occasions, your Twitch buffering may be down to something that we haven’t covered in this article yet: a virus. Some viruses can remain undetected on your system for a long time, and work away in the background, slowing down your computer’s performance.
Installing antivirus software is another option if you suffer from buffering on Twitch. By installing antivirus software, you can run frequent deep scans to check your system’s health. You can also run the software when using the internet to prevent viruses from being installed on your device.
Just remember that if your antivirus is running in the background during Twitch streaming, this could cause lagging!
VPNSurfers is a Company that Offers VPNs for All Your Needs
If you’re not looking to upgrade your internet or buy a new router, then this may be the way to go to make Twitch play without any more buffering and lagging while streaming.
The best part about using VPNSurfers instead of other sites is that we are experts within VPNs and cybersecurity.
There’s no need to worry now because, with VPNSurfer’s help, there will never be another problem when playing and watching content on twitch again!
I’m Madeleine, and I'm a writer that specializes in cybersecurity, tech products, and all things related to the internet.
I have a keen interest in VPNs and believe that everyone deserves internet freedom and security. I wr...
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