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Improving BBC iPlayer performance

Our Broadband Expert says...

There are two reasons that you could be having problems with your BBC iPlayer; either your broadband connection is too slow, or there is a high volume of users all streaming from the BBC, causing programmes to be slow.

Speed tests

The first thing you should do is conduct a broadband speed test to see what kind of speeds you're getting. If you get 2Mb or more, you shouldn’t have any problems, however, you should remember to run speed tests at different times of the day and at weekends, as download speeds can be much slower at peak times when a lot of people are online.

BT Broadband (www.BT.com) began offering 20Mb broadband to many customers this summer. However, the switch wasn’t automatic - if you wanted the faster connection you had to recontract, so it might be worth finding out whether or not you live in one of the upgraded areas.

Run a postcode search to see if BT 20Mb broadband is available in your area.

Peak times are also busier for the BBC iPlayer, meaning that programmes are also likely to run slower - especially on Sunday evenings.

Download instead of stream

If you are having problems streaming content, the BBC iPlayer recommends that you download programmes instead, using its Desktop software.

While this means that you might have to wait for your programme to download before you can watch it; once the programme has been fully downloaded to your computer, it won’t be dependent on your internet connection and you won’t have any trouble with it freezing or buffering.

Disable other programs

If you have any other programs connected to the internet at the same time as the BBC iPlayer, this will slow your connection down as your bandwidth will be shared between the different programs.

This means that internet security live updates, Skype and any other online TV services, like Channel 4’s 4oD, will all affect your streaming.

Often these programs will continue to run in the background even after you have closed them, so you need to make sure that you have fully exited them before trying to stream any content.

Use your task manager, which you can access by pressing control, alt and delete at the same time, or check your task bar at the bottom right of your screen to see what programs you have running.

Boost your broadband speed

There are a number of other things that you can do to improve your broadband speed, from connecting via an ethernet cable instead of a wireless broadband connection to making sure that your wifi signal is fully connected and no one can piggyback your line.

For more tips, read our complete guide to speeding up your broadband.

Get an iPlate

BT launched its iPlate earlier this year, claiming that for those customers that could benefit from the hardware, speeds could be increased by an average of 1.5Mb and as much as 4Mb for some people.

Many home phones still have an old bell wire where the line comes into the house - which originally worked to make phones ring, but now only cause electrical interference, which can affect your broadband connection. The iPlate removes the bell wire, often improving your download speeds.

The iPlate - or Broadband Accelerator as its also known - is free from BT if the provider decides that using one might be able to increase your speed. You can find out if you qualify for a free iPlate by visiting BT’s Broadband Accelerator page online.

You can also buy iPlates online for less than £10.

Switch broadband provider

If you still find that you're having problems with your download speeds and the BBC iPlayer, it might be time to consider switching broadband provider.

When Ofcom conducted broadband speed research in July this year, it found that the average speed for the UK was just 4.1Mb - despite an average advertised speed of 7.1Mb.

However, some providers did perform better than others, with Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com), which offers the UK’s fastest broadband at up to 50Mb, coming out on top with an average of between 8.1Mb and 8.7Mb, followed by O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) with 4.1Mb to 5.1Mb - the fastest copper wire ADSL broadband provider, and Sky Broadband (www.Sky.com) in third place with 4.0Mb to 4.7Mb.

NB Best buy tables are always current.

Examples in the text of the article are correct at time of publication.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at OurExpert@broadbandchoices.co.uk

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