Ask Our Expert

Speeding up the BBC iPlayer

Dear Michael, I’ve never been a big downloader, but I’ve recently started watching shows on the BBC iPlayer using my laptop. However, my connection keeps cutting out and the programmes keep stopping to load - is there anything I can do to improve my connection?

I’m on an 8Mb broadband package.

Barny, via email on 5 May 2009

Our Broadband Expert says...

Hi Barny, the first thing that you should do is run a speed test to see how fast your connection is.

No one ever gets their full advertised speed and the average download speed across the UK is currently 3.6Mb. However, this can vary greatly depending on where you live and how far you are from your local exchange.

Download instead of stream

Programmes on the BBC iPlayer - and other catch-up services like Channel 4’s 4oD - give you the option to either stream or download your programmes. If you stream them, as it seems you’re doing now, then the quality relies on the strength of your broadband connection at the time you’re watching.

However, if you download the programme it will be saved to your computer to be watched at a later date - even if you’re no longer connected to the internet. This will give you a better quality picture and the programme won’t have to stop and load all the time.

Check what else is running

If you use other programs like Skype, MSN and other online TV services you should make sure that you’ve turned them off completely when you exit, otherwise they will continue to run in the background, using up your bandwidth.

Check the task bar at the bottom right of your PC screen to see what programs are running.

Talk to your provider

If your speed test shows that your connection is running very slowly, you should contact your broadband provider to see if there’s anything they can do to speed things up. Your ISP will also be able to let you know how much your line is capable of delivering, so you will know what kind of speeds you should be expecting.

You should also ask them if your connection is being throttled. If you are watching a lot of online TV you might have exceeded your fair usage policy - depending on which provider you’re with and what your allowance is. If this is the case then your connection might be throttled at peak times, causing problems with your BBC iPlayer connection.

Use a wired connection

If you’re using wireless broadband, try connecting your PC with an ethernet cable to see if that improves your speed. Although using wifi can be great, if you’re too far from the router, or even if your walls are too think, your broadband connection could be slowed down.

You should also make sure that your wifi connection is secure to ensure that no one else is piggybacking it and slowing you down. Use our free Wireless Key Generator to create unique, hard to crack WEP and WPA passwords.

Switch broadband provider

If you find that even after taking steps to boost your broadband speed your BBC iPlayer connection hasn’t improved, you might want to think about switching broadband provider.

Some suppliers, such as O2 Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) and Virgin Media (www.VirginMedia.com) are known to offer fast, reliable connections that are well suited to downloaders.

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