Freezing or Skipping Issues
If you’re seeing a frozen picture or an intermittent buffering wheel while streaming, you may be experiencing a drop in the internet bandwidth available to your device. This drop usually occurs when several connected devices – such as phones, laptops, games consoles, or tablets – use the same internet connection.
Every device on your home network shares a portion of your available bandwidth, which means that with each connected device, less bandwidth is available for the remaining devices to perform online tasks. When trying to watch TV, this limited bandwidth can impact streaming quality.
Internet & Streaming Troubleshooting
Due to the nature of live-streaming and how content is delivered to you, a delay of a few seconds is normal. However, if you notice that a delay has grown longer over the course of watching content with the Sling app, try reloading the channel to catch your stream up. If you notice your stream falling behind consistently, give the following steps a try. If one or all of these steps help, you might want to troubleshoot your internet or wireless connection with your internet service provider:
< Click on a step below for more information >
Using WiFi to stream is easy and convenient, however, hardwiring your device with an Ethernet cable (if available) can deliver a more consistent and stable streaming experience.
If this resolves the problem, but it is not practical to leave your device hardwired, proceed to the next troubleshooting step below to see if you can pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Some VPN services cause our system to believe you are streaming from somewhere else, or are blocked by our service. If you are currently streaming while connected to a VPN, disconnect it. Additionally, disable any ad-blockers you may be using.
If you're casting using a Chromecast or other casting device, to continue watching your TV show or movie, turn off your cast and then stream the content on your mobile device or tablet for a few moments before trying to cast again.
Having too many devices connected to your home network can limit the bandwidth available for what you're streaming and cause delays. Try turning off other streaming devices to see if this solves the problem. If it does, you will want to check your internet speed and WiFi settings next.
Make sure your internet speed is strong enough for streaming Sling on your device by running a test:
Performing multiple speed tests, including while you are experiencing a problem streaming and when everything is working fine, will help you gauge whether or not your download speeds are consistent. If not, you may want to contact your internet service provider or proceed to the next step below to troubleshoot your WiFi settings.
Resetting an Internet Connection
Power cycling is a term used to describe the order in which you should unplug and then plug back in internet access point devices to reset your internet connection. The information below will provide you with specific steps to help you power cycle and reset your internet connection.
< Click on a device below for more information >
Follow the steps below to reset your modem, EMTA, or gateway device:
- Unplug the device power cord for 10 - 30 seconds, then Plug the power cord back in
- The reset cycle can take 1-2 minutes
- Once the reset cycle has completed, try relaunching Sling
NOTE: If the lights on your device are still on after unplugging the power cord, your device might have a battery backup:
- If your device has a battery back-up, hold the 'reset' button down for 10 seconds using a non-metallic instrument
- Once the reset cycle has completed, try relaunching Sling
Follow the steps below if you have a modem connected to a separate device that broadcasts a wireless internet connection (router):
- If you have a standalone router for wireless connectivity, unplug the power cords for both your modem and router
- Wait for 10 - 30 seconds and then plug the power cord in for the modem - It can take 1-2 minutes for your modem to completely reset
- Once the reset cycle is complete for the modem, plug in the power cord for your router
- Once the router has fully reset, try relaunching the Sling app
NOTE: Whenever you reset your modem and/or router, make sure you can connect to the internet on other devices before continuing to troubleshoot the Sling app or your streaming device.
A modem is a device that connects to the signal of an internet service provider, which provides an internet connection.
In basic terms, a router is a device that connects to an internet access point (like a modem) allowing users to connect multiple devices to a shared internet connection. Most consumer/in-home routers provide multiple connections wirelessly and/or via direct Ethernet cable.
A wireless gateway is a device that has both the function of a modem and a router combined into a single device.
EMTA is short for Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter, which is a cable modem and telephone adapter combined into one device. Some common features of an EMTA include:
- The telephony components are typically VoIP (voice-over-internet protocol)
- Built in wireless (Wi-Fi) broadcast capabilities to allow users to connect devices to the internet wirelessly
- A battery backup to keep telephony components powered during commercial power outages - for this reason, simply unplugging the power cord to an EMTA will not reset the internet connection or Wi-Fi components
Not finding what you're after?
- Our Chatbot can solve many problems 24/7. Click the Chat icon on your screen to begin.
- Visit our Troubleshooting & Technical Issues page to find answers to FAQs and solutions to common problems.
- For even more comprehensive viewing guides and sports schedules head over to sling.com/whatson.
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