If you’re streaming NFL games this year, you know the risk of a slow internet connection. No one wants to be a few seconds behind and miss a game-winning touchdown at the last minute while your neighbors cheer upstairs, especially if you organize a viewing party at your home.

The truth is, when you’re streaming big events at the same time as everyone else, there’s going to be some lag or delay. There’s not much you — or your neighbors — can do about that collective baseline lag. If your cheering neighbors above you seem to be consistently a few seconds ahead of you, that’s a sign that there could also be issues with your home network that’s slowing things down.

Read on for quick tips and steps to optimize your internet connection. If you find yourself still struggling with slow speeds while streamingyou may need to make some long-term changes, such as upgrade your wifi routerNow let’s focus on simple, quick improvements you can make in just a few days so you’re ready for the big race.

Take a speed test

The first step to improving your internet connection is to find out what internet speed you are actually getting. I have a feeling that a lot of you are not sure what speed you should be getting, so if you are unsure, check your account online and see what speed you are paying for.

Then run a simple internet speed test to determine if you have the download and upload speeds that you need in the room where your TV is located. The best, most thorough approach is to run multiple tests at different times of the day to get a full picture of your connection speed. Why? Average download and upload speeds vary depending on how busy the network is, so make sure you’re aware of such factors when testing.

There are plenty of free internet speed testsbut I use the Ookla speed test most often. I have the app on my Apple TV and can see the results on my LG TV, but you can also run it in your browser or by using a free speed test app on your Android or iOS device.

In our CNET guide to how much internet speed you really needWe recommend a minimum of 25 Mbps for streaming 4K video per FCC guidelines, so that’s your starting point. In general, most households will aim for minimum download speeds of at least 100 Mbps, if such speeds are available and affordable in your address, especially given the number of smart devices connected in your home (which we’ll get into below).

Now that you’ve tested your speeds, compare them to the speeds you’re paying for. If the numbers are way off, it might be worth contacting your ISP and finding out if there’s something wrong on that end, or if possible, you could even try Negotiate a faster plan for less money than you are paying now. If you have been with your ISP for a while, you may be surprised to discover what better, cheaper plans are now available.

Check your layout

Wi-Fi is incredibly convenient, but it could also be to blame for your buffering issues. Simply put, the further your streaming device is from your modem and router, the slower your wireless speeds will be. If your speeds are slow enough, you’ll see buffering as your streaming device struggles to get the video content across the air fast enough to show you in real time. For reference, my colleague at CNET pays for gigabit speeds, but he wasn’t getting those speeds until She optimized her wifi installation.

I mentioned earlier that I ran my Ookla speed test from my Apple TVThe reason for this is that my wife and I decided to connect our Apple TV directly to our router using an Ethernet cable. We wanted to be able to — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plusetc. — to get access to the fastest speeds in our home, which would not be possible via Wi-Fi. If possible, a wired ethernet connection increases the speed of any device you connect it to, such as your TV.

If you can’t connect via Ethernet cable, your best option is to watch the NFL on a device or TV in the same room as your modem and router. The closer you can get between your router and your Wi-Fi streaming device, the better your chances of uninterrupted performance.

Use your router to monitor your household’s bandwidth usage

If you’re still having issues, even though your download speeds seem fine, you may have an issue with your router. First, try the old trick: turn it off and back on. I know that can be frustrating to hear, especially if you’ve ever asked for help from a tech support person and the first response is, “Have you unplugged it and plugged it back in?”

Sometimes it really can be that simple: simply rebooting your router will often reset it and make it work better.

Another thing to consider is the number of people and devices using your network. We mentioned earlier that the ideal download speed for streaming 4K video is 25Mbps, but every device on your network is using bandwidth, making it harder for your TV to consistently use 25Mbps.

Our homes are now filled with a multitude of connected devices, including mobile phones, laptops And smart tvsNot to mention game consoles, security cameras, voice assistants, connected speakers/sound systems, smart thermostats, watches and countless others smart home gadgetsThese are all competing for bandwidth.

Take inventory of the smart devices in your household and discuss with your spouse, roommate, children, or whoever is staying with you which devices can be temporarily disconnected from your network so you can have a less congested network while streaming the NFL this year.

On that note, if you have people in your house who aren’t football fans and would like some counter-programming — talk to them ahead of time and see if you can make a list of shows or movies that you can download before the big games. Maybe you can download a copy of Enjoy for the kids. Or maybe the non-football fans would enjoy a few episodes of The last of us or some classic episodes of The officeWhatever it is, take the time to get your household on board and download those alternatives early, and you can avoid chaos, arguments and bandwidth congestion on key match days.

Complete a final checklist

Okay, you’ve done a few practice runs. Now it’s time to go. The NFL football season is here until February 9th and you don’t want to miss a game. It’s time to go over the tasks one last time to make sure all your efforts weren’t in vain.

Run that speed test again

Those fantastic download speeds you recorded a few days ago won’t help you if they’re missing when you need them most. It’s always a good idea to check your download speed before checking off other items on your list.

Go back to your router and check the bandwidth status again

Remember your inventory of smart devices? Go through the list and start removing them from your network. Even if you’ve discussed this with other family members before, take the time to remind them of your game plan. For example, you don’t want the kids to go off script and start playing online Fortnite instead of sticking to the movie you’ve already downloaded. This will help reduce stress when the medals are on the line.

Now you are ready to get the best experience possible for your current home setup. You have done all you can, now have fun.