How to improve your internet speed

Your internet speed is a very important factor in delivering a high quality broadcast. You can measure your internet speed here.

The minimum connectivity requirements are at least 10Mbps upload, 10Mbps download and a round trip time (ping) of less than 100ms.

Spalk recommends having a primary connection (home internet, WiFi) and a backup connection (4/5G hotspot), both with speeds that exceed our minimum requirements. This means if there are any unexpected problems with your primary connection you can still deliver a high quality broadcast by using the backup.

There are some simple things you can do to improve your internet speeds if they are close, but not within our connectivity requirements. These actions are generally good practise even when your connection exceeds requirements.

1. Plug in

Plugging your computer into an ethernet cable is a great way to avoid any problems that can come from weak WiFi signals and to increase reliability of the connection within your home or studio. 

2. Reduce other devices sharing the connection

All devices on your WiFi share the total internet connection between them. If you are having issues, it is sometimes a good idea to remove other devices such as phones, tablets, Smart TVs and other laptops while you are using the connection to broadcast.

3. Contact your internet provider

If you still aren't seeing the speeds you expect from your internet service provider, based on the internet plan you have purchased. Please contact them to resolve and get speeds up to scratch. Depending on your provider this can take between days and weeks to resolve, so it is best to test your connection early!

4. Improve reception

If you are using a cellular connection (eg 4G hotspot), improving reception by placing the phone near a window or external wall of your building may improve the connection to the celltower and therefore give you better speeds and reliability.