May 27, 2021
7 min read
Buffering on Kodi could be caused by internet connection problems or poorly configured settings. Either way, it’s sure to disrupt your entertainment experience. In this article, we’ll help you find the cause of your Kodi buffering problems and offer tips on fixing them.
Kodi buffering can occur for a variety of reasons.
Follow these simple steps to identify and fix Kodi buffering problems.
Higher-resolution content like 4K needs higher connection speeds to avoid buffering issues. People with fast wired connections rarely experience Kodi buffering issues at all. Wi-Fi connections, however, have the extra hurdle of transmitting data wirelessly, which can slow things down slightly.
Here’s how fast your internet should be to support SD, HD, and 4K resolutions:
(You can check the speed of your internet connection here)
Even if you’ve paid for high-speed internet, your speed can still fluctuate. Here’s how to get the best speeds and stop Kodi buffering:
You might not know this, but your ISP monitors what you’re doing. And, if you’re using up too much data, e.g., streaming for long periods of time, your ISP might decide to slow you down in order to give all customers better speeds.
Sometimes bandwidth throttling will happen when the network as a whole is being overloaded with traffic, in which case a VPN cannot help you. That’s because everyone on the network is being restricted, rather than you being targeted specifically based on your activity.
NordVPN hides all of your online activity from your ISP by creating an encrypted connection to the internet, so you are less likely to be targeted specifically for your online activity.
Get the NordVPN desktop app now to stop your ISP choking your speed
The second most common reason for Kodi buffering issues is an overloaded cache. Kodi wizards contain cleaning tools that will help clear any unwanted files and folders that could be causing buffering by taking up too much space.
Here’s how to install a Wizard for Kodi and clear your cache in 5 minutes:
1. Open Kodi and click the cog icon.
2. Click “File manager.”
3. Click “Add source.”
4. Double-click “None.”
5. Type this exact pathway into the box: http://ezzer-mac.com/repo/ Click “OK.”
6. In the “Enter a name for this media source” box, type in “ezz.”
7. Go back to the Kodi home screen and click “Add-ons.”
8. Click the open box icon at the top left of the homepage.
9. Click “Install from zip file.”
10. Select “ezz.”
11. Select “repository.EzzerMacsWizard.zip” and click “OK.”
12. Go back to the Add-ons menu (step 8) and select “Install from repository.”
13. Select “EzzerMacs Wizard Repository.”
14. Go back to the Add-ons menu (step 8), select “Program add-ons,” and click on the EzzerMan Wizard 19 icon.
15. Click “EzzerMan Wizard 19.”
16. Click “Install” and wait for the pop-up notification.
17. Go back to the Add-ons menu (step 8), select “Program add-ons,” and click on the EzzerMan Wizard 19 icon.
18. Select “Maintenance.”
19. Select “Cleaning Tools.”
20. Select “Clear Cache.”
Turning off the nice but, frankly, unnecessary features of your Kodi skin will give you a little extra speed to stop buffering.
How to turn off slide animations and media fan-art of your Kodi skin:
1. From the Kodi homepage, click the cog icon.
2. Click “Interface.”
3. Click “Skin” in the left-hand panel and then click “Configure skin.”
4. Click “Artwork” and then turn off “Show media fanart as background.”
In the skin settings under “General,” make sure the following options are also turned OFF — this should help you scrape back some of that precious speed that has been going to waste.
If you’re using Kodi via your Amazon Fire Stick, and you’re wondering how to reduce buffering on Kodi, we recommend restarting your Amazon Fire Stick first. It sounds obvious, but restarting is one of the most basic troubleshooting methods and can solve a lot of problems.
If that doesn’t help, and you’re still wondering how to stop Kodi FireStick buffering, try the following:
Any time you stream content online through Kodi or otherwise, you risk exposing your personal streaming data to your ISP and anyone else connected to your network. Your ISP can use this data to intentionally throttle your speed and give you buffering problems.
On top of that, Kodi add-ons can go rogue and infect your device with malware. This is because Kodi add-ons are created and maintained by third-party developers, who aren’t subject to the Kodi XBMC foundation or Amazon. This means they could go rogue and infect add-ons with malware. Streaming sources on Kodi can also be tampered with.
A VPN stops bandwidth throttling by your ISP, and it also encrypts your app traffic, hiding it from data thieves who might be hiding in your network. So, using a VPN with Kodi is a great way of reducing Kodi buffering in ways you may not have even considered before.
Note: Always download Kodi onto your FireStick yourself. Please steer clear of Amazon FireSticks with Kodi pre-installed – they often contain malware and malicious add-ons that steal your data, inject adverts, and use your device as part of a larger criminal operation.
Yes, you can avoid Kodi buffering by taking the following steps.
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