Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues
A strong network connection for both parties is ideal for the highest quality Streem call. The purpose of this article is to help troubleshoot issues with your or your customer's internet connection for making a Streem call. Jump to a section by clicking one of the following links:
- Network troubleshooting for your customer
- Network troubleshooting as an expert
- Understanding Streem's Network Strength Indicator
Network Troubleshooting for your Customer
Your customer's network connection is vital for clear audio and video. Continue reading to learn how to identify and improve their network connection strength if they're having trouble.
How to Determine your Customer has a Poor Network Connection
You can determine your customer's network connection strength while on a call. Simply open the Call Details tab and look to the upper left below your customer's name:
You can read more about the customer's network connection and how it is calculated here. If you notice their network strength is poor or disconnected, you may want to try some of the following steps to remediate it.
Switch From WiFi to Data or Data to WiFi
Depending on the purpose of your Streem call, different types of network connections may make sense to use. If your customer is outside of their home, having their mobile device be on Data is likely the best option as wifi can be weak outside the house.
Similarly, if they're doing the call inside, it usually is easiest to have your customer on WiFi. Either way, if one of the connections isn't working, it's best practice to try the other if able.
Spend Minimal Time in Enclosed Spaces
Cell phones work best in open spaces or rooms with thin walls. If your customer needs to be in the basement, garage, or crawl space then the connection will likely suffer. Try having your customer minimize time in those areas as best as possible.
Close Other Apps or Turn Off Other Devices
Have your customer close any other apps or turn off other devices that might be using the same internet connection. This allows the network to focus on just the Streem video call.
Network Troubleshooting for an Expert
As an expert, there's also a few things you can do to confirm your network is up to speed.
Check the Speed of your Internet Connection:
In your browser, navigate to a site such as fast.com (a free third-party service, unaffiliated with Streem.) Wait for the automatic test to run its course. When the screen updates, click Show more info.
Streem has been tested at upload speeds as low as 1.5 Mbps, but if the listed Upload Speed is less than 5 Mbps, your connection might be too slow to use Streem at its highest quality.
Improve your Connection Speed:
As the expert, it's most likely you're working from an office or home. That means to improve your connection speed, you are left with just a few options.
- It is important to run as few devices on the internet simultaneously as possible, especially when streaming video is involved.
- Try resetting your router – unplugging and plugging back in may help clean up your connection
- Upgrade your internet - this is a last resort, but in some cases your internet may simply be too slow to support video streaming.
Understanding Streem's Network Strength Indicator
In order to learn more about how this part of Streem works, you can read the article here.