After a long day, when you just want to put your feet up, relax, and stream something, the last thing you want to deal with is constant buffering or dips in video quality, especially when your 4K stream suddenly turns into a pixelated mess despite having a good internet connection.
And that’s especially frustrating when you consider how much smart TVs have improved over the past decade. Newer panel technologies like QLED, Mini-LED, and OLED have become mainstream, while TVs have gotten thinner and more advanced in just about every other way. But when it comes to their internet connections, it feels like TV makers haven’t kept up.
Ethernet is a prime example. Practically every smart TV still comes with a 10/100 Ethernet port, which tops out at 100 Mbps. That’s nowhere near as fast as Gigabit Ethernet, which can deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps and provide a much faster, more reliable connection for streaming.
If you’re tired of slow internet on your TV, or you simply want the fastest connection possible, here are the three best ways I’ve found to speed things up without buying a new TV.
Unplug your TV from Ethernet
Chances are your TV’s Wi-Fi is faster
I know this may sound crazy, but one of the easiest ways to get a faster network connection on your TV is to unplug it from Ethernet if you have it connected that way.
As I mentioned at the top, the Ethernet port on most smart TVs has a pretty significant speed limitation of 100 Mbps. This is often referred to as 10/100 Ethernet or “Fast Ethernet,” which, ironically, isn’t very fast at all. Because of this limitation, using Wi-Fi on your TV can actually be faster than using Ethernet.
That’s exactly what happened with my LG C5 TV. I had it connected to Ethernet, and when I ran a speed test using the Netflix app, I was capping out at around 90 Mbps. But when I disconnected the Ethernet cable and switched to Wi-Fi, I was instantly getting over 200 Mbps. That’s more than double the speed, and my connection actually felt smoother, despite no longer being hardwired.
Of course, this depends on the speed of your internet connection. If you run a speed test and your TV gets under 100 Mbps over Wi-Fi, you’re better off staying connected to Ethernet. But if your TV’s Wi-Fi connection is comfortably above 100 Mbps, like mine was, you may actually be better off leaving that Ethernet cable unplugged.
Try a USB-to-Ethernet adapter
Bypass your TV’s Ethernet port altogether
If you want a faster internet connection on your TV without giving up Ethernet’s reliability, one option is to use a Gigabit USB-to-Ethernet adapter. The adapter works by plugging the USB end into one of your TV’s USB ports, then connecting your Ethernet cable to the adapter’s Ethernet port. Since your TV’s built-in Ethernet port is limited to 10/100, while the adapter supports Gigabit Ethernet, you can potentially get a much faster connection through the adapter.
I tried this myself using a $13 UGREEN Gigabit USB-to-Ethernet adapter I picked up on Amazon, and the results were surprisingly good. I got a faster connection than I did using both my TV’s built-in 10/100 Ethernet port and its Wi-Fi 6E connection, averaging around 320 Mbps.
However, while the adapter supports speeds of up to Gigabit, my TV’s USB ports are limited to the slower USB 2.0 standard, so I couldn’t take full advantage of the adapter’s potential. If your TV has a USB 3.0 port, though, you should be able to get much faster speeds with an adapter like this.
One thing to keep in mind is that not every TV supports USB-to-Ethernet adapters. Mine worked with my LG TV, but only after I turned Wi-Fi off. So your mileage may vary, and it’s worth doing a little research to see if an adapter like this could work with your specific TV.
Switch to a set-top streamer with Gigabit Ethernet
You can improve beyond just your connection speed with a set-top streamer
Ultimately, one of the best ways to get the fastest internet connection possible on your TV is to use a set-top streaming box with a Gigabit Ethernet port.
Unfortunately, the list of streamers that actually have Gigabit Ethernet isn’t very long. A lot of streaming devices suffer from the same limitations as smart TVs and come with 10/100 Ethernet instead, including the Fire TV Cube, Roku Ultra, and Onn 4K Pro.
That said, the streamers that do have Gigabit Ethernet are some of the fastest and most reliable options you can get. So if you want not only a faster connection, but also better performance overall, they’re worth considering. Three of the most popular options with Gigabit Ethernet are the Apple TV 4K (128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet), Google TV Streamer, and Nvidia Shield TV Pro.
The Google TV Streamer is currently the cheapest of the three at $150, and it’s what I’m using right now. So far, I’ve been really happy with it. Google TV is smooth, especially after I enabled Apps Only mode, and I can get connection speeds of up to 800 Mbps using its Gigabit Ethernet port.
Quiz
Apple TV
Trivia Challenge
Think you know your Apple TV history inside out — put your knowledge to the ultimate test!
HistoryHardwareSoftwareFeaturesStreaming
In what year did Apple first introduce the original Apple TV?
Correct! The original Apple TV was unveiled by Steve Jobs in January 2007 and began shipping in March of that year. It was initially codenamed ‘iTV’ before Apple settled on its final name.
Not quite. The first Apple TV was announced in January 2007 and started shipping in March 2007. Steve Jobs introduced it at Macworld, describing it as a way to bring your iTunes library to your television.
What was the storage capacity of the original first-generation Apple TV at launch?
Correct! The original Apple TV launched with either a 40GB or 160GB hard drive, as it was designed to store synced media locally from your iTunes library. This was before streaming became the dominant model.
Not quite. The first Apple TV came with either a 40GB or 160GB internal hard drive. Because it was designed to sync content from iTunes rather than purely stream it, local storage was a key part of the original design.
What major redesign did Apple TV receive in 2010 that dramatically changed its form factor?
Correct! The second-generation Apple TV launched in 2010 was a dramatic departure — it shrunk to a tiny black puck and completely removed the internal hard drive, shifting fully to streaming. It also dropped the price to just $99.
Not quite. The 2010 Apple TV (2nd generation) was reimagined as a tiny black puck-shaped device that removed local storage entirely, relying on streaming instead. Steve Jobs famously called the original a ‘hobby’ before this pivotal redesign.
What is the name of the operating system that runs on Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K?
Correct! tvOS is Apple’s dedicated operating system for the Apple TV platform, first introduced alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015. It’s based on iOS but optimised for the living room experience.
Not quite. Apple TV runs tvOS, a purpose-built operating system Apple introduced with the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015. While it shares a foundation with iOS, tvOS is specifically tailored for big-screen, remote-controlled navigation.
Which fourth-generation Apple TV feature allowed users to install third-party apps for the first time?
Correct! The fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015 introduced the App Store to the platform, finally allowing developers to build and distribute apps directly to the TV. This was a landmark moment that transformed Apple TV from a streaming box into a proper platform.
Not quite. The App Store was the defining new feature of the fourth-generation Apple TV launched in 2015. For the first time, users could download games, streaming apps, and utilities directly onto their Apple TV, opening it up as a true app platform.
Which chip powers the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) released in 2022?
Correct! The third-generation Apple TV 4K, released in November 2022, is powered by the A15 Bionic chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 13 series. This gave it a significant performance boost and enabled smooth 4K HDR playback.
Not quite. The 2022 Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) uses the A15 Bionic chip. Apple often reuses chips from its iPhone lineup in Apple TV, and the A15 offered a meaningful performance improvement over the A12 found in the previous model.
Apple TV+ launched as a streaming service in November 2019. What was notable about its launch pricing in many markets?
Correct! Apple TV+ launched on 1 November 2019 at just $4.99 per month, making it one of the most affordable streaming services at launch. Crucially, Apple also offered a free one-year subscription to anyone who purchased a new Apple device.
Not quite. Apple TV+ launched at $4.99 per month and sweetened the deal by offering a free year of the service to anyone buying a new Apple device. The aggressive pricing was seen as Apple’s strategy to rapidly build a subscriber base for its fledgling original content library.
What is the name of Apple’s feature that allows iPhone users to use their phone as a camera source through Apple TV?
Correct! Continuity Camera, introduced with tvOS 17, allows users to use their iPhone as a webcam for FaceTime calls on their Apple TV. It takes advantage of the iPhone’s superior camera hardware for a much better video calling experience on the big screen.
Not quite. The feature is called Continuity Camera, and it was introduced with tvOS 17. By wirelessly connecting an iPhone to Apple TV, users can enjoy high-quality FaceTime video calls on their television using their iPhone’s powerful camera system.
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The Apple TV 4K is another option with Gigabit Ethernet, but Apple is reportedly set to launch a new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K on October 13. So, I’d wait to see what Apple has in store before buying the current model. It’s rumored to feature an A19 or A19 Pro chip, Wi-Fi 7, and Siri AI support, which could make it a significant upgrade over the current A15 Bionic-powered model.
The Nvidia Shield TV Pro came out way back in 2019, so it’s much older than the other two, but it does have Gigabit Ethernet. The bigger issue right now is that it’s sold out at many retailers, and it’s unclear whether Nvidia will restock it. Despite its age, it’s still a pretty fast streamer, although it lacks support for HDR10+ and the AV1 video codec, which are worth keeping in mind.
If you want a streamer with Gigabit Ethernet, I’d wait for the Google TV Streamer to go on sale. And if you’re a fan of Apple’s ecosystem, I’d wait until October 13 to see what the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K brings to the table.
