Over the last few months, we’ve had issues just like most everyone else since switching over to the Gen4 device. These are the things we’ve done to improve our experience, some of which have been recommended on this site. I thought I’d reply to this post for others to consider.
I’ve seen some recommendations like, “make sure you connect your Tablo via Ethernet”. Well, the cables, path, switch, etc are important, so I put a little meat on our configuration items.
- Added a 4"-5" USB box fan between our OG and Gen4 devices to keep them cool. The OG on bottom with heat sink up (88ºF) - fan blowing up - Gen4 (82ºF) on top upside down. Devices remain cool in this Tablo fan sandwich setup (minimize overheat/schizz behavior).
- Validate antenna signal using a low-cost (<$50) signal meter; thankfully we didn’t have to buy another antenna - we had an old antenna already in our attic; turned off Tablo amp because we’re only 15 miles from tower farm (ensure proper signal reception).
- Update/upgrade Internet from cable (300/10 mbps) to fiber (1000/1000 mbps) (improve overall Internet performance).
- Ensure Wifi6 mesh router and satellites are working properly and can handle the 1000 mb traffic (ensure best possible internal wifi).
- Requested a static IP address from our provider (resolve double NAT issue for external OG access).
- Set the DNS on streaming devices and TVs to Cloudflare (or Google if you prefer). Set to match what our network router is set to (avoid DNS mismatch - don’t know if this matters but could speed up DNS searches).
- Update/upgrade streaming devices to Wifi6 capability (ensure best possible wifi to devices).
- We used to have a hodgepodge of unmarked, Cat5, and 5e cables. We invested in and replaced all with Cat6 cable, connectors, and plugs for the wired network; both Tablos are wired (ensure best possible wired connection speeds).
- Consolidated all 5- and 8-port switches into a single, 24-port Gb switch (reduce possibility of traffic collisions).
- Leave the darn devices alone (avoid changes/improve stability/performance).
The worst we’d seen recently was some minor buffering, but now both our FireTV Stick and Roku Ultra are working without issues.