How to Improve Your Download Speed on Xbox One
There comes a time when your Xbox One gets suddenly slow in downloading which affects your gaming experience and excitement. Sometimes it could get slower than your computer and phone which is, we understand, very frustrating. Do not worry, this could get all fixed. Here are some tips on how to improve your console’s networking setup.
How to Speed up your Downloads on Xbox One?
The first thing you should do is check and learn what actually is the problem. To do this, we highly recommend that you check your connection status via your Xbox. This should be done first before you try to speed up your downloads on Xbox One. That way, you will be able to know the speed and stability of your connection. Here are the steps on how to check your network:
1. Go to the settings of your Xbox.
2. Select Network tab
3. Select Detailed Network Statistics
Once you have done the steps above, you are good to move unto the steps on how you could increase your download speed. There are different ways to achieve this and they are the following:
1. Use Ethernet
The reality is your Xbox 360 actually experiences the same problems as your computer. Though that is the case, there are workarounds to solve these issues. One way is to connect your console directly to your router. In other words, use an Ethernet cable instead of WiFi. If you are having some problems with your speed. We highly recommend that you do this. Take note, you will find the Ethernet port of your Xbox at the back far right side portion of your Xbox.
2. Avoid Peak Times
It could be a bad idea to start playing when you get back from home or school. The reason behind this is because everyone would be using their internet connection at that time (as we call peak times) and would be doing the same thing as you are doing. Hence, there is not much to do but try to download your content at a less peak time.
3. Change DNS Settings
One of the hugest part of browsing is the Domain Name Settings or more commonly known as DNS. It translates web domains to IP address. This means your Internet Service Provider will assign you default DNS settings. In this case, switching to a third party DNS might not be a bad idea. You could check GoogleDNS or OpenDNS.
How to change your Xbox One’s DNS Settings?
1. Go to the settings of your Xbox One
2. Go to Network Tab
3. Click Network Tab
4. Click Advanced Settings
5. Select Manual. This will help you manually enter a new address
6. Enter 208.67.222.222 or 208.67.220.220 for Open DNS. You could also try Google DNS with 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4
You will also be able to revert back to your DNS settings at any time. All you have to do is switch your DNS settings to Automatic.
4. Close Games and Apps in the Background
To speed up your downloading speed, you must avoid running any other apps.
– Press Xbox Button
– Go to games or apps running
– Select one by one
– Press Menu Button (three lines). This will provide you with more options.
– Select Quit
– Press A on the controller
5. Disable Auto-Updates
Most of the time automatic updates are good especially when you are operating an Xbox One. However, there are times when some of the updates exceed 50 GB. When this happens, it is highly suggested that you restrict the updates, this way you could save a lot of data. This means, you will need to manually trigger the updates. Though that is the case, this will prevent any updates to download in the background.
– Open your settings
– Go to Power mode and start up
– Change your console power mode to Energy-saving
6. Pause and Resume Your Download
Pausing and resuming a download is the equivalent of restarting your phone. This could provide you an increase to your download speed.
– Go to your Home screen
– Open My games and apps
– Select Queue
– Highlight the active download
– Click Menu button on your controller
– Select Pause Installation
– Select Resume Installation
7. Avoid Playing Online
If you are playing multiplayer games, take note that this could eat up a lot of bandwidth and it could slower down the process of downloading. Hence, it is recommended that you wait for the downloads to finish first before playing online.
8. Restart Your Console
There is a slight chance that the problem lies on your console. Hence, ensure that everything is right. To do this, you will need to restart your console and check if you could go to your game and download faster.
– Scroll left on your Home screen
– Open Guide
– Select Settings
– Select Restart Console
– Select Yes to confirm
Downloads will be paused at this point. Unpause them afterwards.
9. Wait for a Quiet Connection
If you are at home and a lot of you are using the WiFi, this could affect the speed of your downloading speed. Hence, wait until no one is around to use the internet and download.
10. Use a VPN
If you are using a lot of bandwidth, the tendency of ISPs is to throttle your connection speed. One way to avoid this is through the use of a VPN. A VPN could help you hide your IP address which means your connection will be transformed into an anonymous one. Hence, your ISP will not be able to monitor your activities. This means they will not throttle your connection anymore.
Also, with Xbox also being able to play streaming services, through a VPN, you will not have any problems with geographical restrictions since VPNs could bypass and unblock them.
As most Xbox users already know, Xbox is not compatible with VPNs. Hence, you will need to connect or install your VPN on your router. This way, not only your Xbox will be able to reap the benefits of your VPN but also all the devices connected to your WiFi.
For Xbox, we highly recommend ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted and reliable VPN service provider. They offer unlimited bandwidth and is compatible with most devices. Furthermore, if you encounter any problems or issues, you do not have to worry as they are easy to contact with their 24/7 live support. Lastly, they also offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Aside from ExpressVPN, here are some of the best VPN service providers that we also recommend:
– BulletVPN
– NordVPN
– Surfshark
Conclusion:
It is highly frustrating whenever it takes time for you to download. Do not worry as this will no longer happen since you now know some ways to increase your download speed on your Xbox One. So what are you waiting for? Try them and enjoy playing your Xbox.