It always feels like time slows down when you're waiting for that new game to download. With games getting larger and larger file sizes, even the smallest bit of extra speed can come in handy. Thankfully, if you're a fan and owner of an Xbox console, there are ways to boost your download speeds to make sure that the game you just bought is ready as soon as possible.
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PostsSome are rather easy, and others take a bit of time and tech know-how, but none of which you need to be a software engineer for, thankfully. Here are the best ways to boost your download speeds on your current Xbox consoles.
6 Use A Wired Connection
Both wired and wireless internet connections are viable for the Xbox, but, if you want your Xbox to be running at the highest download speeds possible, then you'll want to connect to the internet through a wired connection. For those that aren't as tech-savvy, don't worry, it's surprisingly easy.
All you'll need is an ethernet cord which you can get online or at a lot of tech stores (they come in a handful of lengths, so make sure to figure out which one you need before rushing off to buy one). On the back of your Xbox is a port to connect the ethernet cord to, and then the other end goes directly into your router for a far faster internet connection. The only hard part is it might take some remodeling of your house's decor as you'll definitely need your Xbox and router in the same room
Make sure to go to your Xbox's internet settings after doing this to make sure it's now running off the wired connection and not still a wireless one.
5 Close Everything In The Background
Xboxes nowadays are great at running things in the background. If you've never looked before, you'd be surprised how much an Xbox can run at any one moment. Each app or game that is running in the background could be taking up bandwidth and processing power for the Xbox, so it's best to close those all out if you want to download something as fast as possible.
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PostsThe way to do this is to hit the Xbox button. On the screen that pops up, it should show your most recent apps and games. Hitting start on each of them will bring up a menu, and if it's currently running, the option to close it will appear towards the bottom of that menu. Do that with each of your most recent apps and there shouldn't be anything else for your Xbox to do but download whatever you'd like.
4 Watch Out For Peak Times
This is a big one for the readers in more urban areas. Peak times are time frames in the day when the most people are using the internet in your area. This puts stress on the internet providers and can result in slower download times for you and everyone around you.
Finding out your area's peak times is important for getting the most out of your internet, especially when you want to download something fast. It can be different depending on where you live, but usually anytime after three in the afternoon all the way up to midnight is prime time for people to use the internet, as that's when people are getting off of work and school and beginning to relax on the computer or by streaming.
Knowing your area's peak times, and avoiding them for your priority downloads is key. Early in the morning or late at night are usually the best times to download larger things as you will be one of the few people still using that much internet.
3 One Download At A Time
The Xbox has the option of preparing more than one download at a time. To prioritize something you really want downloaded, make sure to pause any other downloads or updates the Xbox may be trying to run.
To do this, you can go to the My Games And Apps section in the menu, and then click Manage. Once you do this, you should pull up your current Queue and from there you can pause or cancel anything that you may not want to focus on at that moment.
Your Xbox may also begin to update things without you telling it to depending on whether you've given it permission to, so it's helpful to check the Queue any time you begin to download something new.
2 Reboot Your Router
From time to time, your router may bog down or begin having issues with download speeds. There's nothing to worry about if this does happen, and it's actually quite an easy problem to fix if you have the time.
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PostsSimply rebooting your router is enough to fix most issues and get your internet back up to prime speeds. Doing so usually means either unplugging your router for ten seconds and then plugging it back in, or holding down the button on the face of your router until it begins the reset process. Just make sure you or anyone else in the house doesn't need the internet for a few minutes.
There are plenty of sites out there where you can check your current upload and download speeds to see if your internet is moving at the speed it is supposed to be. Check one of these to see if it's time for a reset.
1 Limit Internet Usage
This is a great thing to keep in mind if you live in a house with other people. Each device that is using the same internet that your Xbox is will be taking some of the bandwidth from your internet. To avoid this, make sure your Xbox is the only or one of the only devices using the internet at the time of your download.
Also, if you are in an apartment or similar urban area, make sure to put a password on your internet so that way other people can't log onto it and bog down your internet service as well. Otherwise, you may wait until your family or roommates aren't home, or just ask them to hop off the internet for a bit.
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