QoS (Quality of Service) for network audio
QoS (Quality of Service) is a router feature that prioritizes network traffic. Enabling QoS for your audio streamer prevents dropouts caused by other bandwidth-heavy activity (4K streaming, downloads) sharing your Wi-Fi.
QoS (Quality of Service) is a router feature that prioritizes specific types or sources of network traffic. Useful for keeping audio streams smooth when your home network gets busy.
When you need it
- Family streams 4K Netflix while you’re trying to hi-res stream to your amp
- Big downloads or backups running during listening
- Multiple Wi-Fi devices competing for bandwidth
How to enable
Most modern routers (ASUS, Netgear Nighthawk, Google Wifi/Nest, Eero) have QoS settings in their admin app. Add your streamer’s MAC address to the “priority” list, or add its IP to a high-priority QoS class.
Alternative
Hardwire your streamer with Ethernet – completely bypasses Wi-Fi contention. Cheaper and more reliable than QoS tuning.
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