I recently bought a budget-friendly router (TP-Link Archer A6) to replace my old one, mainly to improve Wi-Fi coverage in my small apartment. The problem is, whenever my partner and I both stream HD videos on our laptops simultaneously, the Wi-Fi connection starts dropping for a few seconds every 10-15 minutes. It’s super frustrating because the videos buffer or pause constantly. I’ve tried updating the router firmware, changing Wi-Fi channels, and limiting the bandwidth for gaming consoles, but the issue persists. We only have about 5 devices connected in total, so I don’t think it’s an overload. My internet plan is 100 Mbps, so speed shouldn’t be the bottleneck either. Is this kind of intermittent drop common with budget routers when handling multiple HD streams? Would switching to a dual-band router with QoS settings help, or am I better off upgrading to a mesh system? Also, are there any settings or tweaks I can try to stabilize the connection without spending too much?

That kind of intermittent drop can definitely happen with budget routers, especially if they don’t manage simultaneous streams well. The Archer A6 is decent for basic use, but when two HD streams hit it at once, it might struggle with packet handling or QoS. Upgrading to a dual-band router with solid QoS settings could help prioritize streaming traffic and reduce those annoying pauses.

Before jumping to a mesh system, try tweaking your current setup a bit more: disabling any power-saving features on the router, setting fixed channels (both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), and maybe even assigning static IPs to your laptops to reduce DHCP overhead. Also, check if your laptops’ Wi-Fi adapters have updated drivers. If those don’t work, a mesh system is great for coverage but might be overkill for a small apartment unless you want seamless roaming and future-proofing.

On 02/07/2026 at 11:50 PM, FrugalFinGuru said:

I recently bought a budget-friendly router (TP-Link Archer A6) to replace my old one, mainly to improve Wi-Fi coverage in my small apartment. The problem is, whenever my partner and I both stream HD videos on our laptops simultaneously, the Wi-Fi connection starts dropping for a few seconds every 10-15 minutes. It’s super frustrating because the videos buffer or pause constantly. I’ve tried updating the router firmware, changing Wi-Fi channels, and limiting the bandwidth for gaming consoles, but the issue persists. We only have about 5 devices connected in total, so I don’t think it’s an overload. My internet plan is 100 Mbps, so speed shouldn’t be the bottleneck either. Is this kind of intermittent drop common with budget routers when handling multiple HD streams? Would switching to a dual-band router with QoS settings help, or am I better off upgrading to a mesh system? Also, are there any settings or tweaks I can try to stabilize the connection without spending too much?

That intermittent drop sounds maddening, especially when you’re just trying to chill with some streaming. The Archer A6 is decent for basic use, but juggling multiple HD streams can push it close to its limits, especially if there’s any interference or if the router’s QoS isn’t prioritizing video traffic well.

Switching to a dual-band router with solid QoS could definitely help smooth things out by separating devices across 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and managing bandwidth better. If your apartment layout isn’t too complex, a good dual-band router might be enough without jumping straight to a mesh system. Also, try disabling any “Smart Connect” features that automatically switch bands - it can sometimes cause hiccups with streaming devices.

One quick tweak that helped me before was setting fixed IPs and reserving bandwidth for streaming devices in the router settings. Also, check if your laptops’ Wi-Fi adapters have power-saving modes enabled - turning

That intermittent drop every 10-15 minutes sounds like it could be related to the router's firmware or maybe some background process like DHCP lease renewal or automatic channel scanning kicking in. Since you’ve updated firmware and changed channels already, it might be worth diving into the router’s advanced settings to see if features like "Smart Connect" or "Band Steering" are enabled - sometimes those can cause brief hiccups when devices switch bands.

Regarding your question about dual-band and QoS, the Archer A6 is dual-band but its QoS is pretty basic. A router with more robust QoS could prioritize streaming traffic better, reducing buffering. Still, if your apartment isn’t huge, a mesh might be overkill unless you want seamless coverage everywhere. You might get decent improvement by tweaking settings or even trying a different router model with better streaming support before jumping to mesh.

One last thing: check if your laptops’ Wi-Fi adapters have updated drivers and aren

On 02/19/2026 at 9:25 PM, MellowCat106 said:

That intermittent drop every 10-15 minutes sounds like it could be related to the router's firmware or maybe some background process like DHCP lease renewal or automatic channel scanning kicking in. Since you’ve updated firmware and changed channels already, it might be worth diving into the router’s advanced settings to see if features like "Smart Connect" or "Band Steering" are enabled - sometimes those can cause brief hiccups when devices switch bands.

Regarding your question about dual-band and QoS, the Archer A6 is dual-band but its QoS is pretty basic. A router with more robust QoS could prioritize streaming traffic better, reducing buffering. Still, if your apartment isn’t huge, a mesh might be overkill unless you want seamless coverage everywhere. You might get decent improvement by tweaking settings or even trying a different router model with better streaming support before jumping to mesh.

One last thing: check if your laptops’ Wi-Fi adapters have updated drivers and aren

Spot on about the DHCP lease renewal or channel scanning causing those periodic hiccups. On some TP-Link models, the router does a quick channel sweep every so often to find a less crowded frequency, which can cause brief drops. Disabling any "Smart Connect" or "Band Steering" features might help if they're toggled on, as they can sometimes confuse devices when they switch bands mid-stream.

Also, if your router has a “Keep Alive” or “AP Isolation” setting, double-check those. Sometimes they interfere with stable connections when multiple devices stream simultaneously. If fiddling with these doesn’t fix it, a dual-band router with QoS could prioritize your HD streams better, but a mesh system might be overkill for a small apartment unless you want seamless roaming.