Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimised by the Netflix “whoops something went wrong” screen. If you did, chances are your internet connection is simply struggling to keep up with demand and this can be caused by many factors. Keep on reading to discover why and also how to make the most of your internet connection.
Why is Netflix struggling to keep up with my internet connection?
So you've spotted Netflix's dreaded Error Code NW-1-19, but what does it mean?
One possibility is your internet speed is too slow. Another is, that depending on how many devices are connected to your internet while you're streaming, you don't have enough bandwidth to go around. The video below neatly explains how your internet is divvied up between devices and how increasing your bandwidth is the first step to having a smooth Netflix viewing experience.
Suppose your internet is usually capable of handling Netflix and you think this is a one-off issue. In that case, we recommend running an internet speed test using our handy tool below, calling your ISP provider to flag the issue or looking into other reasons that may cause a slow NBN connection.
What internet speed does Netflix need?
Netflix speed requirements differ based on what you're streaming it through. First, you need to identify if your streaming issues are when you use a TV, desktop, tablet, mobile or gaming console. Sometimes you can experience issues across all of these devices but if it's just one or a few, this could be an indicator of speed issues.
Netflix can be watched with internet speeds as slow as 0.5Mbps per second, but Netflix recommends 3Mbps for SD quality and 5Mbps for HD. If you want to watch 4K content, Netflix recommends 25Mbps.
Since your internet is a shared resource, as discussed above, we'd recommend an NBN 50 plan for most households. This ensures there's plenty of bandwidth for streaming, without impacting the experience of others in your house. Or other's impacting your streaming!
You also want to make sure you have enough data, especially if you don't have an unlimited plan. If you're watching Netflix on your TV, here are the basic Netflix data usage requirements:
Netflix data usage
| Stream Quality | Data Per Hour | Data Per Month | Suggested Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 300MB | 18GB | 100GB Plans |
| Standard Definition | 1GB | 60GB | 200GB Plans |
| High Definition | 3GB | 180GB | 500GB Plans |
| Ultra HD (4K) | 7GB | 420GB | Unlimited Plans |
And here is a breakdown of data usage requirements you want to achieve to smoothly stream Netflix via a mobile:
Approximate Netflix mobile data usage
| Stream Quality | Data Per Hour | Data Per Month | Suggested Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto | 250MB | 3.8GB | 7GB Plans |
| Save Data | 170MB | 2.6GB | 5GB Plans |
| Maximum Data | 3GB | 45GB | 50GB Plans |
When you're watching Netflix through a desktop computer or a phone, Netflix recommends adjusting a few quality settings to improve your viewing experience:
Netflix quality settings
On your computer or TV, Netflix is set to automatically stream at the highest quality possible without the need for buffering. This is a dynamic system; if you have fluctuating speeds then you might notice your video stream bouncing around between high, standard and low quality over the course of a movie or episode.
This auto setting makes it much harder to gauge how much data you'll be going through, but typically on a fixed-line ADSL connection, your stream will probably bounce between HD and SD. If you're on NBN or cable, you should be getting a consistent HD stream.
Alternatively, Netflix lets you set a maximum fixed streaming quality through your account settings. The process of doing this can vary depending on what device you're watching Netflix on, but when you discover how to access these settings, changing them is easy.
On your computer
- Click on your profile icon in the top-right of the Netflix window and choose My Account.
- Under My Profile click on Playback Settings.
- Select the quality of stream you want.
On your phone
- When in the Netflix app, select the Menu icon in either the top left or top right corner (this depends on whether you're using iOS or Android).
- Select App Settings.
- Select Cellular Data Usage.
- Select the quality of stream you want.
Unlimited Internet Plans
If you're a heavy movie/TV show binger and want to ensure your Netflix is always operating at its peak, we recommend investing in an unlimited internet plan around the NBN 25 or NBN 50 mark to cover all your internet needs. There are also many plans faster than NBN 100, such as NBN 250 and NBN 1000 for even more intense users.
Check out the leading providers for NBN 25 plans below and the plans they offer:
|
#1
|
 100%
|
Plans from $41/mth
|
|
#2
|
 31%
|
Plans from $43.99/mth
|
|
#3
|
 24%
|
Plans from $48/mth
|
|
#4
|
 22%
|
Plans from $42.90/mth
|
|
#5
|
 12%
|
Plans from $59.99/mth
|
|
#6
|
 5%
|
Plans from $59.99/mth+ $10 Upfront
|
|
#7
|
 5%
|
Plans from $97/mth
|
|
#8
|
 5%
|
Plans from $49.90/mth
|
|
#9
|
 4%
|
Plans from $58/mth
|
|
#10
|
 3%
|
Plans from $58/mth
|
And here are the leading providers across NBN 50 plans for that little bit extra:
|
#1
|
100%
|
Plans from $41/mth
|
|
#2
|
31%
|
Plans from $43.99/mth
|
|
#3
|
24%
|
Plans from $48/mth
|
|
#4
|
22%
|
Plans from $42.90/mth
|
|
#5
|
12%
|
Plans from $59.99/mth
|
|
#6
|
5%
|
Plans from $59.99/mth+ $10 Upfront
|
|
#7
|
5%
|
Plans from $97/mth
|
|
#8
|
5%
|
Plans from $49.90/mth
|
|
#9
|
4%
|
Plans from $58/mth
|
|
#10
|
3%
|
Plans from $58/mth
|
Cheapest NBN plans for Netflix
If budget plays a big impact on choosing an internet provider, fear not! We've also broken down both the speediest as well as the best up-and-coming ISPs, ranked in terms of cost. All plans have at least 500GB of data.
|
#1
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#2
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$57.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
#3
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
iiNet
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Optus
All Fixed Line nbn®
Optus Everyday nbn®
$82/mth
Min. cost $82
Link not supplied
|
Cheapest 5G home internet plans for Netflix
If your internet connection isn't the best, a 5G home internet connection may be the way to go. Check out some of the cheapest 5G plans available for Netflix.
|
#1
|
TPG
5G Home Broadband Plus
$29.99/mth
Min. cost $29.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
iiNet
5G Home Broadband Plus
$39.99/mth
Min. cost $39.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday 5G
$54/mth
Min. cost $54
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
5G Home Internet Plus Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (50Mbit)
$55/mth
+ $25 Upfront
Min. cost $80
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Yomojo
5G Internet 50
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Telstra
Essential 5G Home Internet - 1TB
$80/mth
Min. cost $80
Link not supplied
|
There are plenty of unlimited internet plans available from various ISPs, ranging from as low as $75 per month. But if you're concerned about evening speeds slowing down your movie night, we recommended choosing an NBN 100 plan. (And if you're still unsure about NBN speeds, we've got your questions covered here).
Check out the leading ISPs offer NBN 100 plans starting as low as $69 per month:
|
#1
|
amaysim
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN100
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
|
|
#2
|
Belong
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN Premium – Unlimited
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Editor's Pick
nbn100 Unlimited Plan
$62.99/mth
Min. cost $62.99
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn 100/20 Elite
$63.80/mth
Min. cost $63.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Speedy NBN 100/20
$67.90/mth
Min. cost $67.90
|
|
#6
|
Flip
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Unlimited Turbo Boost nbn100
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#7
|
Kogan Internet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Gold Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
|
#8
|
iiNet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn Home Fast Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Swoop
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn® Home Fast
$72/mth
Min. cost $72
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Tangerine Telecom
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Speedy Plus NBN 100/40
$73.90/mth
Min. cost $73.90
|
Netflix Australia: Tips, tricks and hacks
Want to know how to get the best video quality? Stop the buffering? Find Netflix's secret genre codes? Get more movie information as you browse? Watch data-free?
We've got all these secrets, and more in our Netflix Australia tips, tricks and hacks guide. Get the most out of your subscription and the absolute best viewing experience!
Christie Graham
Digital Content Editor
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