Amazon Firestick constantly buffering

[Joy Division]

Does anyone else have this problem?

I get 25mbps download speed with should be more than adequate for 1080 definition streaming, however, it’s buffering every few minutes.

I have done everything suggested to fix it I.e deleting cache and data, rebooting etc and I’ve even reset the firestick back to factory settings but to no avail.

[Cotillo_Tom]

What is your upload speed and is the download speed constant?

What type of Internet connection (4G, fibre, etc) and who is your ISP?

Tom

[Bill]

Ours has been glitchy for the last couple of days. We're on iNet and Nord, but not sure where the actual problem is. Rebooting the router helps in the short term.

[Tardis]

We have two Fire Sticks connected to a Smart DNS enabled secondary router.  Both are working fine.

[Joy Division]

What is your upload speed and is the download speed constant?

What type of Internet connection (4G, fibre, etc) and who is your ISP?

Tom

Download is actually 54Mbps. Upload 15Mbps

ISP is privately run as part of a complex. Not fibre.

I’m using a Nord VPN

Thanks

[Ducks]

My Firestick turned on the TV by itself the other day for an update. Could be related?

[Will]

What is your upload speed and is the download speed constant?

What type of Internet connection (4G, fibre, etc) and who is your ISP?

Tom

Download is actually 54Mbps. Upload 15Mbps

I assume that's what they claim. Usually that's a number that isn't guaranteed. Run an actual speed test when you're seeing problems.

There are apps for your phone and if you google I'm sure you'll find a site that tests download speeds.

From the sounds of it you're basically on a shared line. That works fine if it's provisioned high enough for the worst case. AKA everybody streaming at once. Problem is that's expensive. My guess is you're having problems at peak times when all the other residents are doing the same thing. Streaming is overwhelming the shared line.

[Cotillo_Tom]

Joy, Will has hit the answer, I think.  Is it possible to run a speed test on another device whilst you are using the Firestick and having problems, that it have it constantly monitored?   A sudden drop in speeds is not unusual in a community network, but even if only for a very brief period, it will disrupt streaming, but if you run a speed test then, it may well have recovered before you can start a test whilst the stream is playing catch up.

[Joy Division]

Thanks a lot to both for your replies.
I have downloaded speed tests and done them at different types of day and the upload and download speeds are more or less the same
I also thought the buffering could be happening when there’s high community demand (more people using the internet) too but it’s buffering all day, irrelevant of the time so I’ve ruled that out.
Sorry, I forgot to mention when I watch iplayer etc on my iPhone it doesn’t buffer. It only buffers when I’m using the firestick on the TV. YouTube and Netflix work fine on the TV with no buffering. 
I can’t deny it’s doing my head in.

[Will]

That leaves the Amazon link to you.

My Firestick has Prime,YT and I forget what else. If your stick is similar and it's only slowing down with Prime that points to something between you and the Amazon servers. 

Maybe the VPN is putting an extra load on top.