Plex is the self-hosted streaming platform that "just works," but even it can run into buffering issues sometimes.

Thankfully, there are several simple settings you can change to get rid of that dreaded spinning wheel of doom and keep your acquired library of TV shows and movies streaming smoothly, especially if you have a relatively modern router and you're hosting your collection on a reasonably powerful PC or Mac.

Most of these settings are pretty obvious, but even the most seasoned Plex users can overlook double-checking features like streaming quality limits, unnecessary transcoding, and basic network settings.

Change your streaming quality limits

Double-check remote streaming quality caps to keep buffering under control

Whether you're streaming your self-hosted content locally or remotely, setting appropriate streaming quality limits is the first thing to check if you're experiencing buffering issues. By default, Plex might stream content at a lower quality than your setup can handle, which can lead to unnecessary transcoding and slow down your streaming.

To fix this issue, open up Plex in your browser and navigate to Settings > Remote Access. Next, enter your internet connection's upload speed. If you don't know what that is, run a speed test directly from the Plex app to find out. Next, head to Settings > Quality in Plex Web, and set Remote Streaming Quality to Maximum or to a speed that matches your internet connection's upload speed (this is where you can also change local quality streaming settings).

You'll also need to change settings on your playback devices in the Plex app. To do this, navigate to Settings > Video & Audio > Local Quality and set it to Maximum.

Only transcode when you need to

Unnecessary buffering can easily hold a self-hosted library back

When Plex converts a file to a lower/higher bitrate or transcodes it to a compatible file type, this requires extra processing power and may result in buffering on your playback device. If you're streaming to a modern playback device like a Fire TV Stick 4K Max or an Apple TV 4K, the original file is likely already supported, so transcoding isn't necessary.

Thankfully, this is a really quick fix. First, open the Plex app on your device, then go to Settings > Advanced > Video & Audio, and make sure Allow Direct Play and Allow Direct Stream are enabled. Next, open your Plex server, select Settings > Transcoder, and turn on Use Hardware Acceleration When Available. Now, click Quality in the left sidebar under Plex Web. Uncheck Use Recommended Settings under Home Streaming, then select video quality to Maximum.

As long as you have a solid home internet connection with decent upload/download speeds and a relatively modern device, changing these settings should resolve most of your buffering issues.

Set the right network settings

It's time for some port forwarding

If you're still experiencing buffering issues with remote streaming, another fix to try is port forwarding. This allows you to connect to Plex directly instead of a slower relay server, which can reduce buffering and improve overall speed.

To do this, head to Settings > Remote Access and make sure the Fully Accessible Outside Your Network option is selected. Next, enable Port Forwarding (the default port is 32400) on your router and assign your Plex server a static local IP address.