This is most commonly caused by latency or dropped packets on the network hosting these devices. This can happen for a few reasons, but this will typically come back to the devices having difficulty communicating efficiently over your network. Occasional brief pauses or disconnections can happen due to momentary spikes in network traffic. Due to the real-time nature of screen mirroring, this is not uncommon. However, if this occurs more often than once or twice in a 60-minute session then taking steps to optimize the connection should be considered. In some rare circumstances, the delay may also be due to the computer struggling to keep up with the screen capture and transmission process.
Possible causes of the delay
- Network Congestion
The computer and receiver are struggling to communicate due to an overload of network traffic. Fewer devices on the network, or seeing less use from other devices may help in this case.
- Wireless reception
The sending and receiving devices are located far from the nearest wireless access point. Walls or other obstacles between devices may also cause this effect.
- Other Networks
The network experiences radio interference from other networks or nearby devices. Overlapping radio signals that use the same channel may degrade the quality of the connection and lead to poor performance, even if the signal strength is very high.
Steps that you can take to resolve the delay
Step 1
Decrease the distance between your devices and the wireless access point, avoiding any obstacles such as walls in between them. In cases of high amounts of traffic, fewer devices on the network may also help with this.
Step 2
Use an ethernet connection to your receiver, this will reduce the load placed on the wireless network. Sharing the workload between the wired and wireless sides of the network will often improve overall performance in cases of delay.
Step 3
Ensure that the network uses a free wireless channel to avoid radio interference from other nearby networks. Wireless networking devices communicate by radio and will use different channels for communication. In areas with many networks, we may see interference on your network if other nearby devices use similar channel settings. You may need to consult the manufacturer of your router for model-specific instructions on how to change the wireless channel of your network.
If the issue persists after troubleshooting
Due to the real-time nature of screen mirroring, it will also require more local resources on the computer than streaming a media file. While this is a rare cause of the delay, it will be more prevalent when using older hardware, or when using other CPU-intensive applications at the same time as screen mirroring. If all networking troubleshooting has been exhausted and the issue remains, ensure that the computer sending screen mirroring is running the latest operating system updates. Testing while not running other applications at the same time can also help us to evaluate whether this is a potential cause in your case. Please contact our Customer Success team for additional information.