Would a Router Cause a PC to Freeze When Streaming?

Streaming video websites and applications make it easy to access video content directly from the Internet, without the need to clutter up your hard drive with large files. When your streaming video freezes your computer, it often requires a hard reboot to continue operations. Occasionally, the router can cause problems with streaming video but not the PC itself; more frequently, the problem is due to other issues with your PC.

According to InformationWeek, problems with your router can cause your Internet connection to slow down to a near-frozen state. The router can't cause your computer to freeze because it plays no direct role in carrying out operations on the computer. You can take steps to ensure that it's not contributing to streaming problems. Update the router firmware, check all physical connections, and change the router channel. It may also help to power cycle the router by unplugging its cables, waiting a few minutes, and plugging them back in.

A number of issues can cause a PC to freeze while you're streaming video, from corrupt browser add-ons to viruses. To solve the problem, Microsoft recommends that you run the Microsoft Fix-it utility, which targets common problems within the computer. If Fix-it doesn't help, the problem may lie with DirectX, a group of programs used by Windows multimedia programs. Windows offers a DirectX diagnostic tool that can help you find and solve streaming video problems.