For whatever reason, recently my GameStream performance plummeted. No matter if I did it locally or outside of my network, performance was just total ass. This was probably due to a number of reasons but I was sick of it. So, I decided to unfuck whatever got fucked, and I hope anyone looking to use either one of those services may find this post helpful.

For those who don't know, T-Mobile lends out $200 ASUS routers for free (or you may have to make a $25 deposit, which you get upon returning the router). These routers are some fantastic pieces of hardware, if you manage to set them up without losing your patience. If you can get your hands on one, definitely do it. If now, any 802.11ac router (or any router that isn't total shit) will work. When I signed up for Optimum, the router they gave (Netgear WND3400) was a total piece of shit. To make matters worse, the firmware on the router was Optimum's "smart" router firmware, which was the most infuriatingly dumbed down software I had ever seen in my life. It also can't be accessed without an internet connection.

After setting up the router, I connected the Shield to the 5GHz network and tried GeForce Now. Ran pretty solid, a few minor audio crackles but still far better than what itbwas before. Then I tried GameStream. Holy fucking crap, it was perfect. Buttery smooth 60fps Ultra settings performance. It was beautiful, it didn't even feel like the game was streaming, felt native. I absolutely loved it. Its crazy how much difference a router will make.

Tl;dr got free ASUS router from T-Mobile, streaming performance increased tenfold.

Bonus fact: GeForce Now comes with a three month free trial. Try it out.

Bonus fact 2: If you have any other Android TV, but still want to use GameStream, download Moonlight. You'll be able to stream games from your Nvidia powered PC with that as well.