Router QoS configuration is the network setting that prioritizes your stream traffic over other devices and applications on your home network. Without QoS, a household member watching 4K video on a different device can starve your stream of bandwidth at the worst possible moment.

The implementation depends on your router model. Open the router's admin interface (usually at 192.168.1.1 or similar), find the Quality of Service or Traffic Management section, and create a rule that prioritizes traffic from your streaming PC's local IP address.

The specifics: most modern routers support either application-aware QoS (it auto-detects streaming traffic) or device-priority QoS (you mark a specific device as high-priority). Either approach works. The application-aware option is often more reliable because it adapts to changing port configurations.

The result: your stream gets first claim on available upload bandwidth, and other household traffic gets what is left. The configuration takes 15 minutes once. The benefit compounds across every stream for the life of the router.