Audio streaming help

[fword]

We run an internet radio station broadcasting from a studio which mainly consists of DJs broadcasting live. We run all our equipment through a broadcast mixer via USB audio codec into a PC and then use B.U.T.T. (broadcast using this tool) to push the stream to our server.

 

 

The stream is 128kbps - our internet package is 30mbps down and 5 mbps up. It’s worth prefacing that our internet for general use is superb, it never goes down. We have a Cisco DPC-3825 modem with the latest firmware installed. The pc is wired into the modem via ethernet.

 

 

We’ve been broadcasting for 2 months and our set up has been superb - constant, high quality streaming using the above set up until 5 days ago when b.u.t.t. started periodically stating “connection lost” and auto-reconnecting, coupled with a jumpy stream - heightened it seems around evening hours.

 

 

It’s so frustrating trying to pinpoint the problem. Our internet provider has come out and examined the line and found no issues. We also notice no differences when running speed tests. The capability to handle this stream is there.

 

 

We therefore assumed it must be the computer, so we switched the PC for a Mac and initially it seemed to have corrected itself, but then the same problem came back - random disconnections from b.u.t.t. and a jumpy stream for the end user.

 

 

Our server providers assure us there is nothing wrong on their end. We also broadcast through the server when we are not ‘live’, rotating files from our cloud storage with the server company, and that is flawless.

 

 

So there is definitely as issue on our end when sending the stream, it’s just so difficult to pinpoint it when nothing has changed.

 

 

Thanks for reading and wondering if anyone has any thoughts whatsoever.

[saint]

When you start experiencing connectivity issues - you should try doing a online speed test for your connection or a trace route / ping query.

[shoutcaststreaming]

With your uplink speed you can only get about 30 listeners at 128k. How many do you have ?

 

The only diagnostic tool to use to track down buffering issues is WinMTR.

 

You can downloading on our website under the support page.

[fword]

With your uplink speed you can only get about 30 listeners at 128k. How many do you have ?

 

The only diagnostic tool to use to track down buffering issues is WinMTR.

 

You can downloading on our website under the support page.

 

Thanks we use a server, so essentially send one stream to a server - the server is fine, it's when we are sending live audio from our location we experience this issue.

[BWorld]

There could be a problem on the server's end or anywhere in between. Running a traceroute to the server and getting that data to the Stream host is key in helping diagnose the issue.

[shoutcaststreaming]

Thanks we use a server, so essentially send one stream to a server - the server is fine, it's when we are sending live audio from our location we experience this issue.

We do this for a living. Believe me, when we tell you to run WinMTR, we do know what we are talking about. It's the only definitive way to see every hop along the bandwidth way.

 

We did not say anthing about your server was the fault. It's most likely the route from server to server. WinMTR will detect issues.

[fword]

Ok, understood! Will run WinMTR and report back.

 

On a side note, yesterday we used a totally new macbook and the streaming was flawless start to finish.

 

Thanks for helping out!

 

We do this for a living. Believe me, when we tell you to run WinMTR, we do know what we are talking about. It's the only definitive way to see every hop along the bandwidth way.

 

We did not say anthing about your server was the fault. It's most likely the route from server to server. WinMTR will detect issues.

[fword]

So our problems are just as bad, here is the winmtr results:

 

Does that mean anything?

 

Host Loss% Snt Last Avg Best Wrst StDev

1. 7.11.160.165 4.5% 287 7.7 8.1 6.3 21.2 2.1

2. 66.185.91.189 3.5% 287 9.1 10.6 6.5 26.4 3.1

3. 69.63.249.237 1.0% 287 9.2 10.6 5.4 28.7 3.1

4. 69.63.249.229 1.0% 287 14.9 10.8 7.1 26.1 2.6

5. 24.156.144.117 1.0% 287 10.2 12.1 8.5 28.3 2.9

6. van58-9-229-138.dynamic.rogerste 2.8% 287 23.3 26.4 22.9 83.6 7.2

7. PAIX-NYC.init7.net 3.5% 286 34.9 28.4 22.5 57.7 6.3

8. r1lon1.core.init7.net 2.1% 286 91.4 96.9 90.8 124.5 5.0

9. r1nue1.core.init7.net 4.2% 286 136.0 123.7 120.2 169.2 4.9

10. 77.109.135.102 23.1% 286 106.7 109.9 105.3 166.5 9.3

11. core11.hetzner.de 4.5% 286 105.3 106.8 101.7 166.9 5.0

12. core22.hetzner.de 4.5% 286 107.6 109.9 106.5 142.1 4.2

13. juniper2.rz15.hetzner.de 4.9% 286 108.9 110.8 106.2 184.9 8.1

14. 213.239.244.98 8.4% 286 127.0 128.0 123.1 151.9 3.8

15. 176.9.17.163 3.5% 286 124.3 127.5 123.1 147.5 4.1

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, understood! Will run WinMTR and report back.

 

On a side note, yesterday we used a totally new macbook and the streaming was flawless start to finish.

 

Thanks for helping out!

[CastSonic]

9. r1nue1.core.init7.net 4.2% 286 136.0 123.7 120.2 169.2 4.9

10. 77.109.135.102 23.1% 286 106.7 109.9 105.3 166.5 9.3

11. core11.hetzner.de 4.5% 286 105.3 106.8 101.7 166.9 5.0

 

As far as it seems, it's a problem in Hetzner, between them and their ISP. Maybe test it in another provider .

 

However at you router:

1. 7.11.160.165 4.5% 287 7.7 8.1 6.3 21.2 2.1

it's weird, maybe check your cables? I assume that you aren't using Wi-FI

[shoutcaststreaming]

Are you sure you ran WinMTR? This isn't the normal output formatted listing.

 

Anyway, CastSonic is correct. The first hop has a 4.5% packet loss which is not a good sign .. usually means NIC / cable / switch is having issues. However, the 1st hop (7.11.160.165) is not your home PC, but the Department of Defense computer center. So, I'm not sure if this is a joke or not. Why is your 1st hop in a government DC ?

 

The 1st hop should be your broadcast computer.

 

Please provide a real WinMTR and we will analyze it.

[fword]

This absolutely isn't a joke! I'm running the mtr through terminal on a mac.

 

I googled the ip address in question and it showed up in some other tech support forums about rogers internet (of which i'm a customer too), here is another output I've just ran.

 

Host Loss% Snt Last Avg Best Wrst StDev

1. 7.11.160.165 3.0% 304 10.6 8.4 3.8 70.7 4.2

2. 66.185.91.189 0.3% 304 10.1 10.4 6.2 24.0 2.5

3. 69.63.249.237 0.0% 304 9.8 10.9 5.1 76.3 4.7

4. 69.63.249.229 0.3% 304 8.7 11.4 7.6 38.7 3.2

5. 24.156.144.117 0.0% 304 12.4 12.1 8.4 27.6 2.6

6. van58-9-229-138.dynamic.rogerste 0.3% 304 24.8 27.3 21.8 82.7 9.1

7. PAIX-NYC.init7.net 1.3% 304 24.2 28.2 23.0 43.8 4.4

8. r1lon1.core.init7.net 0.0% 304 100.0 97.1 91.0 120.1 5.0

9. r1nue1.core.init7.net 0.7% 304 106.0 108.3 104.2 143.8 4.3

10. gw-hetzner.init7.net 13.5% 304 108.1 109.7 105.5 171.7 8.4

11. core11.hetzner.de 4.6% 303 106.6 106.7 104.4 126.8 2.5

12. core22.hetzner.de 3.6% 303 118.6 109.5 107.0 131.6 3.1

13. juniper2.rz15.hetzner.de 8.2% 303 108.1 110.6 104.9 161.9 5.9

14. hos-tr4.ex3k1.rz15.hetzner.de 3.0% 303 109.4 112.1 108.4 127.0 2.9

15. w03.a.airtime.pro 0.0% 303 109.2 110.9 107.2 132.2 3.3

 

 

 

 

Are you sure you ran WinMTR? This isn't the normal output formatted listing.

 

Anyway, CastSonic is correct. The first hop has a 4.5% packet loss which is not a good sign .. usually means NIC / cable / switch is having issues. However, the 1st hop (7.11.160.165) is not your home PC, but the Department of Defense computer center. So, I'm not sure if this is a joke or not. Why is your 1st hop in a government DC ?

 

The 1st hop should be your broadcast computer.

 

Please provide a real WinMTR and we will analyze it.