IPTV Buffering problems

[RevJimbo]

If you're IPTV box is continually buffering, here's a solution:

If you have only one computer, this won't work.

If you have more than one computer, get a switch and connect it to your broadband router. Connect all of your computers to the switch. In this way, your computers will get a lower priority than the IPTV boes).

Here's my setup: two IPTV boxes and four computers. My boxes were buffering all the time! I finally realized that if I would connect a switch to my router, and then connect all the computers to the switch, each IPTV box would get 1/3 of the bandwidth, and all the computers together would get 1/3 of the bandwidth.

Another thing I did is I went to the QoS section of my router, and I gave HIGH priority to the ports where the IPTV boxes were connected.

Since doing this, I've had little or no buffering problems.

If you have wireless, then you could probably get a wireless switch for your computers, and use the wireless router for your IPTV boxes. Connect the switch to the router (either wired or wirelessly), and you should achieve the same result I did.

 

[RevJimbo]

I failed to mention in the above posting that my IPTV boxes are connected to the router!

Basically, there are three devices hooked to my router: my two IPTV boxes, and my switch.

Then all of the computers are hooked to the switch.

That's why each device hooked to the router gets 1/3 of the bandwidth.

 

[RevJimbo]

Still getting buffering problems. Here's how I've dealt with it:

1. Called Sky Angel. They moved me to a different server, which helped.

2. Increased my internet speed.

I still sometimes get buffering problems. Whenever it happens, I run the speed test, and I find that I am usually running under 1 mb during those times. Best I can figure, since I have cable internet (as opposed to DSL), the speed goes down in the evening, because everyone in the neighborhood is at home and on line.

I thought about getting DSL, but in my neighborhood, the fastest DSL I can get is 1.5 mb, and that won't work for me, because I have two IPTV boxes, plus three computers.

When it really gets bad, I turn off one of the IPTV boxes, to allow the other one to get more bandwidth. But there are moments when the bandwidth coming to the house is so slow that neither IPTV box will work.

IPTV is great technology, but it's just a little ahead of its time. Home bandwidth speed hasn't advanced enough just yet.

But I'm sticking with Sky Angel. Especially when I travel, because I can bring it with me and watch it in my hotel, if the hotel offers high-speed internet in the rooms.

 

[jholland]

I occasionally have buffering problems, too, but not often at all. It's usually early in the morning (maybe people are on-line before they go to work) or later in the evening. When I check the speed, it is less than 1.0 during those times. I have Comcast Internet and it is supposed to be "up to 10" . . . but is generally more like 5.0. I always know the problem will not last very long. I still love having Sky Angel . . .

 

[Automate]

Called Sky Angel. They moved me to a different server, which helped.

Do you know which server they moved you to?

Does anybody know besides New York where are their other servers?

 

[kevinbct]

Do you know which server they moved you to?

Does anybody know besides New York where are their other servers?

I know there is an N server and P server. There may be more. Last monday, I as moved to the N Server, after i was having constant problems with Fox News during the opening day of the Democratic Convention.

 

[Larobpra]

I have found this to work when having buffering problems.

Go from the channel you are watching back to the program guide, then go back to your channel. This has taken care of it more often than not.

 

[Automate]

Does anybody know besides New York where are their other servers?

Answering my own question because my buffering got so bad I called support.

You can tell which server you are on by going to the Main Menu and then My Account and then Customer Support. The server you are on is the first letter before the numbers in the lower left hand corner.

They currently have three server locations New York, Dallas and San Jose. If you are on Dallas servers the letter will be D, on New York it will be an N. Not sure about the letter for San Jose

 

[kevinbct]

Answering my own question because my buffering got so bad I called support.

You can tell which server you are on by going to the Main Menu and then My Account and then Customer Support. The server you are on is the first letter before the numbers in the lower left hand corner.

They currently have three server locations New York, Dallas and San Jose. If you are on Dallas servers the letter will be D, on New York it will be an N. Not sure about the letter for San Jose

Maybe that's the P for Pacific???

 

[Automate]

Or maybe it is just close to San Jose but the server is actually in some nearby town such as Palo Alto. I was told to test my connection to the San Jose test server at speedtest.net to see if the "California" server would be better for my location.

 

[kidrem]

I am so frustrated with buffering that I will not renew and may switch to satellite. I've been using SA IPTV since March. The buffering has come and gone and come back again. Sometimes it is still watchable, but other times you just have to turn it off and do something else - try doing that with your favorite program!

Anyway, sometimes 'rebooting' fixes it, sometimes going out to the guide fixes it. But nothing has been a 'permanent' fix. I am on the D121 server and I live in Iowa. My internet connection is cable and I've never measured it under 3.5Mbps, is usually 4.5 and sometimes 5.5. I do have 3 computers on the router but they are not using 3Mbps during the buffering. (Obviously I can force buffering by a large d/l)

Sorry, I guess this was more of a rant than anything. SA has great programming at a killer price, but the buffering is going to kill it for me.

I am open to ideas to fix this, so I am going to try the port priority and/or switch ideas and see what happens.

 

[kevinbct]

9:50 PM tonight.... Fox News server busy!!!

This is unreal!!!

Two weeks in a row on the biggest night of each respective political convention.... Fox News is down. Wow. This is completely unacceptable.

If I were not a Christian man who tries to watch his language, I would call Sky Angel and tell them this is B.S. -- and spell it out.

For now, I will still say this is B.S. = BAD SERVICE.

When I called last week to complain on Tuesday or Wednesday night, I was told by their rep that all TV services, even satellite or cable go down. As frustrated as I was.....I understood the point she tried to make.

But this happened twice now, during a crucial time as a viewer.....on what I suspect is the most popular channel in the Family side of Sky Angel's offerings.

I'm very dissatisfied. I will probably downgrade to just the Faith package tomorrow.

Right now, I am watching Governor Palin's speech on CSPAN on my Direc TV satellite. I just have the $20 package with them which gets me the locals , CSPAN 1 and 2, Christian stations, RFD-TV and XM Music channels. I had to take the cheapest international channel, which I don't even watch -- to be able to do this....but I wanted to spend as little as possible when I signed up for SA in March.

 

[kevinbct]

Continued....

Fox News on SA was back up and running by the beginning of Sarah Palin's speech. I watched it on CSPAN on my dish anyway.

Friday...
I was pleased today to get a courtesy call from Sky Angel to see if all of my issues from last week were addressed properly. I wasn't home when they left a message, but I may just call back to follow up.

 

[BrnAgn93]

SkyAngel Buffering!

We were one of the first IP TV Customers & have been buffering ever since the first day.

They sent us a new box....no change...we have been on all 3 servers, at least 3 times each...same thing; BUFFERING!

Buffering is the new way to drive a Christian insane! We've already gone off the deep end several times but keep praying that a miracle will happen.

I am not a guru so really can't understand how we, ourselves, can fix this thing. We love SkyAngel, but resent it when they try to say it's our fault. The truth is that their servers cannot handle the load.

Here's what we got and I'm hoping some kind hearted Guru will come up with a couple of miracles for us.

We have Vonage thru a Linksys wireless WRTP54G router. We have a computer hooked up to the Linksys as well & our upstairs Puter is on a wireless little thing that plugs into the USB slot.

And then there's SkyAngel set up thru our Wireless router that our phone & computers are hooked up to.

We have cable internet & more than enough speed...It is 2037 kbps. So our speed is good. I can give you the link to run the SkyAngel speed tests for all 3 of their servers...but it really doesn't help much.

We would appreciate ANY suggestions.

Thanks!
<><

 

[Rick68]

The first thing that I would try is disconnecting all other computers and Vonage from the home network for a while and then try SkyAngel. 2037 Kb is about 1.9 Mb, just a hair shy of 2Mb.
The other computers and Vonage could easily be taking up too much bandwidth, taking your 1.9 Mb below the required 1.5 Mb.
Even if there is no one using the computers or phone, they sometimes connect to the internet to check for updates and things like that.
Also, I have found that the speed checks provided by SkyAngel are pretty unreliable, my preference is speedtest . net
-Rick

 

[jholland]

It sounds to me like you are putting a lot of demand on a Mb level that is close to the minimum required. Are you checking your speed with an on-line speed-test, or are you reporting what your Neulion box shows on its speed test? I just now ran the speed test on my connection from the Sky Angel website and got 4.2 Mb (I have Comcast Internet service and get up to 12 Mb, varying all the way down to 1.0 occasionally for a brief time.) Even my high-speed Comcast occasionally dips below the required 1.5 for a brief time, and I do have trouble with SA buffering when that happens -- but it is very occasional and lasts no more than 20-30 minutes. I get very little buffering, mostly when I first turn the system on and access Fox News.

Then I just ran the speed test at the box (using the yellow button on the remote, then selecting "Test Network Connection"). That result was 2.63 Mb. It generally runs from about that to 3.9, can't recall it ever showing a higher bandwidth than that.

I have a Linksys router, but chose to use it as a wired hook-up, and my cable modem is the only other thing I use.

I believe whenever the problem is with the SA server, a screen message is displayed saying that. When the problem is repeated buffering, I think the it is most likely related to connection speed issues on your end. I try to be patient with some buffering, but know when it is a lot, it can be very frustrating. It is a new technology, but well worth some inconvenience for the payoff of enjoying the offering. Hope you can find a solution!

 

[JeffH]

We have Comcast as our ISP and use a Linksys WRT54G router; my speed test on the STB normally averages around 2.99 Mb/s. We experience very little buffering and overall we are very pleased with Sky Angel IPTV, from experience I know it can work well. Sorry you are having problems; technology is great, but it can also be very frustrating.

Jeff

 

[BrnAgn93]

The first thing that I would try is disconnecting all other computers and Vonage from the home network for a while and then try SkyAngel. 2037 Kb is about 1.9 Mb, just a hair shy of 2Mb.
The other computers and Vonage could easily be taking up too much bandwidth, taking your 1.9 Mb below the required 1.5 Mb.
Even if there is no one using the computers or phone, they sometimes connect to the internet to check for updates and things like that.
Also, I have found that the speed checks provided by SkyAngel are pretty unreliable, my preference is speedtest . net
-Rick

Already tried that. Disconnected all of them, then power cycled...absolutely no change. We called again tonight because it won't even turn on. The guy had me power cycle & said he'd call me back in 5 mins...it's been 20 mins...still no call.

 

[BrnAgn93]

It sounds to me like you are putting a lot of demand on a Mb level that is close to the minimum required. Are you checking your speed with an on-line speed-test, or are you reporting what your Neulion box shows on its speed test? I just now ran the speed test on my connection from the Sky Angel website and got 4.2 Mb (I have Comcast Internet service and get up to 12 Mb, varying all the way down to 1.0 occasionally for a brief time.) Even my high-speed Comcast occasionally dips below the required 1.5 for a brief time, and I do have trouble with SA buffering when that happens -- but it is very occasional and lasts no more than 20-30 minutes. I get very little buffering, mostly when I first turn the system on and access Fox News.

Then I just ran the speed test at the box (using the yellow button on the remote, then selecting "Test Network Connection"). That result was 2.63 Mb. It generally runs from about that to 3.9, can't recall it ever showing a higher bandwidth than that.

I have a Linksys router, but chose to use it as a wired hook-up, and my cable modem is the only other thing I use.

I believe whenever the problem is with the SA server, a screen message is displayed saying that. When the problem is repeated buffering, I think the it is most likely related to connection speed issues on your end. I try to be patient with some buffering, but know when it is a lot, it can be very frustrating. It is a new technology, but well worth some inconvenience for the payoff of enjoying the offering. Hope you can find a solution!

I just ran another speed test twice the high was 5366 kbps & the low was 5297. When we ran a speed test on the skyangel box we got .50 mb (I think it was MB).

 

[JeffH]

I just ran another speed test twice the high was 5366 kbps & the low was 5297. When we ran a speed test on the skyangel box we got .50 mb (I think it was MB).

There is your problem, .5 mbps (it is megabits) is not enough. I just ran a set top box test and have my normal average of 2.99 mbps. I have no buffering problems. I don't trust the on-line speed tests, I have 6 mbps service from Comcast but the on-line speed test has shown 12 mbps and higher.

Jeff