Squeezebox Re-buffering frustration

PSOVLSK

The re-buffering used to happen occasionally. Now I can't even listen to the SB in my living room because it's a constant re-buffering. The main computer is in my wife's office which has double doors that are kept open and is less than 50' from the SB. The SB in my other room usually works fine with occasional re-buffering. It's a separate room down a very small hallway (actually a stretch to call it a hallway) about 30' away. Any settings that will help the problem? Any way to get a better wireless connection?

heiney9

It has to be a CPU issue. In all my years owning a SQB, never had a single issue with buffering, unless you are talking about streaming radio stations. But then you are at the mercy of the station.

Is the rebuffering from your music library?

H9

Syndil

Sounds like a wireless interference/crowding issue. Any new WiFi devices in the house? New neighbors? Might see if you can find a less crowded WiFi channel. By default many routers are set to channel 6. Might try going to channel 1 or 11 to see if that helps at all.

hochpt21

Funny, I bought a used SQB duet a few months ago. I play only MOG and Pandora. I don't know if it's the same thing as the OP, but the last week or so the music will stop streaming. When I pick up the remote, it buffers for about 10 seconds and then I have to push play again once the album art comes up. I'd say it happens about once every half-hour or so. This wasn't an issue for the first few months.

I won't pretend I know a lot about how to fix the issue. Very well could be a CPU issue or my wireless connection.

At this point, it's not enough to bother me too much.

heiney9

My guess is it's MOG or Pandora. I can't say because I stream 99% my own music from my library and about 1% internet music. I do have a Squeeze Radio upstairs in the bedroom and listen to talk radio and some stations are better than others for the exact same content.

H9

PSOVLSK

I'm fairly confident it's a CPU/router issue. I wasn't sure if there was possibly a setting in the SB that I had overlooked.

The problem is probably more common with my music library, but it also does it with Pandora.

I just made the connection, but the major problems probably began about the same time that my daughter got her iPhone.

My computer knowledge is fairly low, but I'll try to figure out how to change the router channel. Probably the simplest thing in the world for someone who knows what they're doing. Not so much for me. I'm assuming I'll have to make any changes on the wired computer, which is my wife's work computer. She may not let me near it for fear of me messing something up.:redface::cheesygrin:

Thanks.

gdpeck

PSOVLSK wrote: »

I'm fairly confident it's a CPU/router issue. I wasn't sure if there was possibly a setting in the SB that I had overlooked.

The problem is probably more common with my music library, but it also does it with Pandora.

I just made the connection, but the major problems probably began about the same time that my daughter got her iPhone.

My computer knowledge is fairly low, but I'll try to figure out how to change the router channel. Probably the simplest thing in the world for someone who knows what they're doing. Not so much for me. I'm assuming I'll have to make any changes on the wired computer, which is my wife's work computer. She may not let me near it for fear of me messing something up.:redface::cheesygrin:

Thanks.

My guess is that it is a Wireless LAN channel issue as has already been posted here. Even if you had clear channels before, your neighbors may have added a new access point, that now interferes with the channels. One good way to isolate is to try a wired connection and see if the issue goes away. Sometimes that isn't possible or practical, so changing the WiFi channel is the best way to go. I have re-buffering problems that pop up from time to time. Usually I switch to a different WiFi channel and they go away.

There could also be other sources of interference. For example, if someone starts up the microwave, I will get re-buffering almost instantly. Changing the wifi channel usually won't help with that type of interference. 2.4 GHz cordless phones can interfere as well, and changing the WiFi channel can help with that interference. An iPhone shouldn't interfere, unless your daughter is using the wireless hotspot capability of the iPhone. But it could.

Changing the WiFi channel is easy and doesn't change anything on the computer. Most Routers have a web interface that you log into and make the change there. Sometimes it is easier to do that changes on a wired computer, but it isn't necessary. There are some good suggestions here: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=91811&highlight=re-buffering Good luck!

PSOVLSK

No luck. I changed the router to every channel available with basically the same results.

I guess I'll try a wired connection to confirm the problem, but I won't be able to leave it wired.

Thanks for the help.

gdpeck

Are you connecting to a local squeezebox server (aka logitech media server)? Or are you connecting to mysqueezebox.com? If local, where is the server running?

PSOVLSK

Logitech Media Server. To play my files or Internet Radio I have to connect to LMS. To play Pandora I have to connect to mysqueezebox.com.

Server is running on a computer that is on a wireless internet connection. That computer is about 2ft from my SB Touch and about 30ft from my Slim.

heiney9

Why do you have to connect to LMS to stream internet radio? I don't.

H9

gdpeck

PSOVLSK wrote: »

Logitech Media Server. To play my files or Internet Radio I have to connect to LMS. To play Pandora I have to connect to mysqueezebox.com.

Server is running on a computer that is on a wireless internet connection. That computer is about 2ft from my SB Touch and about 30ft from my Slim.

So the re-buffering is occuring with both LMS and mysqueezebox.com?

PSOVLSK

heiney9 wrote: »

Why do you have to connect to LMS to stream internet radio? I don't.

H9

I may have misspoken. I automatically connect to LMS when the computer turns on. It's possible that I can connect to internet radio without being connected to LMS.

gdpeck wrote: »

So the re-buffering is occuring with both LMS and mysqueezebox.com?

I just listened to Pandora yesterday for about 2 hrs without an issue, so maybe it's only with LMS.

steveinaz

So you are making 2 wireless jumps? Computer to the modem, and sqb to the modem? Any way you can hard wire the comp w/LMS on it to the modem?

heiney9

All I can say is A) when I stream any internet radio station or service I don't use LMS and while occasionally I have an issue; it's on the providers streaming end. is 4 years of streaming from my own music library I have never had a drop out or buffering issue. I'd look hard at the hardware and make sure things are properly set-up as in sufficiently set-up to run a wireless product like the SQB.

It is possible to have a weak wireless router, or interference, or too much distance or too many wireless devices running at once and it will cause hiccups but it's not really the fault of the SQB in these senario's. I do know DKG999 had some issues simply because he was running to much wireless stuff on his then current wireless router.

If I were you I would try and hard wire if you can to start the process of elimination and Steve is correct, if you are making two wireless jumps one of those maybe the issue and it's probably the wireless jump from computer to router.

Just keep at it, it's not an exact science when you have multiple devices fighting for wireless bandwidth. I still am not sure you have explained exactly when and how it happens specifically. Also it will tax your computer less if you stream internet radio services over the modem rather than LMS, just a thought.

H9

steveinaz

I ended up raising my modem up to the top of the office desk cabinet, just to improve the strength a bit---it went from 73% strength on the Touch to 90%. Just an FYI. I've had 1 drop-out on 24/96 material, that's when I decided to hardwire my LMS server to the modem. haven't had a problem since, and I'm streaming PCM.

disneyjoe7

Syndil wrote: »

Sounds like a wireless interference/crowding issue. Any new WiFi devices in the house? New neighbors? Might see if you can find a less crowded WiFi channel. By default many routers are set to channel 6. Might try going to channel 1 or 11 to see if that helps at all.

I agree and this would be my first step to fix that problem.

tonyb

I had to change channels on the router once, that was because I noticed when I turned on the microwave, the music cut out. No problems ever since. A microwave....go figure.

PSOVLSK

H9, you are correct on a few things for sure. 1) I have not done a good job of specifically expaining when/how it occurs. I need to sit down and listen to music files, internet radio, and Pandora to figure out exactly when it happens. 2) It's not a SB issue, it's a computer issue. The SB is awesome.

Hardwiring is not a permanent option. If I can find a long enough cable, I can hard wire to diagnose the problem, but I can't leave it hard-wired.

Having the LMS on the wired computer is not an option. That computer is my wife's company computer, so no personl stuff allowed.

These two non-negotiables may leave me out of luck on fixing the issue.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Paul

PSOVLSK

I've listened to Pandora and internet radio with no rebuffering since about 4:30 this afternoon. Wireless strength shows to be at 70%, so I'm pretty certain you guys have nailed the problem. I was in Best Buy looking for something else and stumbled across one of these: http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Arouter%20extender&page=1

Anyone have any experience with any of them? Looks like it could be a solution to my problem if it works as advertised.

gdpeck

I've never tried any of the range extenders on the amazon page you shared the link with. I have tried to use Apple's wireless extension solution (Airport Extreme as main wife, and Airport Express as range extenders and found it to be more trouble than it was worth. However, I think that my house is pretty conducive to good wifi signal, as I have the Airport Extreme on the second floor in one corner of the house, and I get good coverage everywhere in the house without any range extenders in place (~3500 sq ft. on two stories). I have read on the squeezebox forums that some people have had good success with the powerline ethernet adapters, and that might be a decent (although pricey) solution to get a wired connection between the LMS box and the router.

One thing that I've noticed from time to time, is that unexplainable re-buffering issues just go away with a re-boot of the LMS machine. It seems too simple to work, but it has cleared things up for me a couple of times. I do think ultimately it comes down to a good network connection. There are so many variables with wifi, and it can be very frustrating to work them out.

ALL212

It was mentioned but not discussed...
Start your tunes and make sure it is working. Go turn your microwave on and see what happens next. Most microwaves operate in 2.x MHz...same as your wireless. One of my 7 sqb's will buffer up every time our micro is used. The rest are fine. The one that buffers has the micro between it and my WAP.

disneyjoe7

I sometimes lower the transmitting ratio output on the router to increase the signal receiver. Right now I'm at 50 mw from 71 mw original output level, the 50 mw works better in my house.

PSOVLSK

steveinaz wrote: »

So you are making 2 wireless jumps? Computer to the modem, and sqb to the modem? Any way you can hard wire the comp w/LMS on it to the modem?

Problem is finally resolved:cheesygrin::cheesygrin::cheesygrin:

I thought it was impossible for me to have a hardwire connection since it's my wife's work computer. BUT, I forgot about her personal laptop because she never uses it. I hooked it up today, installed LMS and now I'm in business. Listened for about 2 hours while playing catch and swimming with my son and not a single "re-buffering" issue.

Thanks to everyone for the help in troubleshooting this issue.

Syndil

Glad you got it resolved. Too much WiFi in the world!

steveinaz

Good deal, enjoy! It can be dicey if both the computer w/LMS AND the SQBox are running wireless. It's best to run the computer wired to the modem.

mdaudioguy

steveinaz wrote: »

So you are making 2 wireless jumps? Computer to the modem, and sqb to the modem? Any way you can hard wire the comp w/LMS on it to the modem?

As you suggest, I also agree with getting the server on a wired connection. Two wireless hops just doubles the probably of wireless transmission issues.

mdaudioguy

PSOVLSK wrote: »

Problem is finally resolved:cheesygrin::cheesygrin::cheesygrin:

I thought it was impossible for me to have a hardwire connection since it's my wife's work computer. BUT, I forgot about her personal laptop because she never uses it. I hooked it up today, installed LMS and now I'm in business. Listened for about 2 hours while playing catch and swimming with my son and not a single "re-buffering" issue.

Thanks to everyone for the help in troubleshooting this issue.

Oops, posted before reading all the way through!
Glad you're back to enjoying it!!

musictablet

I am also getting the same problem. My LMS version is 7.7.2. I don't have any rebuffering problems only when I play high definition tracks (96/24). I thought the problem was the distance of the SqueezeBox Touch from the router (about 15 feet). So I placed the SBT right next to the router (6 inches away) and I was still getting the problem.

I never had this rebuffering problems until I upgraded to this 7.7.2 version.
Is there a way of going back to the previous version? Everything used to work flawlessly before this 7.7.2 version.

PSOVLSK wrote: »

The re-buffering used to happen occasionally. Now I can't even listen to the SB in my living room because it's a constant re-buffering. The main computer is in my wife's office which has double doors that are kept open and is less than 50' from the SB. The SB in my other room usually works fine with occasional re-buffering. It's a separate room down a very small hallway (actually a stretch to call it a hallway) about 30' away. Any settings that will help the problem? Any way to get a better wireless connection?

musictablet

Correction: I have rebuffering problems only when I play high definition tracks (96/24).

steveinaz

Musictab--
Maybe scan the logitech forum and see if there is another solution, or possibly try reloading 7.7.2. Are you making 2 wireless jumps, or just one to the SB?

Maybe also try streaming PCM instead of flac, again see the SQB forum for details on how to change that option. I'd share with you, if my old **** could remember what I did...LOL, something to do with "file types" in LMS setup.