Gut check for all the recent digital filtering chatter

msg

jdjohn wrote: »

I have a few SBT in-house myself, and remember having a similar latency issue a few years ago. Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly how I fixed it, but I *think* it may have been by using a better ethernet cable. @msg might have some thoughts here.

Yeah, Jody, I don't remember how you sorted that, or whether it might've been a plugin issue that was later resolved?

I've had an issue from time to time where the song prematurely and abruptly ends and goes to next track, but haven't had it happen in a long time. No changes here. I think it was more with Spotty, and maybe Pandora that I noticed it?

I believe that it may also have had something to do with the number of SBTs running synced at the same time - typically just 3. There are settings in LMS you can configure for lag, say if one is ethernet and the others are wifi. There's a sync tolerance setting, and LMS will allow a certain amount of drift before correcting. I think whenever that's been an issue here, though, I've only seen it present as a dropout, and the SBTs briefly display "Connecting..." and then "Waiting to sync..." I can't say with certainty that it's never jumped to next track due to sync issues.

George - sounds like just a glitch, but you could try checking out the QoS options for your router, and maybe prioritizing traffic for the Squeezebox and LMS stuff? I haven't done this, and it could have a negative impact on speed for your other internet connected devices and services, at least while streaming audio on your LMS devs.

I don't automatically jump to each new version of LMS and plugins when they're available. Usually wait a while. "If it ain't broke and I don't need a feature... remain ignorant."

Gardenstater

Thanks Scott!

Speaking of glitches try running smokeping over at DSLReports.com site. My understanding is that it will ping your IP address 20 times every 5 minutes for 24 hours (longer term if you register/join) and you get a record of things like roundtrip time and % packets lost (!!). It is quite informative I guess to people who have a clue unlike me, but I am thinking that if you don't experience the glitch at the same time from the 3 different servers located at different geographical locations and distances, that the problem is likely not a result of your own network? I did not have any packet losses coincide in time so far. Maybe Verizon Fios is off the hook so far ?

Anyway, I was wanting to see if there were any diagnostics in LMS or mysqueezebox.com that would be similar to "Event Viewer" in a Microsoft PC and I discovered while looking for that, that in mysqueezebox.com there is a default setting of 3s buffer set in "Radio Station Buffer" that can be set as high as 30s. I said what the heck, when I disconnect my ethernet cable, the music continues playing for 30s, so why not have the setting in the software end set to 30s too? So I set it to that and I'll see if the problem goes away or diminishes.

Gardenstater

Tried last night:

1) Upping the Buffer to max. of 30s and Timeout to max. of 60s. Settings which I found in LMS itself. No effect. mysqueezebox.com doesn't even recognize my player is connected even while it is playing music so changing buffer to 30s there had no effect either.

2) Changing out the player to a 2nd SBT which had no effect.

3) Looking inside of Verizon Gateway to find any settings that might make things better.....uhh yeah like I'd have a clue? Didn't stumble on anything that jumped out at me. Pinged TIDAL.com max of 999 consecutive times with no packets lost or much of a latency for the roundtrip. Unsuccessful pinging Qobuz.com so the F'n French must have that blocked.

Want to try:

!) Trying listening to music only with no other internet accessing browsers open going forward to see if better or a cure. Maybe even killing Chrome instances running in stealth mode (F'n google)

2) Updating LMS to most recent version after I confirm with you guys that it is stable? Fraid of making something worse.....

3) Cleaning RJ45 male and female connectors on cable and Verizon Gateway and SBT

4) Trying a different ethernet port on Verizon Gateway

5) ???

sucks2beme

My understanding of how filters work
Is isolating noise. The 0's ans 1's are
working just fine. But the noise is working
It's way into end device and entering the ground
Plane. This only affects the decoded analog
signal. So you get a quieter background with filtering.
I got this information from a manufacturer rep.
A shielded cable might work better, or worsen an
Issue if an upstream component is the source of
Noise. The big problem out there is a lot of subpar
Stuff made in 3rd world countries. There's a lot of
Network interfaces not designed right.
I guess I should of kept my cable test gear.
I never noticed any issues with quality brand patch
Cables. IT guys making patch cables? Most were
Awful. Or go intermittent when moved. Nothing
Like that kind of mayhem. Nothing but factory
Patch cables for me.