Problems streaming Netflix & Amazon Prime movies

[pbergeron37]

Hello,

I have a Blu-Ray player through which I can stream movies from  Netflix and Amazon.

I have been using this for over a year.  Occasionally I would get messages saying bandwidth

too low...  but it would usually come back.

For the past two months this has been very problematic.

I will often completely lose connection to the internet (where Netflix or Amazon doesn't give a low bandwidth

message,  just blacks out).

I thought this might be a wireless issue  so last week I hard-wired the blu-ray player to the Actiontec modem

via Ethernet.

This has not helped.

I called Amazon and they have the ability to look at errors and bandwidth of individual users.

They looked at the movie I last watched and saw no errors but they said the Bandwidth keeps

dropping off (at times completely)  as if my connection is getting buffered somehow (perhaps

a limitation of the set top box).

I've run Verizon's Speed test and it comes up fine.

I read another post where the user said they would periodically lose all internet connectivity when streaming Netflix.

Should I be requesting an updated set top box?

[armond_in_nj1]

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@pbergeron37 wrote:

Hello,

I have a Blu-Ray player ... I have been using this for over a year ... I will often completely lose connection ... I thought this might be a wireless issue  so last week I hard-wired the blu-ray player to the Actiontec ... This has not helped ... Should I be requesting an updated set top box?  

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Your Blu-Ray player is not affected by your STB, although when you connect wirelessly the Actiontec is obviously a possible culprit.  The same is true when you connect wired to the Actiontec, and that's certainly a possible offender.  Both the Blu-Ray and the STB are network clients on your home network and act independently (within certain limits such as IP assignments, etc.).

You need to investigate where the bandwidth issue arises, and one of the first issues to address (after the router) is your Internet connection speed.  What is your subscription?  It's possible (if somewhat unlikely) that your speed is too low and results in the buffering issue.

Also, please describe your wiring layout (completely), as well as the types of connections between and among all devices.  What is the router model, the STB model, etc.?  This helps the analysis.

[Hubrisnxs]

on lower tier'd speed plans, if you have another user watching netflix (streaming movies/music in general) or another pc doing torrenting or big downloads, it will affect your blu ray performance. 

so make sure you have very little network traffic in your house going on, while you are doing this testing, and then introduce normal every day elements in, to see what is causing it. 

[pbergeron37]

Thanks fot the suggestion.  Will make sure to check other activity next time this occurs.

Any idea what bandwidth is required  to stream an HD or Standard  movie if "nothing" else was going on?

[xfactor]

you can play with slow start up, and SD and possible buffering with as little as 500 to 1.5 mbs.

Without buffering and HD? 3 mb should be absulute minimum and usually, 7 -10 preferably.   

[pbergeron37]

Hello Armond,

My FIOS is 15/5  (15Mbs Download  15Mbs Upload)

Every speed test I have done   is approximately  25\5.

My router is an Actiontec MI424-WR Rev F.

The router connects to the Verizon "Back-up" unit via 3ft coax.

The "Back-up" unit has a 3ft coax to Verizon "box" outside.

My main STB is a Motorola QIP7232 2   (this is the one I primarily use and have been trouble shooting)

I now have an Ethernet from port 4 of my router to the Ethernet connection on my  Blu Ray player (Panasonic DMP-BDT210).

The cable is 40ft.

My 2nd STB is  a Motorola HD QIP 7100 1

This uses a wireless connection to the router.

My desktop PC connects to port 1 of the router.

I also have  a laptop with a wireless connection.

Last night when this problem last occurred I don't believe there was "much" activity on any of the items other than the Blu-Ray  but I did not verify.

One reason I suspect some sort of packet overload condition  on the router  is because prior to connecting

the blu ray via Ethernet I had a wireless connection.  With the wireless I would frequently get messages from

Netflix or Amazon  that it was "testing connection speed"  and it would either start playing again  or keep trying

until I gave up and stopped it.

With the Ethernet it now appears to completely disconnect (Netflix or Amazon blacks out with no connection or warning).

I did not check to see (which I will next time) what the state of other internet connections are when this occurs).

The Amazon tech told me he could see an almost repeatable amount of time where the BW drops  then picks up

and then the eventual "total loss" of bandwidth.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[armond_in_nj1]

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@pbergeron37 wrote:

 ... FIOS is 15/5  (15Mbs Download  15 [sic] Mbs Upload)

... router is an Actiontec MI424-WR Rev F.

... have an Ethernet from port 4 of my router to the Ethernet connection on my  Blu Ray player ...

... 2nd STB is  a Motorola HD QIP 7100 1 ... This uses a wireless connection to the router [?] ...

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I've marked your reply with a question mark, so let's go there first.  As far as I'm aware, the 7100 STB cannot connect wirelessly to the router or elsewhere, and in fact should be connected via coax, perhaps through a splitter, to the ONT ("outside box").  The connection may pass through your battery backup device depending upon model supplied.  This applies to both STBs and the router, with all three  devices typically running off a VZ-supplied splitter.  I assume that this is just a slight error in your reply.  If there is a wireless STB, I'm not aware of it.

Based upon what you've written, I suspect a cabling issue.   I'm including all cables between display devices and STBs, between display devices and the Blu-Ray player itself (very suspicious), and perhaps all coax cables and fittings, including connections at the splitter(s).  The STBs do not enter into the equation because they're not used to stream online content.  The router is not in the equation because you've eliminated the wireless Blu-Ray connection.  That just leaves the TV itself and the Blu-Ray (which at least for the present we assume is working).  In fact the Blu-Ray player may not be operating properly, but I'm not sure how one tests that hypothesis in your network.

Take a careful look at all the cables, and try disconnecting and carefully reconnecting your devices, looking carefully at all components as you go along.  Usually in situations like this, the answer is not the devices themselves but how they're connected to each other.

[armond_in_nj1]

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@armond_in_nj wrote:

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@pbergeron37 wrote:

... router is an Actiontec MI424-WR Rev F ...

... have an Ethernet from port 4 of my router to the Ethernet connection on my  Blu Ray player ...

---

... The router is not in the equation because you've eliminated the wireless Blu-Ray connection ...

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Obviously my statement here is not exactly correct.  I should have specified that the wireless function of the router is not involved.  However the router itself could indeed be faulty, as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread.  Yet since you have indicated that your other Internet devices are functioning properly, it still seems to hinge on either the cable setup, or the Blu-ray player itself.

[pbergeron37]

Hi,

<armond wrote>

>As far as I'm aware, the 7100 STB cannot connect wirelessly to the router or elsewhere, and in fact should be connected

>via coax,

You are correct, it is connected via coax.  I meant to say I have another BluRay player connected to this STB which

is wirelessly connected to the router.

I experience the same poor connectivity issues with this BluRay but since it is upstairs and the router

downstairs I'm not  so surprised.

I've tightened all my coax connections (inside and outdoors) and will see how it goes this weekend.

If the issue occurs again I'll switch to my PC (ethernet to router) and see if the issue is there as well.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[armond_in_nj1]

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@pbergeron37 wrote:

<armond wrote>

>As far as I'm aware, the 7100 STB cannot connect wirelessly to the router or elsewhere, and in fact should be connected

>via coax,

You are correct, it is connected via coax.  I meant to say I have another BluRay player connected to this STB which

is wirelessly connected to the router.

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Not to be a pest, but your Blu-Ray is NOT connected to the STB.  It's connected to the display device and usually by HDMI. OTOH, if you are using the Blu-Ray to stream content, it is connected to the Internet via the Actiontec router, either by Ethernet or via wireless.  In any case, keep us posted and we'll keep trying on this end.

[walt178]

pbergeron37

If you haven't already, try streaming Amazon onto your notebook. Wireless.  If that works, the problem will be the Blu-Ray. I'm ignoring the cable to the TV because that would not cause the connectivity problem you are having.

If you can't stream to either of your computers, that would imply the router or input to the router (cable or signal) is the cause.

[greenguy75]

I am having tha same problem, but the problem occurred when we switched to Fios from Comcast. Ever since then we have been unable to stream Netflix without it crashing, or failing to connect. It is either one of two problems. It could be a compatibility problem with the wireless range extender, or Verizon is chopping the signal when the bandwidth reaches a certain level, whether it is mine, or based on a majority signal. We went with Fios because we wanted a stronger signal, but we ended up getting a weaker signal. One problem, is not just internet it is also when there are a combination of TV and internet signals going on at once. You might have two TV's on and one of them is streaming Netflix on a player, and another person is surfing the web. Fios should be able to handle this because Comcast with a lower mbps can. Maybe Netflix runs less efficient on Fios and uses up more bandwidth? Who knows? But the problem for me started the day we switched over to Fios.

[ZrC1]

Same problem here, just switched over from Comcast 50/10 package to Verizon 75/35. Speeds are better than whats rated on speedtest.net. But I get cut outs on the connection using Spotify, Netflix and Vudu. Now heres the big problem, its not wifi since my house is wired for ethernet. All PCs and TVs are wired and drop outs happen regardless of wired or wireless. Also this seems to happen more during the hours of 4-10pm. I'm debating just going back to Comcast and getting rid of this headache.

[Gdaymate]

Why oh why isn't someone from Verizon (tech support AND management) monitoring this thread and posting their thoughts/advise so all can read? I have stuck with Verizon thru all my problems because I have a work-around but I csn understand why there are a lot of upset people out there, some of whom are switching back to other suppliers. Verizon seems to have gotten too big to bother dealing with individual subscribers and their phillosophy seems to be to ignore a problem (or re-direct a user to their useless web-support) and it will go away.

[pbergeron37]

Hello,

You are correct (and I don't mind being corrected)

>>Not to be a pest, but your Blu-Ray is NOT connected to the STB.  It's connected to the display device and usually by >>HDMI.

Also,  based on what happened yesterday I am suspecting this is not a "local" hardware issue (router, connections, streaming units...).

I think it is either a  Verizon BW or Streaming Service BW issue.

Around 6pm Satuday I was watching a streamed HD movie from Amazon (connected via CAT 5).  My kids were

simultaneously watching a streaming Netflix movie on the wireless setup (Blu-Ray player to TV).

Neither of us had any problems with buffereing for the 2hours we were simultaneously viewing...

My kids then shut off their blu-ray unit and left.  20 minutes later my HD movie finished and I started wathing

a standard definition movie on Amazon. By now it was just after 8pm.  Thirty minutes in to the movie

I had major buffering problems (movie kept pausing every 10s or so)  for 10 minutes at which time I gave up.

During the week I see similar behavior where there are no issues say between 3 and 5pm  but after maybe 6 or 7pm  that problems occur.

As I stated originally,  I spoke with Amazon about this issue and they can look at the history of movies I've watched

and can tell if any issues are on their end or the users end. They told me they were seeing buffering

on my end for the last movie I had experienced problems with.

Now I thought FIOS was not BW limited the way cable is.  Is it possible that FIOS slows down in heavy useage areas?

Next time this occurs I'll immediately do a BW test but those tests don't seem to last long enough to test for

"fluctuating" BW?

[munkigrrl]

I'm very interested in this thread as I'm having the exact same issues. I've got an internet ready LG TV with a direct ethernet connection to the Actiontec router. In the past few weeks I've suddenly been getting awful buffering and dropping out many times during Amazon streaming shows. And it is happening during 'prime time' (6-9pm)

Amazon told me the same thing--that my records show excellent bandwidth streaming with sudden complete drops. The tech said it looked like the provider was using some sort of Speed Burst that was dumping a ton of data and then 'resting' before sending the next packet--obviously not what one wants for Streaming unless a huge amount is pre-buffered.

I recently upgraded to the fastest FIOS they were offering in my area, which I think issomething like 50/30 and certainly should be fast enough for an HD video.

I'm puzzled since everything was behaving beautifully until a couple of weeks ago, and Amazon even saw the same thing--recent drop outs.

I assume it is Verizon but they are impossible to get hold of and when you do, it is rare to get a tech who understands and can diagnose the issue, so any input you all have would be great. I don't know of any way to adjust the HD streaming of Amazon to either increase the buffering or lower the transfer rate (which Hulu does let you do), and I hate to have to switch to SD after bothering to pay for all the HD stuff.

[GGA1]

I am also having very similar problems.

At about 7pm I log into Amazon streaming via Sony S790 bluray player. I have 35mps Fios and the system is hardwired. Connection speed at log in is 15mps. I choose the program I want to stream. Initial speed is still 15mps. After about 1 minute you can watch the speed drop from 15mps to 0.5mps in about 30 seconds. I then get a message to contact my ISP because of the low speed. After about 2 minutes the streaming resumes for about 30 seconds and the whole cycle repeats.

If I watch a couple hours later, 9pm, speeds are now 35mps and there are no problems.

This is has happened two nights in a row. Previously there were never any issues.

Clearly Verizon is doing something to the bandwidth. I live in a small community and I do not think there are many Fios users in the area.

I tried contacting Verizon support via phone and chat but the system is impenetrable and is designed not to allow contact.

[GGA1]

The loss of streaming happened again last night. Here were the circumstances:

Started watching Amazon at 5:30pm (PST), 15mps. Worked fine until 6:58 when speed went downt to 2mps, streaming paused, message to contact ISP. Streaming resumed after about 1 minute. This happened three times in row. Then speed went to 25mps and I had no further problems.

Clearly Verizon Fios is screwing with the speed. I would call them to see if it is a neighborhood problem but I have not found it possible to get through their impenetrable customer "support" system.

[walt178]

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@GGA wrote:

Started watching Amazon at 5:30pm (PST), 15mps. Worked fine until 6:58 when speed went downt to 2mps, streaming paused, message to contact ISP. Streaming resumed after about 1 minute. 

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That doesn't make sense to me.  With my prior cable provider my best connection speed was around 1.5mps.  At that speed I never had a problem streaming content from Amazon.  I didn't encounter problems until it dropped below 1mps. Depending on the content I was ok at under 500kps.

With FIOS my connection speed is routinely 15mps or above. I have not encountered a single problem streaming media since switching over.

I don't doubt the problems being related in this thread are real.  But I suspect the connection speed is not the real culprit. Something else is going on and the speed issue is just a symptom of the real problem.

[munkigrrl]

I don't think it is speed either--that is a symptom. In my case the Amazon rep could see in the logs that I was receiving excellent data volume that would just suddenly drop to zero. And it was a recent phenomenon. Something is cutting data flow to a trickle in some of the posters' cases or off altogether in mine. If I have a few hours to spare this weekend I'll suck it up and try their support line, though I'm not holding my breath. If I learn anything I'll post it. And Walt178, I hope your luck holds. My service was excellent too until the past few weeks....

[Gdaymate]

I'm having exactly the same problems with a wireless Samsung TV and Samsung won't touch the problem ("talk to you ISP.")

I did, and upgraded my old Rev A Actiontek router to a Rev I. At the same time I got a good deal from Verizon and upgraded my speed from 25/15 to 50/25.

Guess what - still having problems with HBOgo and Pandora.

I have a mix of wireless devices hooked up to my router (3 computers, 3 printers, 2 DVD players) as well as 3 hard-wired set-top boxes and everything works fine except the Samsung TV.

I have run speed tests with all devices connected individually and collectivley and there is no loss of signal or performance regardless of how many devices are running.

Latest input from a Verizon tech was that I examine the spitters I have and maybe reduce the number. I did and I only have the one 5-way 7.5db splitter that Verizon installed and a 2-way unmarked splitter that I installed between the Verizon splitter and the Actiontek router. It's possible but I don't think this is the problem.

Any ideas??