Netflix pauses for no reason

[Argyros]

I am running ATV2 on Rogers cable at 12Mbps. Most times Netflix runs fine but on some days it stops (pauses) for up to 5 or seconds at at time, with the spinning ring. Last night, it was doing this every 5 to ten minutes. I did a speedtest during one of these pauses and it reported that I was getting 14Mbps down and about 450Kbps Up.

Nothing else significant going on, on the network.

Anyone have ideas where I should start looking.

Thanks

[audacity]

Is the ATV2 getting its data via WiFi or Ethernet (wired)?

If its WiFi, I'd immediately suspect radio interference. If its Ethernet, I'd suspect either your ISP (but you said you tested that) or the particular Netflix server that was serving your ATV2 content.

[Argyros]

Wifi - but it is close enough to the router, to be cabled, so I will give that a try.

[hugh]

Same problem at my house with Rogers.

I won't use ATV2 at night for Netflix because of it. It could be a Netflix problem but my guess is Rogers is either throttling Netflix type services at night or simply can't provide the bandwith in my neighbourhood.

On the odd time I want Netflix at night, I use the HTPC which buffers the incoming film and so no hiccups.


edit: Didn't see your next post when I wrote the stuff above

I assumed wired when I responded.

FWIW, I would suspect Wifi first. I only use wired connections for all streaming devices.

[jshel101]

This is also happening to me on my ATV2. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it is very annoying. Last week I tried to watch a movie with my kids and it was pausing every 5 or 10 minutes. My ATV2 is directly plugged into my network, so that shouldn't be an issue. I wonder if this is a problem with ATV2 or maybe there are just some videos on Netflix that don't stream very well.

[hugh]

If you go back in the HTPC forum, there was several threads complaining about this type of behaviour with ATV2 with Movie rentals. The common belief was the ISP was the offender but not sure if that was true or not.

[Argyros]

Side question. When you have an internet re-seller like Teksavvy or Acanac, do they bypass the Rogers or Bell traffic shaping or is it still there.

[jshel101]

I found some information the Apple Support forums that indicated a possible cause of this. I'm not sure if I am allowed to post the link so I will just paste the information I found. Well this poster indicates that he thinks it is Netflix's fault.

1. "Netflix only buffers on the ATV, and no other device in my house, so the problem is the ATV." Wrong. Netflix chooses the servers, run by 3rd parties called CDNs, based on device type. In the past, I have looked at the actual network packets and found that Netflix had used one vendor for the ATV, and it ALWAYS buffered from that vendor, yet never assigned that vendor for the Roku.



2. "I (pick one) [A. Rebooted my ATV B. Rebooted my modem C. Replaced my HDMI cable D. Installed the latest ATV update E. Downgraded the ATV firmware F. Changed my DNS settings G. Waved a chicken over my head] and it worked, so I resolved the problem. Wrong (probably). The 3rd party servers are assigned anew for each show you watch. So when you have a problem, you are connected to a bad Netflix 3rd-party server. When you do A-G and then watch a show, you roll the dice and get a good Netflix 3rd-party server, and you think you fixed the problem, post here, and then the problem reappears down the road. Correlation is not cause and effect.



If this recent outbreak of the problem is like the one I worked on during the summer, then this is mostly Netflix's fault. I see only two paths to resolve it: 1. Return products and cancel subscriptions for products and services that you pay for, yet do not adequetly perform their advertised function. If you can't or don't want to do so, then 2. Call Netflix and Apple support. But beware: when you do so, they will have you do some basic things to resolve the problem and it will "work", but see point 2 above... this will be an "H"!

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by Argyros

Side question. When you have an internet re-seller like Teksavvy or Acanac, do they bypass the Rogers or Bell traffic shaping or is it still there.

I think it depends on the type of service. My recollection with Teksavvy for Ontario is that with Teksavvy cable it bypasses the Rogers BT throttling. With Teksavvy DSL you were still subject to the Bell BT throttling unless you used MLPPP which required special router firmware such as Tomato.

But Bell throttling is supposed to go away in a couple of months.

But it is not clear that the ISPs are throttling non-BT traffic and even when they do this throttling they at times deny it. But Rogers appears to be the worst offender, hence the response from Gamers who are PO'ed at Rogers and who have prompted the CRTC to act.

We use Netflix quite frequently in our house but it is normally childrens shows on the iPad and my service is Rogers Ultimate - 50 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. Perhaps the childrens shows are of a lower bitrate where you don't notice the throttling and/or they don't throttle Ultimate as much as other tiers and/or this doesn't apply to an iPad.