BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
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BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 10:39 AM
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this is something I've brought up before but that was not resolved.
I am having terrible trouble listening to the BBC Radio ASX streams via Plusnet. The problem seems to vary by time of day. At 6.30am for instance I find that I can almost never get a stream to play. After 8.00am the problem does not appear quite so as severe.
I'd normally listen to BBC Radio via my Logitech Squeezebox devices (www.logitechsqueezebox.com). However, in an attempt to best diagnose the problem I've been testing using the widely used Windows Media Player. Luckily I have two other feeds I can test the streams from, Nildram at work and a friends Newnet account. I've mostly tested PlusNet against Nildram.
Findings indicate that the problem appears exclusive to Plusnet.
Using Windows Media Player via a Nildram feed I can sucessfully connect to any of the BBC streams using the ASX playlists below. Via Plusnet the success rates varies but at best could be described as extremely flaky. At worse none of the streams are obtainable (as I post most are not available via Plusnet but all are via Nildram)
My Squeezeboxes report the error as "Error: No items found in playlist"
Last time I mentioned this Wireshark was trotted out and I was informed that these streams had a x80 "gold rating". However, I am wondering if there might be more to the problem than this. It is possible that the following factors might have a bearing (although I am at a loss to work out how this might be):
1) BBC playlists deliver different streams depending upon recipients IP address (i.e. higher bandwidth streams to UK addresses)
2) BBC playlists are complicated and include mulitple streams with multiple addresses
3) The BBC routes it's feeds via a number of third parties, so the route that the feed takes to the end users can be complicated and inconsistent (ie. can vary each time one connects).
The streams in question are:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r1.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r2.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r3.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r4.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r5l.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r6.asx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r7.asx
The iPlayer high quality AAC live radio streams also suffer from the same problems via Plusnet, but not as consistently, so I'm leaving them out so as to not muddy the water. At this moment they are all playing fine, but at 6.30am this morning I could not access them at all via Plusnet.
Anyway, any help appreciated (especially by those available at 6.30am in the morning!).
Reference material:
Related Plusnet threads:
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74780.0.html
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,75157.0.html
Logitech Squeezebox threads (posted before testing Plusnet against Nildram):
Main post: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showpost.php?p=466909&postcount=5
Thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?p=466909
Cheers.
MC
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 11:07 AM
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Apologies if I've missed it, but I've seen that you ran a wireshark trace, showing that the traffic was picked up as 0x60, which is silver or unidentified traffic.
Did you raise a ticket at the time and if so what sort of response did you get from our networks team?
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 11:50 AM
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That was a different problem and it was addressed in a timely manner.
Then I was experiencing stuttering and buffering because Plusnet were throttling the bandwidth of the BBC streams to an unknown device signature (Logitech Squeezebox). It was cured nicely by Plusnet upgrading the proritisation of the streams to the device to x80 (gold).
Ths problem now is that the streams are most often not playable (on any standard local player, software or hardware). The error supplied by the Logitech Squeezebox devices states "Error: No items Found in Playlist".
Windows Media Player gives "Windows Media Player encountered a problem while downloading the file. For additional assistance, click Web Help", with the help link leading to a page that states:
"You've encountered error message C00D0FEA while using Windows Media Player. Additional information is not currently available for this error.
This error might have been triggered by an error in another program or component of Windows. The following information describes the original error.
Original Error Code: 800C0008 Original Error Message: The download of the specified resource has failed".
My feeling is the problem goes beond the prioritisation of the stream bandwidth but might be due to Plusnet bandwidth shaping hardware, the format of the BBC playlists and/or the inconsistent manner in which the BBC appear to route their traffic. But then what do I know, this is not my field. 🙂
As I say, all works OK on a Nildram feed.
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 12:00 PM
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Are you able to run a new wireshark trace when trying to start up such a stream?
It would be helpful to see how the traffic is being identified and if there is anything that we can do to fix.
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 12:29 PM
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Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 1:31 PM
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I have made two SBS connection Wireshark traces, showing:
1) Two failed attempts to connect to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r4.asx usinfg SBS (Wireshark_SBS_Radio4.pcap)
2) One successful attempts to connect to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/listen/live/r4.asx using WPM (Wireshark_WPM_Radio4.pcap)
Can you remind me how to get them to you?
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 1:35 PM
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Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 6:19 PM
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Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 9:03 PM
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Quote from: pierre_pierre Just tried them on my noddy little Asus EeePC Netbook linux version, all 7 streams ran ok
The feeds "tend" to work for me in the evenings too. Please try it at 6.30am and then let us know. If you could name the player you are using that might be helpful as well.
MC
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 10:21 PM
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thats the firefox this noddy came with.
might be up at your required time
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
05-10-2009 11:13 PM
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Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
06-10-2009 10:07 AM
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Quote from: ChrisL I listen to BBC asx streams in WMP every day without problem, though not usually until after noon. The only snag I've encountered recently is with the Radio 3 Homepage, which delivers a script error in WMP 'Now playing'.
That's useful, thanks. I'd almost certainly have experienced the problem with WMP if I listened every day after midday. This begins to make it look like there is a problem with my set up. But I can't see what. It's very bog standard (Netgear router, main machine wired, standard Plusnet settings, fixed IP, Kaspersky AV, XP Pro etc). As the problem appear the same on my laptop (with wireless connection). That sort of seams to leave router settings (which are not esoteric in any way), IP address... and then Plusnet. The BBC ASX streams *appear* to work fine on my iPhone when it is connected to my home wirelesss network though (I say *appear* as I've not done much testing at all - maybe a task for tomorrow morning).
I too receive a script error for BBC Radio 3 using Windows Media Player.
My ticket is now "Assigned to correct ticket pool", whatever that means (sunk?)
Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
06-10-2009 10:08 AM
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Re: BBC Radio ASX streams - often not available from Plusnet (esp before 8.00am)
09-10-2009 11:48 AM
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Thanks for the help and sorry to cast aspersions. I've closed the ticket.
MC
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