Network too slow to stream movies

ausue82 · ‎12-10-2011

Every time we try to watch a movie on demand, whether via Vudu, Amazon, Netflix, etc. (but remarkably never through Uverse on Demand), we get a message (usually between 8 and 11 pm) that our network is too slow to stream the movie. Even after it's been fine from 7 to 8-ish. Frequent calls to Uverse support mean rebooting the gateway, blah blah blah, but no real help. We've had a couple of service calls out to our house, and they've tweaked some things, but haven't found any problems.

I'm pretty much over it. We've been with Uverse for 4+ years and love it, but this just stinks and raises my suspicions. If they don't want us to watch movies from other carriers, either (1) disallow it, or (2) make the cost of Uverse a little more competitive--just a dollar cheaper.

Might be time to go to Comcast at this point.

[Subject edited to reflect new topic]

RCSMG · ‎12-10-2007

Click on the hyperlink in my sig and you will be takend to David's contact info. He is a tier 2 tech who has helped many people with problems similar and like yours. Send him your info and he or a member of his staff will be in touch with you.

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

ausue82 wrote:

Every time we try to watch a movie on demand, whether via Vudu, Amazon, Netflix, etc. (but remarkably never through Uverse on Demand), we get a message (usually between 8 and 11 pm) that our network is too slow to stream the movie. Even after it's been fine from 7 to 8-ish. Frequent calls to Uverse support mean rebooting the gateway, blah blah blah, but no real help. We've had a couple of service calls out to our house, and they've tweaked some things, but haven't found any problems.

I'm pretty much over it. We've been with Uverse for 4+ years and love it, but this just stinks and raises my suspicions. If they don't want us to watch movies from other carriers, either (1) disallow it, or (2) make the cost of Uverse a little more competitive--just a dollar cheaper.

Might be time to go to Comcast at this point.

[Subject edited to reflect new topic]

Did you ever happen to think that maybe their servers were too congested and just gave you that message, so you would not blame them? Putting the blame on Uverse was real easy for them. I know the speed is the same 12M 24/7/365 for me here.

Did you check your speed when these instances occured? That would help determine if there is a problem. You never did mention what speed tier you are on and that may be part of the problem.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

jeffoliver1000 · ‎02-06-2012

I have been having the same problem as the posted. The problem is definetly with AT&T. Confirmed last night with speedtest and ookla tests on my home network.

Without VUDU running on my XBOX numerous tests on my bandwidth yield results between 11-13 Mbps.

As soon as I turn on my XBOX, fire up VUDU, and start streaming a movie, my bandwidth consistently drops to anywhere from 0.7 to 1.1 Mbps.

I believe AT&T doesn't want their customers streaming movies from competing vendors and puts governors on their network to throttle back bandwidth to their customers to get them to stop streaming.

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

jeffoliver1000 wrote:

I have been having the same problem as the posted. The problem is definetly with AT&T. Confirmed last night with speedtest and ookla tests on my home network.

Without VUDU running on my XBOX numerous tests on my bandwidth yield results between 11-13 Mbps.

As soon as I turn on my XBOX, fire up VUDU, and start streaming a movie, my bandwidth consistently drops to anywhere from 0.7 to 1.1 Mbps.

I believe AT&T doesn't want their customers streaming movies from competing vendors and puts governors on their network to throttle back bandwidth to their customers to get them to stop streaming.

AT&T does not throttle bandwidth. What video streaming are you referring to?

jeffoliver1000 · ‎02-06-2012

texasguy37 wrote:
AT&T does not throttle bandwidth. What video streaming are you referring to?

Of course they do! How do you think they can offer customers different tiered pricing plans? They throttle bandwidth. If a customer "upgrades" to the next higher priced pricing plan they reduce the throttle.

The video streaming service I was referring to is Vudu. (I mentioned this in my post).

I believe AT&T IS throttling my bandwidth as my most recent testing suggests. How else do you explain the following anecdotal evidence:

1. Hard reset of gateway. (Cut power, wait 30 seconds, restore power).

2. Check bandwith 3 times using 3 separate test servers on OOKLA.

3. Bandwidth tests for all three servers range from 12 - 14 Mbps.

4. Load VUDU app and being streaming movie. Wait a few minutes.

5. Check bandwith 3 times using 3 separate test servers on OOKLA.

6. Bandwidth tests for all three servers range on average around 1 Mbps.

7. Shut down VUDU app. Wait a few minutes.

8. Check bandwidth 3 times using 3 separate test servers on OOKLA.

9. Bandwidth tests for all three servers mysteriously returned to the 12 - 15 Mbps range.

I have been able to easily repeat these steps above over the course of several days all with the same result.

This is not a DNS issue or VUDU issue. Bandwidth should not be affected by name lookup issues or the inability for a CDN to deliver content to the gateway or my network.

oufanindallas · ‎02-08-2010

No AT&T does not throttle your bandwidth based on web site. You claim that you get your service speed when you aren't streaming videos but it slows down when you are? You really think that AT&T has a govenor on streaming video sites? We use Netflix and Hulu/Hulu+ quite extensively here and have not had any issues. What it sounds like is that VUDU is choking your system since it only slows down when you use their program

” Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports … all others are games.”- Ernest Hemingway

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

oufanindallas wrote:
No AT&T does not throttle your bandwidth based on web site. You claim that you get your service speed when you aren't streaming videos but it slows down when you are? You really think that AT&T has a govenor on streaming video sites? We use Netflix and Hulu/Hulu+ quite extensively here and have not had any issues. What it sounds like is that VUDU is choking your system since it only slows down when you use their program

They might be throttling based on packet content though.

If the sub is on a heavily loaded section of the network where AT&T had to effect controls during prime-time to maintain quality of service for their TV and phone, I would think that kind of traffic (streaming movies/TV) would naturally be the first to feel the bite. I would not doubt that they use "crimpimg" similar to comcasts "boost" technology, where short burst usage (email, websurfing, speedtests) is quick, but streaming or downloading only goes "fast" for the first 100 megabytes or so and then drops down.

Their Terms of Service does state that they can do it.

"Network Management. AT&T reserves the right to engage in reasonable network management practices, to protect its broadband network from harm, compromised capacity, degradation in network performance or service levels, or uses of the Service which may adversely impact access to or the use of the Service by other customers. Reasonable network management practices that AT&T may adopt include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) a cap on data usage; (ii) a modification of a customer's serving facility or service technology, and/or (iii) a modification of or a limitation on a customer's data throughput speed or data consumption."

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
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I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
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There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
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“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

jeffoliver1000 wrote:
I have been having the same problem as the posted. The problem is definetly with AT&T. Confirmed last night with speedtest and ookla tests on my home network.

Without VUDU running on my XBOX numerous tests on my bandwidth yield results between 11-13 Mbps.

As soon as I turn on my XBOX, fire up VUDU, and start streaming a movie, my bandwidth consistently drops to anywhere from 0.7 to 1.1 Mbps.

I believe AT&T doesn't want their customers streaming movies from competing vendors and puts governors on their network to throttle back bandwidth to their customers to get them to stop streaming.

Hm... let me think here... you fire up VUDU and start streaming a movie and your bandwidth drops. Bandwidth drops as measured by what? Speedtest.net (or similar), well of course it drops; speed test measures your bandwidth by downloading (and uploading files), i.e. attempting to use your bandwidth. It tells you what it found available for its use, so whatever bandwidth VUDU is using would be subtracted from your total for what Speedtest thinks you have.

My next question would be if either or both the Xbox or the PC on which you're running Speedtest is connected via 802.11g? If so, trying moving one (or both) to wired and see if the result changes.

jeffoliver1000 · ‎02-06-2012

JefferMC wrote:
Hm... let me think here... you fire up VUDU and start streaming a movie and your bandwidth drops. Bandwidth drops as measured by what? Speedtest.net (or similar), well of course it drops; speed test measures your bandwidth by downloading (and uploading files), i.e. attempting to use your bandwidth. It tells you what it found available for its use, so whatever bandwidth VUDU is using would be subtracted from your total for what Speedtest thinks you have.

My next question would be if either or both the Xbox or the PC on which you're running Speedtest is connected via 802.11g? If so, trying moving one (or both) to wired and see if the result changes.

All the devices on my network are wired.

Yes I'm using Speedtest tools from OOKLA, and yes I agree with you that those tools are only going to report available bandwidth not being used by the video streaming service.

However, I run my tests with the video stream stopped. I actually start the video streaming, let it run for a few minutes, then stop the streaming when it starts to pause for buffering. It's at that point that I run my bandwidth test, and it's at that point when I'm getting the horrible results.

With no video streaming actually running during the test I should be getting "normal" bandwidth (considering no other devices on my network are in use), correct?

I actually have to stop the video streaming app and power down my xbox for the bandwidth to return to "normal".

oufanindallas · ‎02-08-2010

jeffoliver1000 wrote:
JefferMC wrote:
Hm... let me think here... you fire up VUDU and start streaming a movie and your bandwidth drops. Bandwidth drops as measured by what? Speedtest.net (or similar), well of course it drops; speed test measures your bandwidth by downloading (and uploading files), i.e. attempting to use your bandwidth. It tells you what it found available for its use, so whatever bandwidth VUDU is using would be subtracted from your total for what Speedtest thinks you have.

My next question would be if either or both the Xbox or the PC on which you're running Speedtest is connected via 802.11g? If so, trying moving one (or both) to wired and see if the result changes.

All the devices on my network are wired.

Yes I'm using Speedtest tools from OOKLA, and yes I agree with you that those tools are only going to report available bandwidth not being used by the video streaming service.

However, I run my tests with the video stream stopped. I actually start the video streaming, let it run for a few minutes, then stop the streaming when it starts to pause for buffering. It's at that point that I run my bandwidth test, and it's at that point when I'm getting the horrible results.

With no video streaming actually running during the test I should be getting "normal" bandwidth (considering no other devices on my network are in use), correct?

I actually have to stop the video streaming app and power down my xbox for the bandwidth to return to "normal".

It may not be playing, but if it's buffering it's still downloading so regardless whether it's playing or not, your available bandwidth is going to be lower.

” Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports … all others are games.”- Ernest Hemingway

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

oufanindallas wrote:

It may not be playing, but if it's buffering it's still downloading so regardless whether it's playing or not, your available bandwidth is going to be lower.

True, but the OP's throughput went from 12Mbs down to around 1Mbs and I doubt that the streaming services are going to send a movie or TV show out at over 5Mbs. So, where does the other 5 to 7 Mbs of bandwidth go?

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

rtdreep · ‎07-06-2012

VUDU tech support had me run a traceroute against http://vudu.re.llnwd.net/ to test connectivity. The results below indicate connection timeouts AT THE ROUTER, before any signal gets to VUDU.

According to VUDU, I need to have my ISP (ATT Uverse) address the problem. According to Uverse tech support, the issue is with blocked ports due perhaps to a firewall. They suggested I contact ATT ConnecTec, which is a fee-based service. Rather than pay a fee (which I think is poor customer service), can anyone from ATT tech support look at the traceroute results below and give me guidance on how to solve the problems?

TRACEROUTE RESULTS

Tracing route to vudu.re.llnwd.net [69.28.143.32]

over a maximum of 30 hops:

1     1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms dsldevice.att.net [192.168.1.254]

2    18 ms    10 ms    18 ms 108-231-0-2.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net [108.231.0.2]

3     *        *        *     Request timed out.

4     *        *        *     Request timed out.

5     *        *        *     Request timed out.

6    15 ms     9 ms     8 ms 12.83.43.17

7    16 ms    12 ms     9 ms cgcil03jt.ip.att.net [12.122.84.53]

8    15 ms     9 ms     9 ms 192.205.32.62

9     *        *        *     Request timed out.

10    16 ms    14 ms     9 ms ve6.fr3.ord.llnw.net [69.28.172.41]

11    25 ms    20 ms    18 ms cdn-69-28-143-32.llnw.net [69.28.143.32]

Trace complete.

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

There is nothing wrong w/tracert, 3,4,and 5 always timeout on ATT Uverse and all other times are low. It left your connection at the lightspeed domain.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? 1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

fearlessuser · ‎05-26-2012

Strange question. Do you also have a Wii? I was having problems with Vudu as well. So I decided to start removing the other devices I had connected. Once I unplugged the Wii I have, 0 problems. Worth a shot if you have one. Since then, no slowdowns. I can also watch amazon instant, netflix, hulu, youtube, any streaming video I want without any issues. So throttling just isn't going on. Something else is more than likely happening, and for some reason, people want to blame the service rather than find the real cause of the problem like I did. Figure that out, and you'll realize how silly the "throttling" claim was.

rtdreep · ‎07-06-2012

Figured out the problem, after some nice diagnostic testing and process elimination with the help of ConnecTec. The culprit was the IO Gear Wireless N adapter. I replaced that with a direct connection to the router, and it solved the problem.

I'm guessing that viewing HDX quality streams from Vudu requires the absolute most stable connection possible, and a wireless connection is simply not stable enough.

So, while there's technically nothing wrong with teh IO Gear adapter, a direct cable performs better.

SomeJoe7777 · ‎01-30-2008

If I remember correctly, the VUDU HDX streams are between 8 and 10 Mbps, which is beyond the capability of almost any 802.11g wireless connection.

Either a wired connection or an 802.11n wireless connection would be required to reliably carry those streams.