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Networks and Remotes => Media Network => Topic started by: zxsix on July 13, 2010, 07:45:06 pm

Title: SOLUTION: Playing tracks on library server client lags
Post by: zxsix on July 13, 2010, 07:45:06 pm

I had an issue where sometimes when playing songs on a library server client, switching to another song would take a long time...many times around 8-10 seconds...occasionally long enough to get a time-out error.  Yet at other times, the next track would begin to play instantly, or certainly in under 2 seconds.

I won't bore you with the troubleshooting steps I took to determine if it was an MC issue with transcoding or buffering, or if it was a network issue.
Turns out it was a network issue, caused by another software that was running on the library server machine.
The software handles online backups and copies newly modified files up to the cloud a couple of times a day.
From the client location, I couldn't tell when it was running and when it wasn't.
Anyway, for some reason, that software was getting more of my internet's upload bandwidth than MC was.

The solution was to modify QOS (quality of service) settings in Windows in order to elevate MC's priority above the other program.  So now if both programs need bandwidth, and there's not enough to satisfy both of them, MC gets it first.

These how-to steps are for Windows7 but may work on other versions of Windows.

1) Make sure your network card has QOS enabled.
   Start > Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center
   Click on Change Adapter Settings
   Right-click on your network connection and choose "properties"
   Make sure the box is checked for "QOS Packet Scheduler"
   Click OK

2) Run the Local Group Policy Editor
   C:\windows\System32\gpedit.msc
   Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Policy-based QOS

3) Create a new policy to elevate MC's priority
   Right-click on Policy-based QOS and choose "create new policy" and fill in these values:
   POLICY NAME = MC
   SPECIFY DSCP VALUE = 32
   Click NEXT
   Click radio button for "only applications with this executable name"
   Fill in Media Center 15.exe for the application name
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click FINISH

4) Create a new policy to elevate MC's service priority
   Right-click on Policy-based QOS and choose "create new policy" and fill in these values:
   POLICY NAME = MC Service
   SPECIFY DSCP VALUE = 32
   Click NEXT
   Click radio button for "only applications with this executable name"
   Fill in JRService.exe for the application name
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click FINISH   
   
5) Create a new policy to reduce the offending program's priority
   Right-click on Policy-based QOS and choose "create new policy" and fill in these values:
   POLICY NAME = Name of the program
   SPECIFY DSCP VALUE = 12
   Click NEXT
   Click radio button for "only applications with this executable name"
   Fill in the executable filename for the application name
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click NEXT
   Don't change anything on this page
   Click FINISH   

repeat step 5 if desired, for any other programs.
Close the Group Policy editor and reboot your computer.

Title: Re: SOLUTION: Playing tracks on library server client lags
Post by: JimH on July 13, 2010, 09:52:53 pm

zxsix,
Thanks very much for taking time to provide your notes.

Jim

Title: Re: SOLUTION: Playing tracks on library server client lags
Post by: avid on July 16, 2010, 08:05:25 am

I'm not sure I can get this working for me. And I am not sure that actually relates to my problem (http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58614.0 (http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=58614.0)). But ...

On Windows 7 Home Premium (which is what my "live" media machine uses), there is no gpedit  :(

Running the recipe on my (Ultimate) dev machine, monitoring with Process Monitor, I see that all that gpedit does is to add a regsitry key:

Code: [Select]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\{E4481AF4-7F1A-42C3-8B0F-46B732057372}Machine\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\QoS\MC]
"Version"="1.0"
"Application Name"="Media Center 15.exe"
"Protocol"="TCP"
"Local Port"="*"
"Local IP"="*"
"Local IP Prefix Length"="*"
"Remote Port"="*"
"Remote IP"="*"
"Remote IP Prefix Length"="*"
"DSCP Value"="32"
"Throttle Rate"="-1"

That all seems clear enough. But my "Home Premium" registry has no "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects" key, and I have no reason to believe that the networking would use this key (and the specific GUID sub-key too).

Does anyone know one way or he other whether this will make any difference on Home Premium?

Thanks

Brian

Title: Re: SOLUTION: Playing tracks on library server client lags
Post by: zxsix on July 16, 2010, 10:37:51 am

I can't answer that about that specific flavor of Windows 7, but there are other ways to do the QOS stuff.
I'd suggest making the registry edits and rebooting.  If there's no difference, then all it cost you was a little time.
That failing, you can look into CFOSSpeed or NetLimiter programs.  Neither are free, but both handle QOS settings via a graphical interface.  I've used CFOS in the past but never tried netlimiter.

Title: Re: SOLUTION: Playing tracks on library server client lags
Post by: avid on July 16, 2010, 10:53:35 am

Thanks for this.

I planned to try the registry anyway. As you say, it should do no harm. But as I have had the problem only once (or twice in very quick succession) when the network *was* busy, it may be a long time before I know if it has done anything.

Brian