Streaming services time out at peak times?

[blackangst1]

So I have several streaming services set up. It seems almost every night, particularly Paramount+ and HBOMax, time out starting at around 6pm. Ill click a show we want to watch, the app sits there and spins, then errors out. At the same time, Netflix and Amazon are fine. Im a network engineer by trade, and I know its not my network. Im suspecting these servers just arent prepared for the work load. During non-peak times they work fine.

Anyone else experience this or have some insight?

 

[Scarpozzi]

So I have several streaming services set up. It seems almost every night, particularly Paramount+ and HBOMax, time out starting at around 6pm. Ill click a show we want to watch, the app sits there and spins, then errors out. At the same time, Netflix and Amazon are fine. Im a network engineer by trade, and I know its not my network. Im suspecting these servers just arent prepared for the work load. During non-peak times they work fine.

Anyone else experience this or have some insight?

If I were a smart network engineer, I might try streaming from a laptop instead of through a smart TV, monitor what addresses and ports are open through netstat, then run trace route to see if you have a bad router somewhere between you and the data centers you're streaming from. That would help me determine if someone else's network was to blame downstream for the time out or latency.

I've seen it happen before when specific routers hundreds of miles from me have problems or are at capacity.

If you have a data plan on your cellphone provider, another approach is to see if your phone can stream from those services using cell data rather than your local network....that allows you to see if the issue is likely in your routes.

 

[blackangst1]

If I were a smart network engineer, I might try streaming from a laptop instead of through a smart TV, monitor what addresses and ports are open through netstat, then run trace route to see if you have a bad router somewhere between you and the data centers you're streaming from. That would help me determine if someone else's network was to blame downstream for the time out or latency.

I've seen it happen before when specific routers hundreds of miles from me have problems or are at capacity.

If you have a data plan on your cellphone provider, another approach is to see if your phone can stream from those services using cell data rather than your local network....that allows you to see if the issue is likely in your routes.

I did something simple to rule out my own network. From my HTPC I logged into the websites and tried to stream via browser with similar results. I guess I could run a wireshark capture.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I did something simple to rule out my own network. From my HTPC I logged into the websites and tried to stream via browser with similar results. I guess I could run a wireshark capture.

I was trying to be snarky.

I don't think it is your network. Your own network ends at your router.

If you can figure out the exact IP address those services are using to stream on (which may be totally different than their web addresses if they're using iFrames), you can then use trace route. Wireshark is overkill. Just run Netstat and save the results to a text file...then go to the stream and see what new sites show up when you run netstat again. (diff the list).

When you run a trace route on the stream address, just look for latency or time outs. I have wifi hotspot on my cell provider. If you have such a service, you could connect a laptop to that and see if the stream works from there or see if you're getting the same service ip address. The streaming services are all using reverse proxies/load balancers/layer 4 switches to distribute load during peak times.

 

[Captante]

I did something simple to rule out my own network. From my HTPC I logged into the websites and tried to stream via browser with similar results. I guess I could run a wireshark capture.

I strongly suspect that it IS your connection although it may not be your network itself. (I seldom/never have this issue FWIW)

Problem is that the only way to 100% eliminate your equipment and/or the connection to the pole is to NOT use it and see if the lag/time-outs go away...simply using a second PC on the same connection doesn't help much.

If you have a data plan on your cellphone provider, another approach is to see if your phone can stream from those services using cell data rather than your local network

Until you try using a cell hot-spot (or something like your neighbors wifi) and testing to see if the problems repeat themselves pretty much everything else is a waste of your time.

 

[blackangst1]

I strongly suspect that it IS your connection although it may not be your network itself. (I seldom/never have this issue FWIW)

Problem is that the only way to 100% eliminate your equipment and/or the connection to the pole is to NOT use it and see if the lag/time-outs go away...simply using a second PC on the same connection doesn't help much.





Until you try using a cell hot-spot (or something like your neighbors wifi) and testing to see if the problems repeat themselves pretty much everything else is a waste of your time.

I strongly suspect that it IS your connection although it may not be your network itself. (I seldom/never have this issue FWIW)

Problem is that the only way to 100% eliminate your equipment and/or the connection to the pole is to NOT use it and see if the lag/time-outs go away...simply using a second PC on the same connection doesn't help much.





Until you try using a cell hot-spot (or something like your neighbors wifi) and testing to see if the problems repeat themselves pretty much everything else is a waste of your time.

FWIW, all my connections are hard wired, no WIFI. During these times nothing else lags including games.

 

[Scarpozzi]

FWIW, all my connections are hard wired, no WIFI. During these times nothing else lags including games.

Apparently, Paramount's had a lot of issues with various platforms. Ad blockers and browser security may be to blame too.

Paramount+ Help Center

help.paramountplus.com

 

[solidsnake1298]

What may be happening is that the interconnect between whatever CDN HBO and Paramount uses and your ISP is getting maxed out. I remember some years ago there was a big hullabaloo about Comcast forcing Netflix to pay unusual fees to co-locate some of their edge servers inside Comcast's network to avoid issues with interconnects. If HBO and Paramount don't have edge servers in ISP networks and rely on CDN, then interconnect speeds could be problematic.

 

[Scarpozzi]

What may be happening is that the interconnect between whatever CDN HBO and Paramount uses and your ISP is getting maxed out. I remember some years ago there was a big hullabaloo about Comcast forcing Netflix to pay unusual fees to co-locate some of their edge servers inside Comcast's network to avoid issues with interconnects. If HBO and Paramount don't have edge servers in ISP networks and rely on CDN, then interconnect speeds could be problematic.

That's what I was thinking. Trace route would at least help determine if the issue was ping latency. If they're being actively throttled, it may not be as obvious.....

 

[RLGL]

So I have several streaming services set up. It seems almost every night, particularly Paramount+ and HBOMax, time out starting at around 6pm. Ill click a show we want to watch, the app sits there and spins, then errors out. At the same time, Netflix and Amazon are fine. Im a network engineer by trade, and I know its not my network. Im suspecting these servers just arent prepared for the work load. During non-peak times they work fine.

Anyone else experience this or have some insight?

What you are experiencing is the reason I do not stream anymore.

 

[Torn Mind]

Title reminded me of the days of vintage, original Youtube way back. Ah, the times it got overloaded and thus you couldn't view want you wanted....