I've had a few strange issues over the last weeks and I'm just wondering if anyone had any ideas why it might be happening.
My NDX is hard wired to the router via a switch, as is my Unitiserve, and I'm on fibre broadband, so network speeds are not usually a problem.
Its only happened over the last few weeks, but I seem to get buffering issues when streaming from albums stored in my Downloads folder on the US. They are all Hi Res 96/24 or 192/24 where I am getting this by the way.
CD rips on the US stream fine, and no problems with Hi Fi Tidal streaming, so I can't work out why in an all wired set up why I should be getting buffering issues in this way.
I intend to test these files streaming via my NAS (which I use as my back up) to see if they suffer in the same way, but does anyone have an idea why I'm getting this?
Could it be network issues, my NDX having issues unpacking the data quickly enough, or could the external broadband speed be affecting my internal network perhaps?
Ive only noticed this on weekends recently, but I don't have much chance to check things out during the week normally, so I can't say that would be the reason necessarily.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Cheers, Chris
Posted on: 24 July 2016 by Adam Zielinski
Can you double check one thing on your US - playback should be set to 'native' .
Apart from that - make sure that all your network is set to DHCP.
Posted on: 24 July 2016 by Mike-B
Broadband has nothing to do with this, its not involved in the streaming process other than proving Rovi data. Good idea to try the problem files from your NAS, but also first copy a test album onto a USB stick: The USB test will prove the NDX is OK & now you can concentrate on the rest. If it's OK with the NAS that indicates something wrong in the US (& I'm no US expert) & it will also prove the ethernet & switch is OK. If the problem persists then I would look at the ethernet's & switch (what is the switch make & model), the ethernets can be proved by (one at a time) hooking up a temporary ethernet (Cat5 is perfectly OK) first between the NAS to switch & then the switch to NDX.
Posted on: 24 July 2016 by ChrisH
Thanks for the hints Mike & Adam. Guess I just have to eliminate as I go. Ill try file on a USB stick first, then via NAS, then try changing out cabling with temporary cables.
I think I had a failed switch a few years ago which led to this kind of issue, but I cant remember 100%. Thats the other area to look at I think. For info, the switch make and model is TP Link TL-SG1005D.
Now you made me check the settings on my US Adam I have found I cant get in to either DTC or the Web interface. I wanted to double check your question. Im pretty sure I am not on Native setting as I am transcoding from FLAC to WAV on the fly, all my CD rips are FLAC to allow for easy access (meaning metadata) to my back ups on the NAS in worst case scenario that the US fails
This is the message Im getting when opening DTC:
and the web interface doesnt open.
Think I might have to do some checks and maybe get in touch with Naim support regarding the error message.
Ill keep you posted anyway.
Posted on: 25 July 2016 by Adam Zielinski
Chris,
If I recall correctly transcoding and native should be different. But anyhow... that doesn't seem to be the problem here.
By the looks of it there may be a problem with one of your network components - either router or a switch.
As to your second question on how to get to your US - the most reliable way is either via an nServe app for Windows / Mac or by typing in it's IP address into a browser's address field.
How does one find out the IP address: there are various apps for mobile devices (NetAnalyzer is the one I use - for iOS) - it will scan your entire network and list all the connected devices with their IP addresses.
Adam
Posted on: 25 July 2016 by Bart
I had this same problem, and it was something amiss with my Apple Airport Extreme / Time Capsule. I was not using it as a switch . . . but by process of elimination I determined that whenever it was on the network this was happening. A factory reset of it fixed it.
I enabled the buffer view on the displays of my Qute and NDS and with hi res music could see the buffer empty out, and then the music would pause or stop altogether.
I agree - it's something on / in your network. Pull it apart piece by piece to isolate what is causing it.
Posted on: 25 July 2016 by Claus-Thoegersen
Not really related to this problem, but one thing I found out to my surprise, the only decode setting that will stream 24 bit 96 or above from the servers are decode. Native and auto stream 24 bit as 16 bit 44,1 kHz.
Claus
Posted on: 25 July 2016 by ChrisH
Mine is set to Decode Claus.
Good idea ChrisSU, I'll try that too!
Hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow evening, I'll keep you posted if/ when I've identified the issue.
Posted on: 26 July 2016 by ChrisH
So I checked first with some Hi Res files on a USB into the NDX, no problem. So it must be the network.
I tried the file streaming to the NDX via my NAS, buffer issues again, just like from the Unitiserve.
So I went round plugging and unplugging all network connections, and then I thought I'd do the IT trick of turning everything off including the router, switch, Unitiserve and NDX and turning it back on again - bingo!
I do feel a bit of an idiot but I'm happy to have solved my issue. Should have checked that first.
My feeling is that it was either the router or the switch that needed rebooting for some reason, easy with this streaming lark to jump to the wrong conclusion that it's the Streamer.
Alls well ends well, thanks for your hints and tips everyone.
