NAS - UniQute - n-Stream: one of you is the culprit

Hi SJB

Hmm, sorry to hear that you are not finding streaming is going too well. I have to say that our experience is the exact opposite, (sorry you probably don’t want to hear that) we will probably never again bother to spin one of those silver discs.

We are fully wired here so no wireless is in use.

Having album artwork that was too large, so far caused all our issues. Once I discovered that this could be a problem I went through our NAS and reduced all artwork to 150k or less, many of the files are now much smaller that that. Since doing this we have not had any issues at all, no re-boots, nothing.

Our preferred method of control is a netbook, I am sat here having installed Foobar on my office PC using remote desktop to control the stream from the netbook; it’s been working very well since lunchtime so this looks like another alternative, for us.

Sorry I can’t think of anything else, but hope you find a solution very soon. No chance of wiring yours I suppose.

Regards

Peter

Thanks guys but certainly some of the problem is the n-stream app.

I tried again searching for Jammin just know and the n-stream searched and searched for over 5 mins to no avail.

I closed n-stream and when i reopened it it had stopped searching.

I closed n-stream and opened e-lyric and it found Jammin in about 25 seconds.

the OP was primarily to point out some difficulties with the streaming end of the Qute using wireless and to state that I don't think it is wireless per se that is the cause of all the poblems.

I'm really just wondering am I the only one experiencing difficulties or are a lot of us willing to put up with a lot for the undoubted qualities of the UniQute. (Just finished watching Midnight Run with the family with sound via Qute and it really adds to the enjoyment)

SJB

How is everything connected?

NAS to router,

router wirelessly to UniQute.

SJB

...and does the problem subside when connected via wired Ethernet?

It may be that your wireless network is not up to the task–a dual-band wireless router can help in situations where you have limited throughput.

Remember, too, that the device onto which n-Stream is loaded will be competing for bandwidth with your UnitiQute. If you are using an iPad (which is compatible with 5 GHz wireless), you can offload it onto the 5 GHz network while keeping the UnitiQute on the 2.4 GHz network.

If any of this is too obtuse, contact a qualified network specialist to sort this out for you.

I do appreciate you are trying to help but comments like this reinforce my view that wirelessly  the various parts are just  not they're yet.

SJB

there yet, lest I be accused of brutality towards the English language.

+1 on using dual band

Initially - over 12 months ago -had some issues with my Uniti connecting - solved by altering the radio frequencies to a less congested channel - since then rock solid on two dual-band Airport Extremes. I am slowly cabling the house with cat6 - (the server is wired) but for now WiFi works just fine.

Hope this helps Sloop John

Tog

There are a number of places where issues *COULD* be coming in, the n-Stream app communicates with the Qute via the wireless access point and the Qute also connects to the NAS via the wireless access point - given the weaknesses of wireless networking then I'd put my pound on it being an issue there but the best thing is to work the issue through logically...

As a test (as has already been suggested here) please hard wire the Qute directly to the router with a short network cable (obviously this may require the Qute to be moved to get it local to the router). This will remove the wireless hop between the router and the Qute from the equation and will also mean that your iDevice running the n-Stream app is local to the wireless access point too.

If you are still getting issues connecting your iDevice to the Qute then can I suggest that you try setting the n-Stream app to "Direct Connection" and entering the IP address of the Qute directly ("Factory Settings" -> "System Status") - Apple iOS 4.3.x supports one subset of the autodiscovery protocols (which of course all of their networking kit does as well) but this isn't universally supported by other brands of networking hardware.

There should be *NO* need to "consult a qualified network specialist" - most networking issues can be worked through logically with a little basic knowledge however fixing them may involve acknowledging that wireless networking *ISN'T* a universally workable solution and using cabled connections wherever possible...

Cheers

Phil

Hey Phil - whilst you're posting - any news of an N-Stream update?

Tog

We're always working on updating both the n-Serve and n-Stream apps - are you after an update addressing anything in particuar Tog?

Phil

In my opinion, the key element here (and referenced against the thread title) is the assumption that, on a streaming network, any faults in operation can be traced back to a specific piece of hardware or software, without considering the notion that the entire network as a whole could be the culprit.

Given the wild variations in technical skill and/or experience of many users, it becomes difficult to provide a single, cogent explanation of best networking practices that would address most of these issues.

The network itself in the realm of streaming audio has now become as important as a pair of expensive interconnects in the realm of analogue audio–without them, the system will not function. There is no OEM network configuration, so to speak, that corresponds to a factory-supplied grey DIN interconnect that is plug-n-play.

The basics are not hard to understand (given an appropriate explanation), though it may be necessary at times to have a second set of eyes ("qualified" or otherwise) available to take a look at system/network setup. In many cases, this might be one's retailer (although it is not implied that the responsibility for the entire network lies with them, by any means).

Reserved DHCP addresses (by device MAC address) also help–this can be done at the router and helps to speed up connection time after a device has, temporarily, disappeared from the network.

As Phil mentioned–wireless throws a spanner of indeterminate size into the equation, as regards troubleshooting–eliminate that when possible. In major U.S. cities, the amount of wireless congestion on the 2.4 GHz band (especially at elevations above ground level) absolutely suggests the necessity for wired Ethernet on any device lacking 5 GHz-band capability.

Wireless hygiene is "the OTHER cable-dressing".  None of this kit setup is for the intolerant of fussing.  My Tivoli products sound/work great, considering the effort required.  But to get a bit more out of life I have taken on optional complexities (willingly, and in keeping with my nature) and am pursuing additional thrills along the edge of the true hi-fi realm, while understanding that few, if any, of my fellow-travelers in life will be willing to go with me; for that journey, I have my intrepid, battle-tested Naim friends!

Please know, I am humble, and grateful for the advice I have recently received from more-experienced Naim owners regarding my questions about my beginner kit.  That said, I would like to give back as I can:   I am a proud IT pro.  I have owned and used computers since the 80's, and had DSL as soon as it was available.  I administer Windows servers at work, and Macs an Wintel machines at home.  My home LAN has three Apple access points sharing one SSID.  In the past, I discovered that manually setting the broadcast channels of access points dramatically affected QOS to all nodes in my home; I got much better results tinkering than by letting the routers automatically negotiate with one another.  I learned the secrets from a single Google search.

All that experience accepted, today I discovered that for at least 30 days one of the access points was set up in conflict with the other two:  I thought performance was sub-par, but doubted my own experiences and fallibility. 

My point is, every time I flatter myself that I have a handle on everything in my control, a kind friend, or a self-administered dope-slap invariably delivers a good solution.  I love to share these, with friends like you all here.

I realize I should now give specifics as to my channel-picking strategy for all to enjoy; but I confess that once I resolved my issue I lost track, figuring the next challenge might be resolved by getting the latest from the blogosphere.  Basically, avoid using channels already in use, and learn the trade-offs in terms of power and quality of using high channels versus low ones. 

In the end, I hope you find a satisfactory combination with less fooling around than you might expect.

Good luck.

Nick