[gcmvanloon]

Hi,

I'm aware this subject is not related to XBMC but people in here might just know how to help me out. So please let me try to ask this question.

I've setup a linux file server with SMB shares for video files (720P mkv mostly). In the living room I've got a small Windows 8 PC wich is running XBMC 12.2. The connection from the living room to the file server has alway been a Wifi connection. This setup has ran fine for a good year but I've always wanted to have a better (faster) network between the two computers. That's why I've started to use a Poweline HomePlug network. (This is ethernet over the electrical powerlines in your house).
The network connection is better than Wifi (I got twice the speed when transfering files) but this is also the reason for my video playback trouble I want to ask about:
I can watch a video, like before with the Wifi, but after 5-15 minutes playback will just stop.

I've enabled XBMC's logging where I found messages like these:

Code:

WARNING: CDVDMessageQueue(video)::Get - asked for new data packet, with nothing available
...
ERROR: ffmpeg[8CC]: [matroshka,webm] Read error
...
NOTICE: CDVDPlayer::OnExit()

(Complete log can be posted on request)

This points in the direction of the stream being gone or interrupted? right? My first thought is that the powerline network is not performing as well as I would like... To confirm my suspicion I tried to play the same file over the same network with VLC Media Player. It too has trouble! after about 14 minutes it gives me an error:

Code:

Error reading from file:
VLC was unable to read from file (Bad file descriptor).

I've never used the ethernet port on the livingroom PC before so that could be faulty as well,

Does anyone have any idea how to diagnose this problem further? I don't want to give up on the powerline homeplug thing just yet.

UPDATE: When using a normal cat5 ethernet cable all is OK, that rules out a faulty ethenet port on the PC.

[Kib]

It looks like the powerline loses its connection after some time.

[prawnee]

Are the powerlines on the same electrical loop and not plugged into any extension leads?

[gcmvanloon]

I'm aware of the limitations of powerline adapters. I've made sure both adapters are behind the same circuit breaker.
I've tested the same setup with a cat5 wired connection to prove the ethernet port on the livingroom pc is not at fault. It isn't.
Then I've tried the powerline connection with a different PC. The strangest thing happened. I watched two full episodes 80+ minutes of video without a glitch. The only difference is that this time I've used a laptop computer with Windows 7 while the livingroom PC is Windows 8. I did not change the position of the powerline adapters, and I used the same cables. I had the laptop positioned directly on the livingroom PC.
It now seems to be a combination of the livingroom PC and the powerline adapter... the powerline network seems to be functioning correctly by itself.

Now what in the livingroom pc could be causing this behavior?

[prawnee]

Firewall? Dodgy network adapter driver?

[Milhouse]

I would suggest running iperf for half an hour over the Powerline network to see how stable your connection really is.

Does the livingroom PC have a GigE NIC? Maybe switching it to 100Mbit speed would help (counter intuitive, but you never know...).

You haven't mentioned what standard of Powerline adapters you are using, it could be 200-AV or 500-AV, but 200-AV definitely only has 100Mbit ports, as do the more recent and cheaper AR7420 chipset based 500-AV adapters. The original and more expensive AR7400-based 500-AV adapters do have GigE ports.

[gcmvanloon]

Firewall? Dodgy network adapter driver?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Dodgy network driver came to mind. I updated the driver with the latest version without any success.

I don't see how a filewall could cause this behaviour. Could you be more specific?

---

I would suggest running iperf for half an hour over the Powerline network to see how stable your connection really is.

Does the livingroom PC have a GigE NIC? Maybe switching it to 100Mbit speed would help (counter intuitive, but you never know...).

You haven't mentioned what standard of Powerline adapters you are using, it could be 200-AV or 500-AV, but 200-AV definitely only has 100Mbit ports, as do the more recent and cheaper AR7420 chipset based 500-AV adapters. The original and more expensive AR7400-based 500-AV adapters do have GigE ports.

The iperf thing I will definitly have to give a try. I have never used it before, thanks for the suggestion.

I tried the 100Mbit setting already without success.

The livingroom PC has a GigE NIC: intel 82579v
I'm using NetGear XAVB5101 powerline adapters. These are 500-AV adapters that come with a gigabit port.

[gcmvanloon]

It gets even stranger...

I've replaced the livingroom pc with my wifes laptop wich is on Windows 7. The rest of the setup (adpaters, cabling etc) is untouced. On this laptop I was able to watch three full episodes without a glitch.

This makes me think there is something about the combination of poweline and livingroom pc that doesn't go well together. Could it be a driver setting or other software related issue that can be fixed? I want to have tried everything before I give up! I keep running tests with the wifes laptop and see if it will break but so far all is good.