Network packet loss

[nickk]

Low level test for network packet lost:

1) Run HDHomeRun Setup and go into the channel editor. Pick a physical channel number (for example CH102).

2) From a cmd prompt run:
"C:\Program Files\Silicondust\HDHomeRun\hdhomerun_config" FFFFFFFF set /tuner0/channel auto:<channel number>
"C:\Program Files\Silicondust\HDHomeRun\hdhomerun_config" FFFFFFFF save /tuner0 null

Replace "<channel number>" with the physical channel number from HDHomeRun Setup (eg 102).

If you have more than one HDHomeRun unit then replace "FFFFFFFF" with the device ID of the desired unit.

You should see a series of dots. "n" indicates network packet loss. "t" indicates a reception error. "s" is informational.

Network loss due to wireless:
We recommend using a wired network for streaming high-definition video.

Network loss due to Vista network throttling:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948066

Try disabling this feature by changing the following registry setting to 0xffffffff (DWORD):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\NetworkThrottlingIndex

You will need to reboot after making this change.

Network loss due to the PC network card:
- Right click on My Network Places and choose properties.
- Double click on the Local Area Connection icon to bring up the status page.
- Check that the Speed is reported as 100Mbps or 1Gbps.
- Click Properties. Check the brand/model of the network interface:
-- nForce based interface: Click Configure and switch to the Advanced tab. Disable checksum offloading features.
-- Intel based interface: Click Configure and switch to the Advanced tab. Test with alternative Interrupt Mitigation settings.
-- Other chipsets: Click Configure are switch to the Advanced tab. Increase the Receive Buffer size (if this option is present). Test with the Interrupt Mitigation/Moderation setting both On and Off (if this option is present).

Network loss due to a 3rd party software firewall:
We have seen instances where some 3rd party firewall drivers fail to keep up with streaming HD video over RTP.

As a test, try uninstalling any 3rd party firewall software and rebooting. It is not enough to disable the firewall - it must be uninstalled (disabling typically only affects the rule-set, the firewall driver remains in the data path). In most cases a reboot is required to remove the firewall driver from the network path.

If uninstalling the 3rd party firewall fixes the problem then 1) Try upgrading to the latest version, or 2) contact the firewall vendor, or 3) consider using an alternative firewall such as Windows Firewall.