Audio Feed Drops Off

rfd88203 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-20-2010, 5:34 PM

My audio feed drops off after about 24 hours of streaming and I have to reset the K1PGV software. Is there a reason why this is happening? The software shows that it is still live but no audio goes through and I get an e-mail stating that the feed has dropped.

Battalion6 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-20-2010, 9:13 PM

I am experiencing the same issue using the ScannerCast software. I am attached to the #3 server, my settings appear to be correct, the software indicates I am online and broadcasting even though the site indicates I am offline. The broadcast will remain online at the site for about 100 - 200 minutes, then it goes offline, all the while ScannerCast indicates that the connection continues without error. I am a first time user attempting to establish a new feed, any input would be appreciated.

PeterGV · #3 (**permalink**) 02-22-2010, 8:28 AM

Very interesting, and very strange.

I've actually heard of this happened from a couple of other folks, and we've never been able to determine if it's a ScannerCast problem or a RR server problem. In each case, there's been an underlying connection reset... such as the DSL or cable modem disconnecting and then reconnecting. This is probably due to the ISP trying to throttle bandwidth and limit streaming (very annoying). Each time, there's absolutely nothing in the ScannerCast log... ScannerCast never sees the connection loss.

Soooo.... please check to see if your cable or DSL modem is disconnecting and then reconnecting. If so, this is a situation we've seen before, and could be caused by one of 3 things:

• Your connection recycled so quickly that TCP/IP managed to recover the connection without telling ScannerCast, and ScannerCast is sending 2 packets per second of data to RR, and RR is acknowledging them, but RR thinks your connection is down. This would be a bug at RR (such as with the Icecast server). Given the number of feeds running at RR and the length of time Icecast has been used (in the whole world) this doesn’t seem likely, but it is possible.

• There could be a very subtle and as yet undetected bug in ScannerCast that only a small number of people are seeing because of issues with their ISP and the speed that their circuit gets recycled. This is possible, but from looking at the code this seems to be unlikely. Of course, that’s why they call them bugs… ScannerCast is certainly built to handle any situation I can anticipate, but by definition can’t handle things I didn’t think of.

• The Windows networking components that ScannerCast uses could be exceptionally confused, and ScannerCast is sitting around waiting for a message to be sent by TCP/IP that never times out. This would be a bug in either the .Net Framework or Windows TCP/IP protocol – possible, but extremely unlikely, but it wouldn’t be the first such bug discovered in history.

Soooo… if you could… Check to see if your underlying network connection (cable or DSL modem) is "recycling." Then, if it is, reproduce the problem and let me (and hopefully one of the RR admins) look at your feed WHILE the problem is occurring. If we confirm that RR thinks your feed is down, but ScannerCast thinks your feed is up (as shown in the Status tab) then I can create a special version of ScannerCast that’ll be able to tell us whether ScannerCast or RR is correct.

Interesting problem,

Peter
K1PGV

richtidd · #4 (**permalink**) 02-22-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battalion6

I am experiencing the same issue using the ScannerCast software. I am attached to the #3 server, my settings appear to be correct, the software indicates I am online and broadcasting even though the site indicates I am offline. The broadcast will remain online at the site for about 100 - 200 minutes, then it goes offline, all the while ScannerCast indicates that the connection continues without error. I am a first time user attempting to establish a new feed, any input would be appreciated.

Battalion6

I had replied to you're request assistance with feed message.

Try it now. I moved you to receiver #1.

When you reply, please reply to the e-mail I sent you.

jonwrice · #5 (**permalink**) 02-27-2010, 6:43 PM

I have the same problem. If my computer disconnects from the network momentarily and then reconnects scanner cast "thinks" it's hooked up and broadcasting but RR doesn't think it is. I can reproduce this problem on a regular basis.

Thaks,
Jon

PeterGV · #6 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 9:42 AM

Hmmmm...

When you guys say ScannerCast thinks it's connected... you're saying the status on the Status tab, the RR Connection line says "SENDING OK to 'audiox.radioreference.com"??

Is that correct?

Because the message at the bottom of the dialog that says "ScannerCast Status: Running." doesn't change if you get disconnected ("running" here means it's talking to your scanner... not great for the RR Edition, I agree, but that's how it currently works).

I've been trying to reproduce this problem, but I'm not having ANY luck.

Peter
K1PGV

hoser147 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 10:21 AM

I haven't had any issues like this but did notice about 10 pm this last Friday there was a brief glitch that knocked off several of the feeds just momentary thing, thinking that it was my feed. I checked the top 50 which I had just looked at prior to that and several of the feeds were effected. Haven't noticed anything since. So that my count for one of your recent losses.

PeterGV · #8 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 11:28 AM

Well, there are always going to be drops and disconnects. Maintaining a steady flow of 2 packets of audio data per second, 24 hours a day, over consumer grade internet connections that were never designed to do that is going to be a "spotty" thing at best.

What I'm interested in for this particular thread, however, is the report that RR shows a feed as being down, but ScannerCast thinks the feed is up. ScannerCast should *always* re-establish the connection within just a few minutes... I put a lot of special attention into that part of ScannerCast, so I'm very interested to find out more about this reported issue.

Peter
K1PGV

AnnakaSpoilt · #9 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 5:52 PM

This happens to me to, i am using oddcast. i have to click on it again to get it going, shows i am online, and it is, but when i listen to it after about 8-10 hrs. it stops.

jonwrice · #10 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 8:25 PM

Peter says,

"When you guys say ScannerCast thinks it's connected... you're saying the status on the Status tab, the RR Connection line says "SENDING OK to 'audiox.radioreference.com"??

Is that correct?

Because the message at the bottom of the dialog that says "ScannerCast Status: Running." doesn't change if you get disconnected ("running" here means it's talking to your scanner... not great for the RR Edition, I agree, but that's how it currently works)."

Peter, I have not checked this - I will. We discussed this problem before and I provided the log files, I do not know if this would have showed in the log file. I was going by the "ScannerCast Status: Running." message.

73 de jon - kc8fmr

jonwrice · #11 (**permalink**) 03-01-2010, 9:39 PM

My feed just dropped and the status says, "SENDING OK to 'audio3.radioreference.com"

Jon

PeterGV · #12 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 8:13 AM

Interesting...

Can you reproduce this whenever you want? Can we set up a time/date when you can do so and I (and one of the RR admins) can try to do some diagnosis?

We seriously need to track this down. If it's a bug on the ScannerCast side, I'd very much like to fix it. If it's a bug on the RR said, I'm equallys sure Linsday would like to find and fix the problem.

Peter
K1PGV

jonwrice · #13 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 2:47 PM

Had the same fault twice (three?) times today.

I can reproduce this by cycling power on my router but I have a VPN running on another machine in my network that will fault if there is a blip in connectivity so I don't think the problem is that I'm losing my isp.

I'd be happy to help.

Jon

PeterGV · #14 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 2:50 PM

Cool! Power cycling the ROUTER does it, eh? Hmmmm....

Give me a couple of days to cook-up a special version of ScannerCast that'll help diagnose this problem. I'll post back here when it's ready.

Are you running the RR Edition (downloaded from here) or the Standard Edition (downloaded from k1pgv.com)??

Thanks very much for your offer of help,

Peter
K1PGV

jonwrice · #15 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 3:54 PM

RR Edition V0.13 (1224)

PeterGV · #16 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 3:55 PM

Thanks... I'll cook something up and let you know here.

Peter
K1PGV

MFD10 · #17 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 5:38 PM

I too am having the same problem. It is lasting about 150 minutes up, then our feed appears off-line. The Scannercast shows "sending OK to server 'audio3...." and Running. My connection is a static IP on Metrocast. I am using scanner cast v0.13 as well.

MFD10

MFD10 · #18 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 5:53 PM

By stopping and starting ScannerCast, after 45 seconds, the scan returns to online. Not sure if that helps.

johnmac · #19 (**permalink**) 03-04-2010, 6:36 PM

I am having the exact same problem as the others. Scannercast says it is fine, but radioreference says it is offline. stopping and starting scannercast back up solves the problem until the next time.

I also run Proscan with scancast on another computer and feed and it does not have this problem.

I have been running a program called Startwatch that loads my programs in sequence and then monitors them.

I am running the original updated scannercast

Thanks to jonwrice to pointing me over to this thread. I had started another one indicating similar problems.

Thanks,

PeterGV · #20 (**permalink**) 03-05-2010, 9:01 AM

The problem appears to be very sensitive to the particular situation. I know of a case where a user has multiple instances of ScannerCast running on computers virtually next to each other. One has the problem, the other doesn't.

I've gotten lots of email on this, and have already worked with one helpful user to collect some basic data using a special version of ScannerCast. Initial results seen to indicate that this isn't a ScannerCast problem. ScannerCast is continuing to send data, and is getting back acknowledgements, while RR is saying the feed is down. Weird, huh?

I've just started talking with Lindsay about this.

Thanks (everyone) for your patience and for taking the time to report this problem. I'll post back here with additional information as soon as I have it,

Peter
K1PGV