Digital Concert Hall

[scubamut]

Can anyone give me advice on using this service (http://www.digitalconcerthall.com)?

I am trying to use it with 64-bit XP system connected directly to ADSL modem via ethernet over 4mbps line, but experience occasional jitter which makes watching unpleasant. Any suggestions?

[Pada]

My guess is that your account is being shaped badly or that you're sitting on a congested exchange.

What ADSL account do you have? Shaped uncapped from like Axxess/OpenWeb/Afrihost?

Secondly, what times are you trying to watch from that site? eg. 20:00 - 22:00 ?

Lastly, could you perhaps post a trace route to that site? To do this, open up Command Prompt and run: tracert www.digitalconcerthall.com
I kept on getting " * * * Request timed out." at hop 15+, since they're blocking ICMP (Ping) packets, so don't worry about that because you'll be getting the same kind of thing.

[scubamut]

I have an Afrigamer (4mbps 35GB unshaped) account with Afrihost (I called them this morning to confirm). I've tried at various times - definitely better after 20:00, but still get the occasional hiccup. They apparently use use Adobe dynamic streaming - is there any way at all to cache on my end? Or any other way to improve performance?

ping/tracert both give continuous timeouts

[Pada]

ping/tracert will give timeouts since ICMP packets are blocked on that host. I specifically asked for a trace route, because I'm interested in the first couple of hops, which could show us whether the Telkom exchange is congested or just if you have a slow international connection.

[scubamut]

tracert just gives " * * * Request timed out" continuously

[scubamut]

I am watching now and get breaks of 10+ secs from time to time

[Big Bean]

try a pingtest (www.pingtest.net) and a speedtest (www.speedtest.net) to UK and/or Germany and a reference test to a server closest to you. There may be speed degradation occurring on international traffic. Post results.

[Pada]

tracert just gives " * * * Request timed out" continuously

Just paste the tracert results here. There is definitely something wrong or you're blocking stuff with a firewall if it is giving you that "Request timed out" on every single hop.

[scubamut]

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Media Centre>tracert www.digitalconcerthall.com

Tracing route to www.digitalconcerthall.com [62.176.132.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * ^C
C:\Documents and Settings\Media Centre>

[scubamut]

Update: Checked the ADSL modem and found firewall enabled, so I disabled it..

C:\Documents and Settings\Media Centre>tracert www.digitalconcerthall.com

Tracing route to www.digitalconcerthall.com [62.176.132.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms 196-210-138-129.dynamic.isadsl.co.za [196.210.13
8.129]
3 9 ms 10 ms 10 ms cdsl1-rba-vl2360.ip.isnet.net [196.38.73.133]
4 10 ms 9 ms 8 ms cdsl1-rba-vl150.ip.isnet.net [196.38.73.17]
5 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms core2-pkl-t0-7-0-0.ip.isnet.net [168.209.1.163]

6 188 ms 187 ms 187 ms 168.209.201.85
7 187 ms 187 ms 188 ms 168.209.246.1
8 186 ms 187 ms 186 ms g1-1-1-t40-br3.router.uk.clara.net [195.66.224.6
6]
9 210 ms 210 ms 210 ms g4-0-frankfurt5.router.de.clara.net [195.8.68.14
6]
10 222 ms 221 ms 221 ms gi0-3.gcb-ar1.router.de.clara.net [212.6.200.246
]
11 222 ms 222 ms 221 ms gi0-3.gcb-ar1.router.de.clara.net [212.6.200.246
]
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.


speedtest.net to server in Frankfurt

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2028515824.png

Question is: am I being too optimistic expecting being able to watch live video for www.digitalconcerthall.com without any hiccups?

[Big Bean]

Is the content HD (720p or 1080p)? If so you will likely have issues; 360p or 480p shouldn't be a problem; The speeds and ping seem good.