ShowMax not working right? This is how to report problems

ShowMax has released a set of instructions for reporting issues with its video streaming service, which it says will help it find and fix problems.

“The challenge is that with so many permutations of software, hardware, and connectivity, diagnosing streaming issues can be a bit of a nightmare,” said ShowMax CTO Mike Raath.

“The more information we have, the more likely we can isolate the cause, and this is where we could use your help.”

Those experiencing problems with the service should send an e-mail to [email protected], with the following information:

• Date and time of the problem
• Brief description of the problem
• Type of device you’re watching on and what software versions you’re using
• Your public IP address

ShowMax asked for the results of the following commands to be included:

• Ping api.showmax.com
• Ping showmax.akamaized.net

For the more IT savvy, ShowMax said they would like the following information as well:

• Perform a traceroute from your computer to 197.80.130.8
• Perform a traceroute from your computer to fe01.za.showmax.cc
• Perform a traceroute from your computer to fe01.de.showmax.cc
• Try download this video file and report the speed. You don’t need to download the whole file, just wait about 30 seconds and report the average transfer speed.

Those who know how to use tools such as tcpdump or Wireshark can provide ShowMax with packet traces, which it said would also be helpful.

ShowMax asked subscribers who use these tools to capture complete network traffic from the moment they hit play, to about 3 minutes of media playback.

You should list where in the dump to expect to find problems with notes, such as:

• 10s after hitting Play picture froze for 3s
• Playback was resumed after 28s of buffering
• Playback stayed on fairly low profile

“The last thing we want you to do is sit in silence (or leave) if the service isn’t up to scratch. Please do drop us a note – we’d really appreciate your help.”

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