Audio stream frequently interrupted no matter what streaming player was used

[dah68154]

This may not be the right place for this question, but if not, I'm hoping someone has a suggestion for the right place to go. I have a problem with frequently dropped audio streams. The problem may be broader than just audio streams, but that is what I have specifically noticed.

The problem is independent of the source of the audio stream or the media software I'm using. I have noticed it listening to Live365 Internet Radio using the Live365 player and Windows Media Player. Likewise, listening to internet radio stations directly using WMP.

Sometimes the connection is dropped and is reconnected after several seconds. Other times, particularly with the Live365 Player, the connection seems to be irretrievably lost without reestablishing the connection from the beginning. The ability to reconnect seems like it is then perhaps a software-specific issue.

My hunch is that it is some issue with individual computer settings that I'm not aware of. I have another computer linked wirelessly to the computer I'm having issues with and it doesn't have the same problems. I would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: Poor audio/video quality of a stream

What kind of Internet connection do you use? What kind of OS do you have? Is your computer slow?

[dah68154]

I use a high-speed cable connection; Windows XP SP2 OS. The computer is not too slow (3GHz Pentium 4; 1.5GB RAM).

I just verified with my ISP that my connection speed is 12MB/sec through the cable modem. The Live365 software offers 5 choices from 80KB/sec to 256KB/sec, so I would think the connection speed should be OK??

In most cases stream interruptions are caused by one of two things

• Dialup connectivity to your Internet service provider with speeds that are less than 32kbps. If this is the case you must have at least 32kbps to listen uninterrupted.
• Default Buffer settings in Windows Media Player are two low. Go to the Preferences of the Windows Media Player and increase buffer by 4 times the default setting.

Your computer is very powerfull and the internet connection is fast. Try to increase buffer size in WMP.

Problem: Audio stream skips, pauses, or buffers while I listen to Live365 stations

[dah68154]

Re-setting the buffers seemed to work very well. Thanks for the help.