Out of ideas - please help (constant buffering)

[pinkdot]

LMS
version 7.9.0-161 (beta?)
platform: Synology DiskStation 1812+

What version of LMS are you running? Is this the version from the package Center provided in the Beta channel? This version is over a yoer old. After this version there have been several changes to the Spotify plugin. To rule out some of the issues, you could update your LMS version to a recent date by using the LmsUpdate package, see my signature.

[pteittinen]

What version of LMS are you running? Is this the version from the package Center provided in the Beta channel?

Yes, it's the 7.9.0 provided in the Beta channel.

This version is over a yoer old. After this version there have been several changes to the Spotify plugin. To rule out some of the issues, you could update your LMS version to a recent date by using the LmsUpdate package, see my signature.

I will, thank you!

update: Used the LmsUpdate package. It had an immediate effect: SBR streamed from Spotify for the next couple of hours without buffering pauses or other problems. But then I paused playback for a while, and after resuming the buffering and skipping to next song is happening again.

I also tested SBR with LMS 7.9.0 on a Windows 7 PC: Spotify streaming worked perfectly, at least for the couple of hours I tested it.

[pteittinen]

Ehh, spoke too soon. Went back to LMS on a PC, and the very first song began buffering almost immediately. During the past half an hour there's been approx. 20 buffering incidents and 3 skips to the next song.

What are the recommended settings for Direct or Proxied streaming (Player > Audio), and "Disable Cache" & "Always Stream via Helper" for Spotify Protocol Handler?

[garym]

Ehh, spoke too soon. Went back to LMS on a PC, and the very first song began buffering almost immediately. During the past half an hour there's been approx. 20 buffering incidents and 3 skips to the next song.

What are the recommended settings for Direct or Proxied streaming (Player > Audio), and "Disable Cache" & "Always Stream via Helper" for Spotify Protocol Handler?

I use proxied streaming. This way LMS on your computer is doing the caching, etc. and may work better than Direct. (Note: if you synch two or more SB players together, it automatically uses "proxied" streaming). I would try it with "disable cache" NOT ticked, but stream using helper "ticked".

Edit: I wonder if there is some sort of router traffic management turned on in your network setup. Also, there could be some sort of Anti-virus program that is doing things as songs are streaming and this causes the buffering. What if you temporarily turn off (sometimes actually requires an uninstall) of your AV software, just as a test.

[pteittinen]

I use proxied streaming. This way LMS on your computer is doing the caching, etc. and may work better than Direct. (Note: if you synch two or more SB players together, it automatically uses "proxied" streaming). I would try it with "disable cache" NOT ticked, but stream using helper "ticked".

Not long after my previous post I switched player from Direct to Proxied streaming, and ticked the "stream using helper" box. "Disable cache" was not ticked and I left it like that. Since making those changes Spotify streaming has been working without issues.

Edit: I wonder if there is some sort of router traffic management turned on in your network setup.

I do have a multi-WAN router here, but I've set a rule where DiskStation, the PC and SBR are all forced to use WAN2.

Also, there could be some sort of Anti-virus program that is doing things as songs are streaming and this causes the buffering. What if you temporarily turn off (sometimes actually requires an uninstall) of your AV software, just as a test.

I don't have AV installed on either platform. Silly, I know