Recently having consistent connection issues/frame drops - but internet still works during the issue

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GalaxyJams

New Member
LOG FILE: https://obsproject.com/logs/xxJAWOpdiRYoR_Wy
Right before I typed this post, I streamed for about 5 minutes and towards the end of the 5 minutes is when I received the issue that I am typing about - so after the issue resolved itself, I quickly stopped the stream and uploaded this log file.

Hello thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read this message - I very much appreciate your input and insight into this issue.

I've enjoyed my streaming studio since December of last year. Using all of the same equipment, I stream a few times a week on twitch for many hours each time and have not once encountered any issue with my connection. I literally have streamed for almost an entire year on the same exact settings and devices with maybe one dropped frame from a 3-4 hour streaming session. During this entire year, occasionally when I am streaming - other people in the house will be streaming netflix and youtube and using the internet which still gave us no issues.

Approximately 10-14 days ago, someone in the chat mentioned that the stream was laggy, and there were a few missed frames. We noticed it again during the next show that every 5-15 minutes, the kb/s at the bottom would tank to double digits and then down to zero with the big red box.... after a few agonizing moments, it would 'rebound' to some 5 digit number and then settle on the 2k range with the green box. During the time that the kb/s at the bottom is at zero with the red box, I can still access any internet and any games do not experience a hiccup.

I've tried a few things to troubleshoot with no dice:
  • Enabling the 'dynamically change bitrate to manage congestion (beta) setting)
    • This prevents OBS from showing any frames are 'dropped' but I still get the red box and very low and 0 kb/s and that causes major lag in my stream for the viewers
  • I used to plug my PC into the network through an ethernet cable that was connected to a "Cox Wifi Panoramic Pod" in the room. I moved the actual modem/router into my studio room so the modem is currently plugged into a coax cable and a new cat6 ethernet cable from that connects directly to my PC
  • I tried changing the OBS version to OBS 27.2.4 (I used to have the current up-to-date version) - I read this helped someone somewhere on the forums while doing a google search
  • I tried calling my ISP and they said there is nothing wrong with my connection to my house
  • I tried disabling microsoft defender
  • I updated my PC and all of the network drivers

Thank you again so much, please let me know how I can give you any more information to help you diagnose this issue :) I really appreciate your time and attention thank you again so much for taking a look. Streaming means the world to me and I hope I can work my hardest with you all to make sure that I can do everything I can for my stream to be uninterrupted.
 
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GalaxyJams

New Member
Wanted to update you, I called my ISP and told them they specific times that I was experiencing these frame drops while streaming and they told me they didn't detect any drops in my service during those times :(
 
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Lawrence_SoCal

Active Member
Unfortunately, none of what you mentioned included real-time monitoring of your overall network traffic, so you have NO idea if something else going on causing upload traffic congestion
And your log shows congestion not a disconnect, so could be (rarely, but possible) an ISP issue. But you have to rule out your end first. like a compromised computer or IoT device. Or someone (including yourself on OBS PC) setting up a cloud sync backup (or similar) sending lots of upload traffic

However, I'd start with the more obvious
- one - recognize you are using an operating system that updates itself (by default) monthly, and MS has had terrible code quality issues for a while... so your system has most likely NOT been the same for this last year. And yes, driver updates can (and have) cause issues. so, you can't rule that out.
Oh, and streamelements is a PoS, and can cause all kinds of havoc... other than correlation with problem systems, I can't advise on how to beat that plugin into submission (if even possible)... but clearly plenty of people using it, so I'd assume getting it to work ok is possible??
- your log does shows the typical streamelements puking all over the OBS log... and some specific errors, so definitely some clean up in order.
Your OBS log shows a device problem
00:43:50.941: WASAPI: Device '{0.0.1.00000000}.{76cc1e2b-f634-438d-b910-c9e1a8047fef}' failed to start
this can't be helping matters, though it may not actually be hurting things... no way for me to know. recommend figuring this (audio) device out and fixing. I'd start with checking OS level sound devices and disable items not in use (like audio output in HDMI monitor, etc)? Then check all of your audio source setups in OBS (make sure a OS update didn't change device enumeration and disassociate an OBS Audio source from its underlying device)
 
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GalaxyJams

New Member
@Lawrence_SoCal thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me.

I went ahead and downloaded an "Internet Connection Monitor" (it's a google chrome extension) to try and see whether my connection is dropping at the same time I am losing frames and during my stream on OBS to twitch. Unfortunately for me, it's showing "connected" when I am falling to 0 kb/s on my stream, but the "latency" seems to gently spike from around 15-20ms to 60-100ms during the time that my kb/s tanks... I'm not a professional but I don't think that is enough to show that my ISP/connection is the issue unfortunately. As a last resort on that front, I purchased a pretty nice/expensive wifi adapter for my PC (it didn't have one) and I am going to try a test stream using the wifi from my cell phones hotspot to see whether the issue still persists or not.

I took a look at the other advice you gave me and it seems so daunting... I'm not a professional but I am going to try.

I want to thank you so much for your help - I also sent you a PM I hope you can read it. Thank you
 
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Lawrence_SoCal

Active Member
Yea, this streaming stuff is nice when it just works, but is really complicated in the background, and if troubleshooting is required, can require understanding how ALL of your related technology (meaning potentially EVERYTHING connected to your local network) comes into play. Though a problem, it is not uncommon for folks to not really knowing how this all works.

As for using cellular, that is a decent option for testing... but beware that signal strength can vary at different times of the day, etc. So you need to make sure you aren't trying to send more data over the cellular link that your phone is capable of (some people have great 5G connections, or least quality 4G connection, others .. not so much, and even limited connectivity can work great for everything else, but not streaming... just beware)

I'd start with figuring out how to log onto your home Internet router, as almost all of them have some real-time monitoring of traffic.
 
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GalaxyJams

New Member
Thank you so much. I tried streaming to youtube and its the same issue so it's not a twitch issue unfortunately. I see that you are really knowledgeable about this @Lawrence_SoCal and I very much appreciate your time and attention - I sent you a PM about it but I'd love to pay you to help me troubleshoot this issue and for your individual attention to this matter. Please let me now how I can make it happen.

If anyone is reading this can help me, I will literally pay you to help me troubleshoot this problem. Thank you so much I am still having this issue. I will come and delete this thread once i figure it out. Please PM me or add me on discord Galaxy Dynamite#5467 or email me at mkusafacebook@gmail.com

thank you
 
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Lawrence_SoCal

Active Member
The latency increasing during congestion is normal/ to be expected
The question is - what, presumably on your local network, is causing the congestion. though it is possible, bandwidth is decreasing from your ISP
 
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GalaxyJams

New Member
Lawrence_SoCal said:
The latency increasing during congestion is normal/ to be expected
The question is - what, presumably on your local network, is causing the congestion. though it is possible, bandwidth is decreasing from your ISP
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your time and attention- I am now going to try and log into my router (getting my login info from my isp right now) to try and see if i can see if it can detect a slowdown (because maybe the google chrome extension I have cant)
 
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Lawrence_SoCal

Active Member
Be careful of the terminology you use. a slowdown is a symptom, not the cause [depending on who you talk you might not get what you are looking for]. You are looking for bandwidth consumption vs typical bandwidth available.
Congestion, like traffic, is when you are trying use more bandwidth than is available. So, first you determine overall traffic patterns. then you compare those to what bandwidth is available (upload/outbound is separate from download... streaming is about your outbound/upload traffic).

if you don't need streamelements, I'd strongly advise
- backing up your OBS Scene settings, and other important OBS setup details
- uninstalling streamlements. And then find the instructions on to truly/fully remove it from your system
- then re-install OBS Studio, with NO plugins.
Then try a test (non-public) stream. (and keep an eye on your network monitoring). Hopefully all goes well, and you can add quality plugins (not streamelements) back into your setup and keep testing each step of the way.
- if you do need streamelelements, either post separately for assistance from someone with some expertise in that plugin, or ask for alternatives for the specific feature you are looking for
 
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Spooner

New Member
Did you manage to resolve this issue? I am having a similar problem were every couple of weeks or so, my stream starts dropping frames due to network. Everything seems fine, speedtest is fine - no latency or anything. I can log in and play any game without problems, watch netflix, have other people use the network heavily and it won't affect OBS. But every now and then randomly, my OBS frames tank due to network even with no one using the network at that time.

I've tried:

-Lowering bitrate
-Updating network drivers
-Enabling network Optimization
-Restarting modem
-Restarting PC
 
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Lawrence_SoCal

Active Member
Spooner said:
I am having a similar problem were every couple of weeks or so, my stream starts dropping frames due to network. Everything seems fine, speedtest is fine - no latency or anything. I can log in and play any game without problems, watch netflix, have other people use the network heavily and it won't affect OBS.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing the vast majority, if not ALL of that testing you just mentioned is checking download traffic (from Internet to your house), which is largely (almost completely) irrelevant to upload/streaming/outbound traffic (other than basic connection working at all). Your internet connection is NOT like electricity switch, where, for the most part, it either works (has power) or doesn't. Instead think more like a freeway, where upload/download traffic are lanes heading in opposite directions. A traffic jam in one direction doesn't impact the other side.

Spooner said:
But every now and then randomly, my OBS frames tank due to network even with no one using the network at that time.

I've tried:

-Lowering bitrate
-Updating network drivers
-Enabling network Optimization
-Restarting modem
-Restarting PC
Click to expand...
Almost never random

Notice the whole thread? what are you doing for real-time network traffic monitoring at your WAN link (typically router/firewall)?

Also, that streamelements plugin original poster had has been known, over the years, to be a problem in causing network timeouts
Start your own thread, and pay attention to pinned post in the forum regarding posting your OBS Studio log
 
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