Server Version#: 1.25.9.5673-bf5697c5d
Server Hardware:
- OS: Windows 10 Pro v.21H2
- RAM: 12.0 GB (11.9 GB usable)
- CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
- NIC: on motherboard -
- NIC Configuration:
- Windows 10 Pro installed on: 2 x SSD RAID Stripe 0 volume (83.4 GB free of 118 GB)
- PMS, metadata folder, and cache folder installed on: 3 x SSD RAID Stripe 0 volume (263 GB free of 501 GB)
- Media library installed on: 5 x HDD RAID Stripe 0 volume (5.24 TB free of 13.6 TB)
PMS configuration:
- Video transcode is disabled.
- Direct playback works fine.
- Playback is not running through Relay.
- Content is 1080P.
- Remote Access Settings:
Clients tested:
- Windows 10 App Player Version#: 1.42.1.2926-415b0e14
- Nvidia Shield TV Player Version#: 8.31.2.31546
- Fire TV 4K Player Version#:
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Player Version#: 8.28.0.30077 (241173d0)
- I have about 20 users, most using Nvidia Shield TV and 1 Apple TV. All experiencing buffering issues.
- All clients’ quality settings are set to MAXIMUM / ORIGINAL quality.
Server Internet: Google Fiber
Google Fiber Speed Tests on PMS:
Client Internet: Xfinity
Xfinity Speed Tests:
- Netflix streams without issues
- YouTube 4K streams without issues
Issue:
My Plex server has been flawless for the past 18 months or so. It used to load, play, and seek high bitrate (~40 mbps to 50mbps) 1080p videos with almost zero lag.
Recently (past several weeks), I’ve been getting a lot of buffering streaming 1080p content over remote:
- Bandwidth graph:
I ran some extensive playback tests and noticed this pattern. PMS plays great for several minutes, then it buffers down to a crawl for several minutes. When it buffers, I immediately run a speed test on the same server and the test results are really good. So, I don’t think it is an issue with Windows or the NIC. Screenshots posted at the top. This pattern repeats itself randomly.
I have uninstalled PMS, deleted the install folder, and then reinstalled it again. This didn’t fix the issue.
I ran the server directly to the Google router and this didn’t fix the issue.
I’ve ran speed tests independently on Mac and Mint Linux laptops using the same CAT-5E Ethernet cable, the same switch, and the same router that the server uses and they both returned excellent results.
I’m out of ideas, please help!
