Upload usage not matching the plex dashboard

[Antillius]

Server Version#: 1.24.4.5081
Player Version#: 1.35.1 (Windows), and tested on iOS latest App version, and Browser

Starting roughly a day or so ago - I noticed that plex is uploading at a much higher rate then the movie / show itself is rated for regardless of the media type (x264, X265 encodings or MP4 / MKV etc). For example my House season I pulled from DVD and converted to X265 had been playing fine and uses 3 mbps however plex always jumps the upload usage to 29-33 mbps locally or remotely not matching what the show is actually rated at.

Steps done so far:

Optimized my plex library
Repaired my Database
Upgraded to the version of plex that I listed above that was listed for my Plex Pass
Verified that it affects all of my media not just a specific show or video that I have in my library
I verified I have exclusions in Windows Defender on my server for the plex directories and their underlying services
Tested locally only instead of remote

I also double checked using resource monitor and task manager to verify that the upload actually being used is the 29-33 mbps each time versus the rated 3 mbps… I also checked my Edge when testing remote in my UDM Pro to verify that the real-time upload usage was improper there. So I don’t believe it’s a visual bug

[OttoKerner]

This is normal.

How accurate is the Plex bandwidth graph?

Even if you set your average bandwidth to be at 4 mbps, it doesn’t mean that the individual “chunks” of data are transferred to the client at 4mbps. Instead they are using whichever bandwidth is available. i.e. there is no “traffic shaping”.

[Antillius]

So it is normal for it to spike out on every single show and movie? And for that upload to be continuous not just in chunks? Basically when you push play it stays maxed for my full pipe the entire time regardless of the media playing. It’s not just individual spikes it just stays persistently at the max pipe allowance pretty much.

[OttoKerner]

@Antillius

it stays maxed for my full pipe the entire time regardless of the media playing

Have you verified that for at least several minutes? Because at playback start it is normal to max out the connection. There are buffers to be filled then.

[Antillius]

Does Plex leverage the “Service Host: IP Helper” process in Windows? Just out of curiosity.

[OttoKerner]

Sorry, I don’t know that.

[Antillius]

I apologize I was testing - so it seems to be a persistent thing even after a few minutes.

[Antillius]

What’s interesting is my glasswire I use to monitor the plex service even during high usage periods where I watched like two movies it never does this for the past 30 days but starting at roughly noon when I watched a show for lunch it started doing this.