[mythtv] Video library playback using 802.11g wireless network

[David Whyte]

On 7/15/05, Dan Christensen <jdc at uwo.ca> wrote:
> Eskil Brun <eskil at eskil.net> writes:
>
> > [...]
> > I use a 802.11g wireless network in my house. So far this has been
> > sufficient.
> > [...]
> > Using the mythfrontend, playback will abort and return to the
> > frontend anywhere from a few minutes to a few seconds after starting.
> >
> > In the log on the backend I get this message:
> >
> >     WriteBlock zerocnt timeout
>
> I've played two streams simultaneously over 802.11g, while the
> backend/frontend was also playing a recorded show and recording
> another.  I didn't have any troubles ... until recently.
>
> Since changing from madwifi drivers to ndiswrapper, my throughput
> using scp has doubled to about 3MB/s, but now I'm getting the error
> above from my backend as well.  The remote frontend says:
>
> 2005-07-14 19:13:00.532 prebuffering pause
> 2005-07-14 19:13:03.825 prebuffering pause
> 2005-07-14 19:13:22.906 prebuffering pause
> 2005-07-14 19:13:26.017 Waited 4 seconds for data to become available, waiting again...
> 2005-07-14 19:13:38.257 Changing from WatchingRecording to None
> 2005-07-14 19:13:38.288 Changing from None to None
> 2005-07-14 19:13:39.689 Enable DPMS
> 2005-07-14 19:13:41.438 RemoteFile::Read() failed in RingBuffer::safe_read().
>
> I can't figure out what is causing this, since I can sustain 3MB/s.
>

I have been getting this for the past few weeks on my remote
frontends.  The message I see in the backend logs is 'WriteBlock
zerocnt timeout' sometimes repeated, while the frontend has the output
listed above.

The funny thing is, while I thought it was possibly due to my wireless
FE, it infact happens a lot on my 100Mbps wired frontend too.

I have tried changing network adaptors in the backend machine and have
change the network cable between the switch and the backend.  This
leave me with one of two possible causes; software in the backend or
my switch.

Does anyone have any advice?

Cheers,
Whytey