Define local networks or forbid direct stream

[bondfreak 14]

Hi there,

 

I am having trouble with streaming media to a PS4 client. The PS4 is connected through a transparent OpenVPN tunnel using a different subnet than the emby server instance.

Unfortunately the PS4 uses direct streaming, which makes the stream stutter a lot due to lack of serverside upstream bandwidth. Some of the media is small enough in file size so it will not bother the playback, but most files will not play. I was hoping that limiting stream bandwidth for remote networks in emby server settings fixes the problem, but it seems that the setting does not affect the connection.

 

How does emby classify networks as being "local networks"? ...or are these limits only effective for media playing through emby connect? Can I disable direct streaming for certain clients, so the media will be transcoded? I can not find the PS4 as a device (assuming that is because it uses emby theater).

 

Regards

Bondfreak

[Tur0k 148]

In your setup there should be local connection ports and public connection ports. Have you tried setting a public port (http or https) to be unique, allow it in your Windows firewall, and then connect to it from across your tunnel.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Luke 42085]

@@bondfreak, in the ps4 app settings you can also set your own max streaming bitrate. If your network setup is fooling the server into thinking the device is on the local network, then by default it will use as much bandwidth as possible in order to direct play, just like you are seeing.

[bondfreak 14]

In your setup there should be local connection ports and public connection ports. Have you tried setting a public port (http or https) to be unique, allow it in your Windows firewall, and then connect to it from across your tunnel.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have configured different ports for local and remote connection, but I am not sure what the remote ports are used for. At least emby does not listen on the remote ports for requests.

 

@@bondfreak, in the ps4 app settings you can also set your own max streaming bitrate. If your network setup is fooling the server into thinking the device is on the local network, then by default it will use as much bandwidth as possible in order to direct play, just like you are seeing.

 

Actually I am not fooling it, because the source IP address of the requests is in another subnet and therefore not in the exact same local network. That's why I was asking for how Emby classifies addresses as "local" and "not local".

Image a setup with a single router with 2 Interfaces in a home network...one interface is Gigabit (where the server resides) and the other is a 802.11b WiFi. These interfaces can use different subnets/networks and are not local layer-2-wise per definition. Routers for home users bridge these interfaces in most cases, but you don't have to do that. I would not assume that only because the requests come from an RFC1918 address it must be a "local network client".

 

My server is in 192.168.2.0/24, the VPN Gateway is in 192.168.1.0/24 and the requests from the PS4 are coming from the 10.10.10.0/24 network.

 

Is Emby treating all RFC1918 addresses as local then?

 

I will also try to set the max bitrate in the PS4 settings.

 

Regards

Bondfreak

[Luke 42085]

No, it's not treating them all as local. I would just try setting your own bitrate value in the ps4 app settings.