Youtube Download Slowing Down Causing Buffer possible CDN issue

[roofed]

So For the Past Few Days I have Noticed Youtube Is not watchable i did some testing and nothing points to my connection having a problem this all points to youtube/rogers CDN servers failing as some "Stream Host" seem to be working but almost all of them dont. This problem is on browsers as for trying this on mobile android youtube app 720p60 seems to hold a stable 13mbps while on pc 1080p60 seems to start @ 50000kbps to a min 1000kbps. My internet speed is fine line quality is good while doing the test i had twitch.tv streams running on source no drops nothing in bandwidth flow same for downloading tested on multiple browsers Firefox| Chrome

Below is a gif showing what happens Notice how the "stream host" changes and bandwidth begins to drop

https://gfycat.com/GrimyGiddyKagu

***Edited Labels***

[Maxhac]

@KoN1 

I found out that some videos take forever to start loading then buffer for a minutes then its good.

Edit: It appear that my post got sent before i finished it.

[EugW1]

Interesting.

On the left I have a VPN active in Chrome.

On the right it's Safari without VPN.

Both are on running on the same (wired) computer at the same time.

Video is Costa Rica 4Kp60 HDR, both at 4K using VP9.

Bitrates in Chrome (VPN) ranged from about 150 Mbps down to about 50 Mbps.

Bitrates in Safari (no VPN) ranged from about 200 Mbps down to about 5 Mbps.

EDIT:

It seems the screen grab isn't showing.

Anyhow, it shows the bitrate in Chrome (VPN) is at about 72 Mbps with a buffer of 30 s, while the bitrate in Safari (no VPN) is at about 8 Mbps with a buffer of 10 s.

Again, this is on the same computer, running at the same time, since by side, both with the same internet connection.

[57]

I tested at 5:30PM and at 11:30PM and had no issues with downloads again from 30-250 mbps.  Perhaps I was lucky and others were unlucky with their timing.  I had zero dropped frames and a healthy buffer at all times. I tested for about 5 minutes each time, which perhaps wasn't long enough to find hiccups...

[stockylobster]

Mine seems to have gotten worse 😞

[57]

---

@EugW1 wrote:

Interesting.

On the left I have a VPN active in Chrome.

On the right it's Safari without VPN.

Both are on running on the same (wired) computer at the same time.

Video is Costa Rica 4Kp60 HDR, both at 4K using VP9.

Bitrates in Chrome (VPN) ranged from about 150 Mbps down to about 50 Mbps.

Bitrates in Safari (no VPN) ranged from about 200 Mbps down to about 5 Mbps.

EDIT:

It seems the screen grab isn't showing.

Anyhow, it shows the bitrate in Chrome (VPN) is at about 72 Mbps with a buffer of 30 s, while the bitrate in Safari (no VPN) is at about 8 Mbps with a buffer of 10 s.

Again, this is on the same computer, running at the same time, since by side, both with the same internet connection.

---

You may wish to try it the other way around.  I repeated your experiment with Chrome on the left (starting that first) and then Firefox on the right (starting second) and got the same result you did with the second video buffering.  However, if I started with FF and then launched Chrome second, it was Chrome that started buffering.  I don't have a VPN.  I did the same using Safari and found that the video that started first had no issues, while the second buffered.  

I did some testing this morning at around 10:30-11AM and had no issues streaming one 4K stream on my computer, again with bitrates of 30-250 mbps on my 300 mbps connection.

[EugW1]

^^^ @57: Well, I also tested Chrome by flicking VPN on and off. 

Immediately after I turned off VPN on Chrome, the connection speed began to decline, and in less than half a minute, the speed slowed to below 10 Mbps causing the video to periodically pause to allow buffering.

Then I turned VPN back on in Chrome, and immediately the connection speed started to rise back up, and in less than 10 seconds the listed connection speed was over 50 Mbps. After that it fluctuated between about 50-100 Mbps, and of course the playback was smooth.

BTW, when I do such testing, I also periodically try the speed test at fast.com which is the speed test associated with Netflix. It always reads over 100 Mbps, and usually over 200 Mbps.

[57]

I tested again this evening around 9PM (as well as several times during the day).  I had no issues streaming 4K videos for about 15 minutes at 9PM.  Not one dropped frame!  I'm hoping that everyone will (soon?) be able to experience glitch-free 4K streaming 24/7...

I know it's too soon to celebrate, but as far as my connection is concerned, so far so good, for the past few days.

[VZ1]

Tested few times today 8-11 pm. Everything as usual.
Connection Speed in YouTube is 4-10Kbps, so watching 4K videos is pretty much impossible.
When connecting through VPN it increases to 50-90Kbps, all videos work perfectly. Disconnecting VPN - goes back to 4-10Kbps.

[57]

Is it possible location has an impact?  I'm in Toronto near Yonge & Lawrence.

[Maxhac]

New Brunswick here. Had to VPN through my VPS in Québec. OVH don't have issues with Youtube!

[alloverthemapMG]

Tested last night. Still have issues.

Both wired and wireless.

Rogers 500 down service.

Located in Ottawa. K1L area.

I noticed a couple nights ago that it had improved but issues again showed themselves last night.

[Joxer]

Nothing much has changed, still lots of buffering or dropping down to 480p or lower.  Not all the time, and of course I'm not always that invested in what's on or close enough to see when it's say 720p and I'm 15 feet or so away.  But definitely in the evenings it's worse than midday.  I may have to get a VPN that supports internet connection sharing on mac again.

Checking a 4k Youtube video (by Netflix) right now at full 4k, 72018Kbps connection, 20-40 seconds of buffer health (so lots of blank network activity where it has enough for  a bit).  I would guess that a bit rate of 20-30Mbps would play this smoothly with 10 seconds of buffer health. Right now it's over that. The other night it was under 1.5Mbps, can't do 720p even.  So uneven and frustrating.

[goldenegg]

This buffering issue has been getting pretty ridiculous. YouTube works perfectly with a VPN, but falls all over itself without one. There's really no excuse for that.

I just submitted a complaint to CCTS and would suggest everyone else having this problem should do the same. https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/complaint-form/

[chrisuz91]

Hmmm, could this somehow be related to ipv6? My Samsung smart TV does not acquire an ipv6 address, and does not seem to lag when watching YouTube videos in 4K. If I load the same videos on the Ignite TV box, the issue reoccurs. 

[AccordXTC]

@chrisuz91  IPV4 or IPV6 do not have anything to do with the YouTube buffering issue. This is a Rogers cache server issue that is currently being investigated. 

[gfraser2]

Kitchener 1GB Roger Ignite. Anytime of day youtube buffering.

I have had problems for 15+ years, . I still have Temporary cable run for over 10 years along my fence which needs to be replaced often because of racoons/squirrels chewing thru the cable. 

I am lucky if I watch the Leafs and have sound and video for the whole game when I use the internet .

[Joxer]

@gfraser2Sounds like not the YouTube issue we're discussing here.  What we're talking about here is great speeds (mostly) on other internet services, and things like simultaneously getting 800Mbps on SpeedTest but under 1Kbps for a YouTube video. 

[gfraser2]

Weird people everywhere

[forcefed]

@Joxer did you mistakenly sign up for the dialup experience? Rogers is able bring back that authentic and frustrating dialup experience if you sign up for it, slow loading pics and videos, and best of all its free!

[stockylobster]

I think you meant 1Mbps.

[AccordXTC]

Since Friday I have been testing YouTube out on 4K, 1080p with zero issues. I've tested this on any device with a huge improvement over before. Not sure what they changed or if this was just something on my account. I've reached out to my Rogers contact on this to find out more detail. I will update once I know more.