[TelstraClear] iSky live buffering issues with TelstraClear

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [TelstraClear] iSky live buffering issues with TelstraClear - a solution

junglep

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#101428 1-May-2012 22:08

There has been discussion on this forum (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=44&topicid=96243) and others about the ongoing issue of iSky Live stopping and buffering every 10-20 seconds practically making iSky Live unwatchable. This problem seems to be confined to TelstraClear users and although TelstraClear are aware of the problem, it has now been ongoing for several months.

I have had the same issue and have been advised by TelstraClear that it will be fixed in their next software update - whenever that might occur.

After being frustrated for the last month or so when wanting to watch isky live, I have researched the issue and found the following:

When using isky live with the TelstraClear DNS servers, isky live connects to IPs 60.234.60.132 or 60.234.60.134. Ping times for these IP addresses are around 170 -190ms, and isky live will continually rebuffer. When using isky live with Telecom DNS servers (or other NZ open DNS servers), isky connects to IPs 60.234.60.196 or 60.234.60.202. Ping times for these IP addresses are around 23 -26ms and isky live works perfectly.

So there are 2 possible solutions I have come up with. Either should work.

1. Change the DNS servers in your router from the TelstraClear DNS servers to other NZ open DNS servers.
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=95560 Choose ones that do not block external connections. Telecom DNS servers 202.27.158.40 and 202.27.158.72 work.

or 2. Amend the hosts file on your PC so that one of the good IPs (60.234.60.196 or 60.234.60.202) is used by isky. Copy and paste the block below into the hosts file (I have used 60.234.60.202, you could choose either of the IPs)

60.234.60.202 fs-574f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 1
60.234.60.202 fs-3b4f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 2
60.234.60.202 fs-2a4f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 3
60.234.60.202 fs-f74e500000000000.id.velocix.com #sky News
60.234.60.202 fs-184f500000000000.id.velocix.com #CNN

Happy iSky viewing!

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192 posts

Master Geek

#618176 2-May-2012 06:30

Thanks junglep - it works beautifully

amanzi

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#618198 2-May-2012 08:47

Thanks for the post. Yet another example of TelstraClear's DNS/network/proxy failures...

Jaxson

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#618223 2-May-2012 10:02

Would this help with slow buffering of youtube etc on Telstra too?
I might give this a go regardless as things have gone downhill significantly after we switched from Vodafone to Telstra recently. Same home wiring as before etc etc.

freitasm

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#618227 2-May-2012 10:08

Note that if you change the DNS to any other provider you will have problems accessing services from CDNs with NZ nodes (Apple iTunes, Microsoft updates, Facebook, etc) and any access to Google services (including YouTube).

TelstraClear has to sort out their DNS and proxy, because it's getting beyond a joke.

junglep

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#618257 2-May-2012 10:48

I don't understand why would that happen if you were using other NZ DNS's. Telecom's DNS should still point you to the NZ CDNs for Apple, Youtube etc. They work for existing Telecom users, why wouldn't they work for others?

freitasm

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#618258 2-May-2012 10:50

Because TelstraClear (and other ISPs) have access to different paths and IP addresses, and if your request goes out through to one IP but their proxy gets something from a different IP their firewall will block - and you will see missing elements in pages, etc.

This is the short version.

junglep

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#618288 2-May-2012 12:15

Using Telecom's DNS servers (as both primary and secondary DNS servers) I have checked all the sites you have listed. They all work well even though I am a TelstraClear (ADSL) ISP user.

Can you please point me to a site that doesn't work so that I can see it for myself?

Thanks

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

freitasm

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#618289 2-May-2012 12:16

I won't be doing your research, sorry.

Skillie

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Master Geek

#618292 2-May-2012 12:18

I just updated the hosts file (option 2) - no need to change the DNS settings then...

Jaxson

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#618294 2-May-2012 12:24

Where's that Telstraclear rep guy on here? He should be looking at this.

amanzi

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#618299 2-May-2012 12:31

junglep: Using Telecom's DNS servers (as both primary and secondary DNS servers) I have checked all the sites you have listed. They all work well even though I am a TelstraClear (ADSL) ISP user.

Can you please point me to a site that doesn't work so that I can see it for myself?

Thanks

The sites may not appear broken right now, but you'll definitely run into issues if the sites use CDNs. For example, you may find that download files from either Apple or Microsoft will be a lot slower if you're not using TCL DNS servers.

YouTube is a different story all together - if you use TCL's DNS then you'll get redirected to TCL's YouTube caching servers, which is great if the caching servers are working. But as some of us have experienced over recent weeks, you sometimes get worse performance with TCL's YouTube cache.

muppet

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#618431 2-May-2012 16:04

junglep: I don't understand why would that happen if you were using other NZ DNS's. Telecom's DNS should still point you to the NZ CDNs for Apple, Youtube etc. They work for existing Telecom users, why wouldn't they work for others?

Here's the technical reason behind why people say this, in as clear non-technical terms as I can make it. I hope it helps:

You request google.com's logo in your browser.

Your browser issues a DNS lookup for google.com. That request gets forwarded to your ISP. Your ISP sends it to google.

Google now has the source address of your ISPs nameserver from which to make a decision which node is closest to you. So Google says "The ip address of google.com is x.x.x.x" where x.x.x.x is actually the IP address of the Google Cache that your ISP has.

Your web browser connects to the local Google cache and content rushes to you very fast. You're happy.

The problem when using, say, OpenDNS is this:

Your browser issues a DNS lookup for google.com. That request gets forwarded to OpenDNS. OpenDNS send it to Google. Google thinks "Hmmm, OpenDNS, I think they're mostly used in the USA, so the user is probably in the USA" So Google says "The ip address of google.com is Y.Y.Y.Y" where Y.Y.Y.Y is the Google.com server in the US.

Your web browser connects to the remote Google server and content rushes to you very slow, due to TCP slowstart, buffers, Intl proxy caches and all sorts of other bollocks. You're very unhappy.

This was an overview and isn't perfect accurate, but this is why people tell you "Use your ISPs DNS!" because it allows people who run CDN networks to much more accurately determine your general location and say to you "connect to this local server which will give you fast performance".

Cheers.

Edit: Using another ISPs DNS servers will, potentially, fix this issue. But will you have a local route to the answer you're given? Maybe, maybe not depending on your ISP. You might end up doing some "long way round" routing, or even asymmetrical routing (which can break some ISPs International proxy caches) - It could be a fix that breaks other things.
(I know, it shouldn't be this hard.)

junglep

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Wannabe Geek

#618450 2-May-2012 16:58

Thanks for your explanation muppet. I can see the problem if you use an overseas DNS server, that's why I suggested only NZ based DNS servers. However from all the responses here, there obviously can be issues with using DNS servers other than your own ISP, even if they are from other NZ ISPs.

amanzi

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#618491 2-May-2012 18:17

junglep: Thanks for your explanation muppet. I can see the problem if you use an overseas DNS server, that's why I suggested only NZ based DNS servers. However from all the responses here, there obviously can be issues with using DNS servers other than your own ISP, even if they are from other NZ ISPs.

Using other ISPs DNS servers can cause issues if they've implemented proxies or caches or other 'improvements' on their network. So they may return an address which can only be reached from their network. Also, the lack of peering between NZ ISPs means that the best result for a Telecom customer may be different to a TCL customer.

junglep

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#623981 12-May-2012 13:07

iSky have added National Geographic Channel, and Animal Planet to their iSky live feeds. So I have updated the amendments required to the hosts file. This is the preferred (and better) option to ensure TelstraClear users can view uninterrupted iSky live.

Amend the hosts file on your PC so that one of the good IPs (60.234.60.196 or 60.234.60.202) is used by isky. Copy and paste the block below into the hosts file (I have used 60.234.60.202, you could choose either of the IPs)

60.234.60.202 fs-574f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 1
60.234.60.202 fs-3b4f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 2
60.234.60.202 fs-2a4f500000000000.id.velocix.com #skysport 3
60.234.60.202 fs-f74e500000000000.id.velocix.com #sky News
60.234.60.202 fs-184f500000000000.id.velocix.com #CNN
60.234.60.202 fs-c90c7f0000000000.id.velocix.com #National Geographic Channel
60.234.60.202 fs-d10c7f0000000000.id.velocix.com #Animal Planet

Happy iSky viewing!

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