Chromecast using excessive internet traffic when streaming locally.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Chromecast using excessive internet traffic when streaming locally.

Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#143417 14-Apr-2014 16:20

Hi all.

I have Plex media server running on my PC that is connected to my Telecom provided TG589vn v2 modem. My Chromecast is also connected to this.
I stream from Plex to the Chromecast using the Android app. When I am choosing the content to watch my phone is also on the wifi from the TG589.

All of the data streamed like this is counting against my cap. How can I diagnose/ fix this?

I have come across others who have found their router counts local traffic against their data cap. Surely this isn't happening here.
Also this person who has the same issue but no solution.

The Chromecast doesn't work at all when it cannot connect to the internet so I can't just unplug it and try stream.

Any help would be appreciated.

xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#1024988 14-Apr-2014 16:40

If Orcon (or insert your ISP) were counting my local LAN traffic as well as internet traffic, I would have had to sell the house, kids and hope for a Lotto win... thats crazy what that link shows.

Is the data your ISP is seeing being used, exactly the same size as the file you're viewing ?

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1024991 14-Apr-2014 16:43

As far as we can see it is the amount we are streaming. We can account for the PC's on our network but not mobiles using wifi. We have 4gb unaccounted for last night which is about 3 HD Game of Thrones episodes we watched. It happens every time we use the Chromecast to stream locally from Plex.

xpd

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#1024996 14-Apr-2014 16:47

Run Wireshark and see where the data is going at least.... be interesting to see.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1024999 14-Apr-2014 16:49

So run that on the Server? Will that not just show the destination as the Chromecast.

Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1025024 14-Apr-2014 17:23

Running Wireshark on my PC(Plex Server) it appears that it is working locally as it should be. The packets appear to be going directly from my pc to the Chromecast staying within the network.

This would suggest the maybe the modem is counting internal traffic against my cap.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#1025061 14-Apr-2014 18:35

What ISP?

Are you sure the Plex app on Chromecast isn't getting it from the Internet instead of LAN (as in going out to a Plex mediation server somewhere)?

Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1025065 14-Apr-2014 18:45

Telecom VDSL with a TG589vn v2

I'm pretty sure the way Chromecast works is that it may go to a mediation server to start the stream but then works locally. Looking at Wireshark this is what appears to happen. The packets are being sent between my Servers local IP and my Chromecasts local IP.

If I stream using Plex to any other device within my network it doesn't count against my cap. If I stream from my friends Plex server over the internet the correct amount of data is used.

How would I test if the data is going between some other mediation service. The Plex sight says it should stream directly and locally which would make sense.

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Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1025073 14-Apr-2014 19:15

This seems to say that the data should definitely be local only.

I can only conclude that there is an issue with the way the TG589 is counting traffic.

A friend mentioned something about "VLAN" packets and how the modem calculates data use as local vs internet. Could it really be the router or is something very odd going on here.

freitasm

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#1025078 14-Apr-2014 19:37

How do you know it's being counted against your cap? Are you logging into the Telecom broadband meter and seeing this, or only on the router?

Rudder

106 posts

Master Geek

#1025080 14-Apr-2014 19:44

By logging into MyTelecom. It seems to update every hour or so. We have Networx running on both our PCs' so can see how much of the internet traffic we can attribute to them.

The amount between how much Networx tells us we have used and what MyTelecom says is about how much we stream to the Chromecast.

According to Telecom we have used 20GB in 3 days. The downloads on our PC count for about 8gb. About another 3GB of games and general browsing plus music streaming services. The rest is unaccounted for.

If I stream a Game of Thrones episode, within an hour our usage jumps about 2GB.

SteveON

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#1025092 14-Apr-2014 20:09

Your router does not count the traffic towards your cap. Traffic is counted by the ISP. No router would do this, it's impossible unless the data is being piped to a server via the WAN port.