Problems streaming movies - F4-423

[LordP]

I tried streaming a movie to my phone (Pixel 9 Pro) in my bedroom (on the second floor), and it stuttered a lot. I tried the same thing on the first floor, where the WiFi was unobstructed - same thing.

I changed the connection from a 2.5G to USB adapter (purchased from TerraMaster) to a bonded pair of 2.5G cables. Still stuttering.

I copied the same movie to a Synology connected with a CableCreation Network to USB adapter, and everything worked great - on the first floor and the second floor. I was able to fast forward and back, all without stuttering, on the same network.

Clearly, the connection is not an issue.

Is there something I need to set in the F4? Has anyone had issues like this?

Thanks for any help with this.

I'm reposting this because I don't know what happened to my first post.

[CursaYang]

Hello, how are you playing videos? Through Plex or directly via SMB?
Is the file transfer speed normal? If the file transfer speed is normal but the video playback is lagging, it is more likely to be a software/transcoding issue.

[LordP]

Not Plex, I am accessing a shared folder through WiFi.

Speedtest tells me my download speed is 700Mb/s.

I am playing a 4K video which has a bitrate of 74Mb/s, on my Pixel 9 Pro.

It plays very smoothly from the Synology DS1522+, but it is unwatchable from the F4-423

When you say "it is more likely to be a software/transcoding issue.", what exactly are you referring to? Transcoding in what device? The F4-423? The Pixel 9 Pro?

As I said, it works just fine playing the file from the DS1522+.

[LordP]

I am very unhappy with TerraMaster.

My F4-423 is supposed to be able to play 4K movies, and it does not.

From the F4-423 specifications page:

Hardware Transcoding Engine H.264, H.265, MPEG-4, VC-1;maximum resolution: 4K (4096 x 2160); maximum frame rate per second (FPS): 60

I am throwing my F4-423 away and buying a used Synology DiskStation DS1618+ 6 Bay NAS.

I already have one DS1618+ and it just works.

[TMroy]

I can understand your upset. Before you throw it away now let's try to find out what could be the issue. You need to check each of them, I hope I can do these for you but I cannot.

1. check if your F4-423 connect to your network with a correct bandwidth, is it running 2.5G? I know you are connecting a 2.5G cable. Please go to TOS > Control panel > network > interface, check the network port bandwidth value.
2. check if your disks working on right condition, is the disk repsond normal? Please go to TOS > control panel > storage > disk, and perform a disk benchmark test, check the hard disk througput value and latency value, throughput should not less than 150MB/s, latency should not more than 100ms.

by the way
3. what is your hard disk model and what raid configuration?
4. what is the video format and bitrate?

[LordP]

Network Bandwidth: 2500Mbps
HD1: IOPS: 4192 - Throughput 262MB/s - Latency 61ms
HD2: IOPS: 4094 - Throughput 255MB/s - Latency 61ms
HD3: IOPS: 4306 - Throughput 269MB/s - Latency 59ms
HD4: IOPS: 4225 - Throughput 264MB/s - Latency 60ms
NVME-1: IOPS: 13346 - Throughput 834MB/s - Latency 19ms <- Cache
NVME-2: IOPS: 13443 - Throughput 840MB/s - Latency 19ms <- TOS

4x Hard drives Seagate IronWolf Pro 24TB
2x Crucial P310 4TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD

Raid configuration is TRAID

The video is MKV - 74.4Mb/s HEVC

Before you ask, the same video plays very well on my Pixel 9 Pro phone, and my Pixel tablet, when moved to a Synology NAS on the same network.

The playback device is not the problem.

EDIT: Before you ask, no, I am not using Plex or anything else. I am using the F4-423 as intended, Network Attached Storage - I am simply accessing the file from my devices, both the TerraMaster and the Synology. There is nothing between the device and the NAS.

[LordP]

I know you are based in China, and it seems to me that resolving this will take an eternity due to the time differences.

If you could let me know a time when you're available, I will try to be online at that time.

Please tell me what time in Eastern Standard Time - I live in Pennsylvania, US.

[CursaYang]

Network Bandwidth: 2500Mbps
HD1: IOPS: 4192 - Throughput 262MB/s - Latency 61ms
HD2: IOPS: 4094 - Throughput 255MB/s - Latency 61ms
HD3: IOPS: 4306 - Throughput 269MB/s - Latency 59ms
HD4: IOPS: 4225 - Throughput 264MB/s - Latency 60ms
NVME-1: IOPS: 13346 - Throughput 834MB/s - Latency 19ms <- Cache
NVME-2: IOPS: 13443 - Throughput 840MB/s - Latency 19ms <- TOS

4x Hard drives Seagate IronWolf Pro 24TB
2x Crucial P310 4TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD

Raid configuration is TRAID

The video is MKV - 74.4Mb/s HEVC

Before you ask, the same video plays very well on my Pixel 9 Pro phone, and my Pixel tablet, when moved to a Synology NAS on the same network.

The playback device is not the problem.

EDIT: Before you ask, no, I am not using Plex or anything else. I am using the F4-423 as intended, Network Attached Storage - I am simply accessing the file from my devices, both the TerraMaster and the Synology. There is nothing between the device and the NAS.

Thank you for your detailed description and excluding other influencing factors. Please go to the control panel - file services - SMB, set the minimum protocol to SMB2, the maximum protocol to SMB3, or force the use of SMB3.

[LordP]

Thank you. That worked.

SMB Maximum was already SMB3, SMB minimum was at SMB1, and I changed it to SMB2.

I cannot find "force SMB3", can you tell me where to find that, or how to enable it?

Thanks again.

[CursaYang]

Thank you. That worked.

SMB Maximum was already SMB3, SMB minimum was at SMB1, and I changed it to SMB2.

I cannot find "force SMB3", can you tell me where to find that, or how to enable it?

Thanks again.

Sorry, there is an issue with my expression here. Setting both the maximum and minimum values to SMB3 will force the connection to use the SMB3 protocol.