I need help with poor streaming from nhl.tv, any ideas!

[Rogie]

Hi,
Sorry that mostly only come to this thread when I need help with computer things.

I've had nhl.tv subscription for years. I think I have this problem every year.

At the start of the season, they stream is near perfect - never buffers, starts right away, and I can go back and forth 10 seconds, or use the search bar to go to any part of the games, etc etc etc. There are 3 levels of quality and I can always use high quality. I have a HP desktop 8 gb ram and 100 Mbps internet - I live in S. Korea (Korea telecom).

So, for the last 3 weeks or so, I can't get any games to even start or if they do start they just run terrible, then buffer, or completely stop.

I contact nhl.com support and have been back and forth emailing with them. They said reset routers, etc etc, make sure flash, and browsers, and other stuff is good.

When I kept presseing for an answer as to why any older games (l month older) can play almost perfectly and yet newer games don't play hardly (if they even start), the reply (after asking repeatedly) was something to the effect that they have a distributed system so there are multiple servers. Then, they included some suggestions on how to reset my routing, which I am reluctant to do as I'm not that computer literate.

This was the suggestion from the last email with the nhl.com:

"A change in DNS may resolve your issue. Changing the DNS triggers an IP route change. Our system is a distributed one so there are multiple servers, if your IP route changes then you could be connecting to a different server, maybe one closer to you.

You can click on either link below for steps on how to change DNS:

Google DNS Settings change:
Public DNS | Google Developers

Comodo DNS Change:
Switch Now - Change to Comodo Secure DNS Service

You can also click on the following link to help determine what may be the best DNS for your area.
GRC's | DNS Nameserver Performance Benchmark

Prior to making the change we recommend taking down the numbers that are currently listed for your DNS in the event you wish to change it back. "

So, I just wonder if anyone has any simpler ideas. Also, I have a router (TPlink) which we use to make wifi since my wife and I both have smart phones and benefit from wifi at home. I don't really know how to set up the router (TP link) too easily (though I have done so) because the instructions are in Korean, even when I go to the on-line page to make changes - only Korean site come up for the router specs and changing the specs stuff).

I"m so sorry about the long winded story. My speed tests are over 90 Mb up and down.
I can connect to illegal reddit streams, the exact same games that the nhl.com site with not even start and they run perfectly showing 6600 kbps - I only use them for testing and comparing purposes.

Any thoughts or ideas - much much appreciated.

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[SniperHF]

You can check and see if it's your computer at fault by trying to use another computer on your network to watch nhl.tv. If you don't have one you might have to borrow one.


Resetting the routing isn't too bad.

In the windows search bar type in CMD.

In the results "command prompt" will come up, right click it and run it as administrator. You might have to click "yes" a few times.

Right click paste each of these commands into the command line one at a time. Press enter after each one.

netsh interface ip delete arpcache
netsh interface ip delete destinationcache




You can do the DNS change on your computer instead of on the router.

In the windows search bar type ncpa.cpl and press enter.

That will bring up a list of network adapters.

You'll have to pick which one you are using, wired or wireless. The disconnected ones have a red X by them.

Right click the connection you need and click properties.

That will pull up a list, you need to find "Internet Protocol Version 4". Click it and then press the properties button.

Toward the bottom of the menu click "Use the Following DNS Server address"

Type in these addresses boxes "preferred" and "alternate" DNS server: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (those are google's)

Click okay, then click close on the next menu. Now your DNS is changed. If you ever need to change it back open up the same menu as above and just set it back to "obtain automatically"


@Rogie


I have absolutely no idea if either of those will work, I have my doubts
Having worked on the opposite side of the email these sounds like suggestions by a helpdesk that's out of ideas.

 

[Rogie]

You can check and see if it's your computer at fault by trying to use another computer on your network to watch nhl.tv. If you don't have one you might have to borrow one.


Resetting the routing isn't too bad.

In the windows search bar type in CMD.

In the results "command prompt" will come up, right click it and run it as administrator. You might have to click "yes" a few times.

Right click paste each of these commands into the command line one at a time. Press enter after each one.

netsh interface ip delete arpcache
netsh interface ip delete destinationcache




You can do the DNS change on your computer instead of on the router.

In the windows search bar type ncpa.cpl and press enter.

That will bring up a list of network adapters.

You'll have to pick which one you are using, wired or wireless. The disconnected ones have a red X by them.

Right click the connection you need and click properties.

That will pull up a list, you need to find "Internet Protocol Version 4". Click it and then press the properties button.

Toward the bottom of the menu click "Use the Following DNS Server address"

Type in these addresses boxes "preferred" and "alternate" DNS server: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (those are google's)

Click okay, then click close on the next menu. Now your DNS is changed. If you ever need to change it back open up the same menu as above and just set it back to "obtain automatically"


@Rogie


I have absolutely no idea if either of those will work, I have my doubts
Having worked on the opposite side of the email these sounds like suggestions by a helpdesk that's out of ideas.

Sorry for not responding sooner. THANK YOU for your suggestions and ideas. I was able to change the 8888/8844 thing - that was pretty easy, but, it made no difference.
And yes, y ou are right about trying another computer to see if it's my problem. Turns out it might very well be my computer - or, still can't rule out the router. When I disconnect the router and just connect my ethernet line directly from the service provider - (I just got the router a month or 2 ago), it's the same thing problem. So, that makes we wonder if it's my computer. I tried a computer at work today and it streamed everything, even recent games, pretty much perfectly and it started streaming very quickly. My computer at home (8gb ram and 3. xx ghz) is stronger than the one I used at work - pretty sure at least. So, that seems strange. I wonder about the flash, the java, Windows 7, the OS, etc etc etc. But, again, the strange part is that I can stream a game from 2 months ago, and it's perfect - I can even stream it on wifi on my tablet and it's perfect, so, that's strange.
Anyways, thanks for y our response.

Oh, btw, when I go in the command prompt, I can't right click - nothing happens, it doesn't say run as administrator, nothing happens. When I copy and paste that script in, same thing, nothing happens.

Another strange thing, I use Google Chrome, when I try to use Internet Explorer 11 (recommended by NHL.com) nothing happens after i hit enter at the login scrreen, it just goes back to the blank login page with the login id/password blank.
Thanks again.

 

[Rogie]

Actually, I made a mistake and misunderstood your instructions about the command prompt. I did get to enter those 2 scripts and entered ok, and it said OK after each one. So, I'll try that now, maybe I made something hppen.

 

[PK Cronin]

Are you using an ad blocker? That impacted my nhl.tv performance over time. Seems weird though that older games work fine and newer ones don't, even with the change they're talking about.