Issues with BBC IPlayer

Help and support
1

Having constant drop outs when viewing BBC IPlayer content I’m on 141 static but had the issue on dynamic 185 also, pings below:

ping -t static.bbci.co.uk

Pinging e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [23.213.16.139] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Request timed out.
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56
Reply from 23.213.16.139: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=56

Ping statistics for 23.213.16.139:
    Packets: Sent = 43, Received = 42, Lost = 1 (2% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 5ms, Maximum = 40ms, Average = 8ms

Traceroute:

tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [23.213.16.139]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     7 ms     1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     8 ms     8 ms     7 ms  [MyIPRedacted]
  3     6 ms     5 ms     6 ms  81.25.207.249
  4     7 ms     7 ms     5 ms  5.158.213.67
  5     6 ms     5 ms     4 ms  ae1.r02.lon01.icn.netarch.akamai.com [23.210.48.38]
  6     6 ms     5 ms     5 ms  ae5.r22.lon01.icn.netarch.akamai.com [95.100.192.79]
  7     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms  ae2.r21.lon01.mag.netarch.akamai.com [23.197.64.100]
  8     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms  ae1.r21.lon01.ien.netarch.akamai.com [23.197.64.65]
  9     7 ms     6 ms     6 ms  ae3.linx-lon12.netarch.akamai.com [23.210.48.199]
 10     7 ms     6 ms     7 ms  a23-213-16-139.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [23.213.16.139]

Trace complete.
2

Interesting. Those pings are ok and there’s only one dropped packet. But, you’re getting drop outs whilst watching? Same sort of thing I’m seeing with gaming then. Pings seem ok yet losses and disconnects in the game. Strange.

3

Yep, the request timeout coincided with the dropout on TV also, it’ll go for a second with a buffer then replay. Sometimes it causes a check connection pop-up on BBC iPlayer.

I’ll attach it to a debugger tomorrow to see if I can find anything further as it happens quite frequently.

4

Updated tracert this morning not looking so good:

tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [23.223.123.212]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     7 ms     9 ms     6 ms  [MyIpRedacted]
  3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  6     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  7     6 ms     5 ms     6 ms  a23-223-123-212.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [23.223.123.212]

Trace complete.

tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [2.22.143.66]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    16 ms     6 ms     7 ms  [MyIpRedacted]
  3     6 ms     7 ms     7 ms  31.41.250.6
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5     6 ms     7 ms     7 ms  a2-22-143-66.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [2.22.143.66]

Trace complete.
5

This is odd, we’re peering direct with Akamai. We’re investigating this now :slightly_smiling_face:

6

Thank you, let me know if I can assist with anything

7

Update from today, certainly more direct:

tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [2.22.143.66]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     6 ms     7 ms     5 ms  [MyIpRedacted]
  3   197 ms   222 ms   212 ms  lonap.netarch.akamai.com [5.57.80.72]
  4     7 ms     7 ms     6 ms  a2-22-143-66.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [2.22.143.66]

Trace complete.

C:\Windows\System32>tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [2.22.143.66]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     3 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     7 ms     6 ms     6 ms  [MyIpRedacted]
  3   266 ms   177 ms   217 ms  lonap.netarch.akamai.com [5.57.80.72]
  4     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms  a2-22-143-66.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [2.22.143.66]

Trace complete.

C:\Windows\System32>tracert static.bbci.co.uk

Tracing route to e3891.dscf.akamaiedge.net [2.22.143.66]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     7 ms     6 ms     6 ms  [MyIpRedacted]
  3   307 ms   215 ms   319 ms  lonap.netarch.akamai.com [5.57.80.72]
  4     7 ms     6 ms     6 ms  a2-22-143-66.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com [2.22.143.66]

Trace complete.

Ping statistics for 2.22.143.66:
Packets: Sent = 320, Received = 320, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 5ms, Maximum = 43ms, Average = 7ms