Wireshark-users: [Wireshark-users] Network Pausing during Streaming/File Sharing

From: "Stephen Salter" <wireshark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:43:22 -0000

Hi,

I have been trying to track down an intermittent pause in network activity between my Windows Home Server and HTPC .

 

I noticed the pause was occurring as the movies I was watching periodically stuttered/froze before bursting back into life, like fast forward turned on, then settling down to normal viewing speed. The occurrence of the pauses seem to be random, but I would say it happens between 10 to 15 times over a typical movie length.

 

I have used wireshark to record the traffic between the two servers during the pause period, this is as follows:

 

"4379","19.617874","7.168.1.16","7.168.1.253","SMB","Read AndX Request, FID: 0x400d, 61440 bytes at offset 778371072"

"4380","19.759785","7.168.1.253","7.168.1.16","TCP","microsoft-ds > 49178 [ACK] Seq=23546138 Ack=45235 Win=56589 Len=0"

"4381","19.791285","IntelCor_7c:06:c0","Broadcast","ARP","Who has 7.168.1.1?  Tell 7.168.1.3"

"4382","20.173328","fe80::b8fb:ec8a:5b36:bf57","ff02::1:2","DHCPv6","Solicit"

"4383","20.412176","7.168.1.252","255.255.255.255","UDP","Source port: filenet-peior  Destination port: 22330"

"4384","23.561347","7.168.1.252","255.255.255.255","UDP","Source port: filenet-peior  Destination port: 22330"

"4385","23.757630","7.168.1.253","7.168.1.16","TCP","[TCP Keep-Alive] dbstar > 49165 [ACK] Seq=0 Ack=2 Win=64856 Len=1"

"4386","23.757785","7.168.1.16","7.168.1.253","TCP","[TCP Keep-Alive ACK] 49165 > dbstar [ACK] Seq=2 Ack=1 Win=275 Len=0 SLE=0 SRE=1"

"4387","28.078082","fe80::b8fb:ec8a:5b36:bf57","ff02::1:2","DHCPv6","Solicit"

"4388","29.554158","7.168.1.253","7.168.1.16","TCP","[TCP segment of a reassembled PDU]"

 

The Wireshark IOGraph flat lines between the two Solicit packets.

 

Some other info for you to hopefully help diagnose:

 

1. 7.168.1.253 is the server (Two Intel CT Desktop Adapters Teamed - Load balanced - Jumbo Frames 9014)

2. 7.168.1.16 is the HTPC (One Intel CT Desktop Adapter - Jumbo Frames 9014)

3. 7.168.1.1 is the ADSL Router

4. 7.168.1.3 is my laptop that I have used to RDP into my server

4. 7.168.1.252 is a wireless ycam camera and it uses the server via FTP to store alarmed captured files.

5. I don't know what the source application of dbstar is, but this occurs many times in the wireshark capture and doesn't cause pauses every time it appears.

6. The only thing that seems consistent with other flat line captures I've done is the Broadcast events, but they are usually something like:

"17107","61.452598","IntelCor_7c:06:c0","Broadcast","ARP","Who has 7.168.1.251?  Tell 7.168.1.3"

7.168.1.251 is my printer.

 

Anybody have any ideas where I go from here, I am still scratching my head?

 

Thanks

Stephen