Twitch stream randomly looses connection

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Hello All,

I have been helping a friend troubleshoot an issue he is experencing when streaming to Twitch. Randomly thoughout the stream all connection is lost for a between 10-30 seconds. All viewers will see a blue screen with a connection loss icon.

He is using OBS studio to stream. We have also tried using StreamlabOBS and the same issue happened there as well.

We have already tried changing a lot of different settings/uninstalling and reinstalling/streaming to a different channel and the issue is still happening.

His ISP has come out and replaced the lines and even replaced the router.

While streaming i have been watching his stats, there are no drops on a ping test to google, CPU, RAM, GPU also dont change when the connection drops.

His bitrate drops to 0 and then goes back to 6k ish when the stream reconnections. OBS doesn't crash during this time, only the connection to Twitch.

I got him to install wireshark and we took a capture this morning. reading the pcap is a bit out of my depth so i would like some help.

The below link is to the PCAP and we had no filers on the capture.

PCAP: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8aqkuxcltm...

PC IP: 10.0.0.250

Stream connection dropped out around 9:05:30 AEDT

Stream connectioni resorted around: 9:06:08 AEDT

Any help in narrowing down this issue will be much appreciated.

GudHndz

asked 2022-11-21 00:43:46 +0000

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I am not familiar with Twitch, but I can tell you what is in the PCAP file. I found TCP streams 5 and 94 that belong to Twitch’s 99.181.96.0/19 network. In the TCP stream 5, 10.0.0.250 is uploading data to 99.181.96.44. There was packet loss from 10.0.0.250 to 99.181.96.44, but it did recover. The symptom would be the application is slow. Frame 1009404, the Twitch server, 99.181.96.44, sends a TCP window size 0 or don't send me any more data. The 10.0.0.250 device wants to send data. It sends TCP probes, but 99.181.96.44 replies back with TCP window 0. I'm here, but don't send me any data.

Twitch technical support should be able to provide an explanation.

BigFatCat

answered 2022-11-22 01:10:22 +0000

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Thank you for your response. so just to make sure i have read this right, Twitch is sending a packet saying don't send me anything for a short time which recovers after a short time and goes back to normal?

Do the Malformed Packets mean anything on this capture?

I will see if i can create a support ticket with Twitch for this as it may be the server causing the issue that my friend is connected to.

GudHndz (2022-11-22 03:22:02 +0000) edit

Two connections went to Twitch.

Connection 1 (10.0.0.250 and 99.181.96.44) This is the one that stops in the middle.

It wasn't a clean connection because Twitch keeps sending requests for missing packets. The packets are in your capture. The packet loss is somewhere between your capture point and Twitch. The TCP session recovers and stays up.

11.9 seconds - Twitch starts sending TCP window zero or don't send me any data.
12.2 seconds - The 10.0.0.250 device starts sending TCP window probes. Twitch responds with TCP window zero or don't send me any data. I am here, but don't send me anything.
26.1 seconds - a second connection is established to Twitch (10.10.0.250 and 99.181.96.197). The first session is still connected and Twitch is still sending TCP window size 0.
31 ...

(more)

BigFatCat (2022-11-22 12:03:15 +0000) edit

Twitch may want a pcap file. The dropbox pcap file is large. Extract the TCP stream 5 into a new pcap file. It will be smaller than the original one.

BigFatCat (2022-11-23 12:07:43 +0000) edit

Thanks for your help @BigFatCat I got my friend to reach out to Twitch and they were as helpful as a wet paper bag. They washed their hands of this issue and just pointed him to some guides and to also go to his ISP if its a network issue. So basically they don't want the pcap file lol.

GudHndz (2022-11-23 22:15:31 +0000) edit

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