Network problems with Windows 7

[Schakine]

Hi,
My SS server is on a Windows 7 64 bits on my PC...Works fine with PC files BUT i DID want to improve and I had connected two hard drives ne is external USB and the other one is connected through CPL Ethernet to my Pc..
I can see my files on the left inside my SS page but cannot connect to it with both external HD..the litlle wheel on top is turning trying to connect but nothing..time to time i can connect to one file but does not last for long..
Is there a tweak i can do..My PC files are working great..Thank you

[BKKKPewsey]

Can you access these files from your pc via windows explorer?

I can see my files on the left inside my SS page

You should not see any files in the left frame, only directories (artists)

the litlle wheel on top is turning trying to connect but nothing

What "little" wheel?

What is the directory structure of the external drives and what have you entered in settings/media folders?
The usb drive will have a designated drive letter but the other drive
which I presume is a NAS on the other end of a powerline (CPL) ethernet connection (The power of Google and French to English translator )
may have a UNC path.

[Schakine]

Yes you are very right,I do not see my files but I see my folders and when I click on them I see my files in the center..When i try to play,sometimes it will play but at very low speed (300) sometimes no answer..I am referring to the little wheel on my browser (Fire fox)in top of the windows saying "connecting"..it will do that for ever..
Yes I see everything on the network using windows explorer..yes my second drive is a 1,5 To
NAS and the path is //Mede8er/movies that what gave me windows explorer at least..
the first drive is a 500 Go USB and works better when I can connect..The path is /K:
Any clues??
I suspect my HDD are not fast enough but I can be wrong..I hope
Google and french are right and thank you for your help

PS same when I use SS remotely ie I can see folders and files but the file plays erratically..

[BKKKPewsey]

The USB drive (making the assumption of usb2 at least) should have no problems.
The NAS drive can be more of a problem - its all down to network shares etc.
What are you trying to play? Tell us the file types you are having problems with, as at that the moment we, (I)
cannot tell if its network speed or a transcoding problem or both.

[Schakine]

I m trying to play mkv,avi etc...Less problems with sounds like mp3 or org files...
i have tried remotely at my office with Internet explorer and it seems a little better as I can play files at 200 Maximum..the movies I mean!
I think like you it could be a network speed problem beetween Pc and NAS..i had to use CPL plug as my NAS is part of a multi media box Mede8er i am using to play videos on my Plasma set..
Is there a way of tweaking Windows to gain more speed or either all NAS have this problem?
HDD inside the NAS is not so fast as it is 1,5 To and did not cost a fortune..
Thanking you..

[BKKKPewsey]

To narrow the problem down try and play a video which does not require transcoding eg a flv and see if that is better (and by how much).
Remember when you are playing a file remotely from your lan your internet upstream speed comes into play.

[Schakine]

Ok..I have done this:
I choose an Mkv in my NAS approximately 4.5GB..
First of all I played it through my network on my PC with Windows media player and it played fine without problem despite NAS and CPL Network..
Then,I did the same with SS opening subsonic in browser and then i could not play higher than 300 K/S and even that I had some gaps..
Then I did the same with a FLV file and I had no problem both ways..I could play to 3000 K/S
it does seem to have something to do with transcoding even if I had increased the memory limit to 1000 MB..
Also when I select a track from my NAS through LAN using windows explorer,it starts to play instantly..when I do the same with SS in Browser,it takes two to three seconds to find the track..
Your advise and thank you for your time!

[BKKKPewsey]

Best advice I can give is to search the forum regarding tweaks to the transcoding settings and also network shares.
Do remember you can steam a video raw if you use external player option. Just disable the transcoding and let the external player do all the work.
I only use SS for music and the videos I have (music) I have converted to flv or mp4 format so no transcoding required.