Intermittent problem on android: "A Network Error Occur

[dispatch]

Hi,
EDIT 10/27/11
Added new post indicating my problem still exists with android 2.3 and the newsest ss client

EDIT 05/18/11
Problem is:
- SS Android will sometimes "timeout" when connecting to server initially and give "a network error occurred..."
- Brief pause/stutter in playback as discussed here (viewtopic.php?t=4109)

Troubleshooting has revealed it is not a SS server problem but is more likely to be a Motorola problem (but still possibly a AT&T data stream problem).

Editing my build.prop to enable stagefright (and reboot) did not help either symptom.

Current plan is to await android update for Atrix.

EDIT 05/17/11 ** please see my post on 05/17/2011 for update **

I'm running registered current-build Subsonic server on Win7Pro, using Subsonic Android client.

Frequently from my handset when trying to access my collection the client will seemingly "timeout" and give the error "A network error occured. Retrying..."

** I use dyndns service (in lieu of using a subsonic domain or static IP) on my home server/router, so my SS client server settings look like http://blahblah.dyndns.org:port# **

If I use the actual static IP address (http://x.x.x.x:port#)in the android client server settings (instead of my FQDN) I do not (at least not yet) receive the error message.

Any reasons for this strangely intermittent problem anyone can think of (I'm not a n00b and I have checked proper name resolution, etc...)?

I would prefer not to use SS domains or static IPs but if there's a good technical reason to do so I'd be willing to entertain it.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: forgot to mention that when I do get the error, I usually go back to the "home" screen, then back to music (do this a few times in quick succession) and then it works.

[jbraveman]

I'm having the same problem. Dedicated Win7 server. Repeated "A network error occurred..retrying" Happens on Wifi or 3G Verizon HTC incredible.

[dispatch]

I was doing some more troubleshooting today.

I am currently using a static IP in the server settings.

After a while of inactivity on my phone, if I go to browse my collection it does take a while to connect (to the point where I thought surely it was going to say "Network error" but it didn't -- just took a while).

SO... I'm wondering if it doesn't have more to do with the server index (or something) instead of DNS or name resolution.

Are there any logs in SS server that I could examine?

[GJ51]

Click on the "About" button. Read the window. Read the line directly below the window.

[bemymonkey]

Hi, is there any chance you guys are storing your music on external hard drives or a NAS? Or that the drives on which the music is stored are set to power down after a few minutes?

Moving the music to an internal hard drive that *doesn't* turn off after idling for a few minutes solves this problem completely in my case.

[jbraveman]

Hi, is there any chance you guys are storing your music on external hard drives or a NAS? Or that the drives on which the music is stored are set to power down after a few minutes?

Moving the music to an internal hard drive that *doesn't* turn off after idling for a few minutes solves this problem completely in my case.

I have the music on a nas and the server on a networked computer. This could be my issue.

[GJ51]

You have to give the Subsonic service user permissions to access any network shares. Open the Subsonic service in the Windows Services Console and click on the Log on tab. Enter an account that has admin rights to the NAS shares. Use UNC share names to get to the NAS.

[bemymonkey]

You have to give the Subsonic service user permissions to access any network shares. Open the Subsonic service in the Windows Services Console and click on the Log on tab. Enter an account that has admin rights to the NAS shares. Use UNC share names to get to the NAS.

If that was needed, he wouldn't see any music at all. Until I did this, Subsonic would just say, "No Music found!" on the Subsonic home screen... or whatever the error message was.

I have the music on a nas and the server on a networked computer. This could be my issue.

Try an internal hard drive. Subsonic is very slow with NAS devices for some reason... not sure why, tbh.

[GJ51]

The slow response times when using an NAS with Windows has been well dicsussed. Poor performance is usually due to Windows and the NAS using different file systems that don't play well with windows. Regardless of the file system used on the NAS, the Subsonic service has to be given log on rights to the NAS on a Windows based install of SS.

Keeping all data for SS on an internal drive is the best solution.

Regardless of file setup, if your phone is getting a connection error, you may just not have the port forwarding on the router set up properly.

There are two people making entries on this thread, they may not have the same problem.

[dispatch]

Hi guys, and thanks for the replies.

Still having a problem where when I connect via SS Android to my Win7 home SS server (with internal DAS SATA drives), the client times out initially (gives "a network error occurred".

If I go back to the SS home screen, then back to the music screen (sometimes I have to do this a couple times), it then has no problem connecting. After it does connect, response is snappy.

I've managed to confirm that DNS/name resolution/using a static IP makes no difference.

Again, this seems to happen after the client/server is idle and then I go to connect.

SS server logs yield nothing.

I will make sure my HDDs are not set to "spin down" to make sure that's not a problem, and furthermore I will try a different HDD entirely.

Thanks again, any more ideas?

EDIT: All my HDD's set to always on. I was really hoping that was the problem. I will still try different physical internal HDD and confirm back.

[GJ51]

Test the phone on my public site. Let's be sure it's the server and not the phone that is having the problem.

[bemymonkey]

Are you still having the issue only when using the DynDNS address?

What IP are you making static? Your SS server's local LAN IP?

[dispatch]

Test the phone on my public site. Let's be sure it's the server and not the phone that is having the problem.

Hi Gary.

First, thanks a million for providing a test site. I'll test over the course of the next few hours and let you know. Would you be willing to connect to my server (my thinking here is that database size might be the problem) to see if you get the problem?

@bemymonkey, per my update, the issue persists regardless of using FQDN or IP address (but FTR, my LAN IP is static and I my WAN IP is *mostly* static).

[bemymonkey]

How about connecting from within your (W)LAN? Any problems there? If you also have problems that way, it really is likely to be something completely different than the connection. Try pointing Subsonic at a test folder with, say, less than 20k songs (to test if the huge database is the problem)...

[GJ51]

If you have a large db, go to the SS Control Panel and increase the memory size. I use 256, others with 1TB or larger usually use 512.

If need be, we can do a direct hook up to give you a hand.