Tidal Slow Loading Errors

[KMM]

I had exactly the same error and log for days. Switched DNS providers a few times without result, looked at suspicious switches on my network all without avail.
Problem went away two days ago and all is ok now. Hate it when things fix themselves without clear explanation.

[connor]

Hi @KMM,

Have you had any interruptions or slow loading errors with streaming services since you last posted here?

We’re eager to pin down the root cause. We’ve enabled logs and should capture any playback stoppages that have occurred. If you can provide the name of a track that failed to play, we’ll pinpoint the incident and see what was happening under the hood.

If playback has remained stable, we’ll keep this thread open for a few more days just in case.

We’ll watch for your reply either way. Thank you!

[KMM]

@connor
here are a few time stamps with the error from previous logs

12/14 16:04:58 Debug: [prebuffer] sleeping in read -- this isn't good

12/14 16:04:58 Trace: [ELAC Z3 kitchen] [Lossless, 16/44 TIDAL FLAC => 16/44] [2% buf] [PLAYING @ 0:00/3:46] Zapevajte pesme stare - Predrag Gojković Cune
12/14 16:04:58 Trace: [ELAC Z3 Upstairs] [Enhanced, 16/44 TIDAL FLAC => 16/44] [2% buf] [PLAYING @ 0:00/3:46] Zapevajte pesme stare - Predrag Gojković Cune
12/14 16:04:59 Debug: [prebuffer] sleeping in read -- this isn't good

12/16 21:26:03 Trace: [HP USB-C Dock Audio Headset] [raatclient] GOT [7] {"status":"Playing"}
12/16 21:26:03 Trace: [HP USB-C Dock Audio Headset] [raatclient] GOT [8] {"time":4951041000,"status":"Success"}
12/16 21:26:03 Debug: [prebuffer] sleeping in read -- this isn't good
12/16 21:26:04 Trace: [BOSE KMM OFFICE] [HighQuality 63.5x, 16/44 TIDAL FLAC => 16/48] [2% buf] [PLAYING @ 5:10/5:40] Natural Forces - Lyle Lovett

on the 17 or 18 no issues

Thanks for checking on me

[connor]

Since the OP hasn’t had any reports, we’re going to split your issue into a dedicated topic thread, @KMM. Please stand by.

[connor]

Hi @KMM,

The particular snippet you’ve shared indicates that RoonServer has an open buffer to Tidal’s API but data is not arriving as quickly as expected.

Unless you’re relying on a WiFi connection to RoonServer itself, this indicates an issue upstream. For whatever reason, Tidal’s servers aren’t serving data as quickly as expected after a TCP connection was successfully established. It might be the case that the CDN in use by Tidal or your ISP isn’t responsible enough.

What you can control is how your router is handling throughput in this circumstance. Ensure RoonServer is connected via ethernet and that any aggressive QoS is disabled. Make your your DNS server is reliable (1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8). Double-check that VPNs, PiHoles, or other network security that can affect DNS is disabled.

If you do use a VPN, try connecting through a different proxy or via a different geoIP to try to change the network pathway.

[KMM]

Hi @connor
thanks for the follow up.
The Roon server resides on a NAS that is directly connected the Fritzbox router via ethernet over coax adapters (gocoax). I tested the connections between the server and the router several times and they are stable and fast. I can ping all clients on my network within 4ms or less. On that end, I think the setup is working correctly.
QoS is disabled, a secure DNS with adblocking (dnsforge.de) is active and the communication to the DNS server is encrypted (DoT). Switching the DNS to cloudflare, google or opendns didn’t change a thing during that problematic period.
Currently, there is no VPN on the server, but I will set one up and test that option when the problems come back. For about 4 days in a row, peace and tranquility is restored and I don’t know why.

On a side note I noticed that my Tidal would not load music on my WIN11 Pro machines in the same time period when Roon had issues with Tidal. Running Tidal through Roon on my cell phone with mobile data or WiFi worked fine and so did the Tidal app.

[benjamin]

Hi @KMM,

Thanks for the update! Since a few days have passed, we wanted to check in to see how things have been performing. Let us know - thank you!

[KMM]

Hi@benjamin

Thanks again for the follow up. There have been no problems for several days now. I installed a VPN on the NAS to eliminate any issues with my filtered DNS servers and so far all good.