Wi-Fi & connectivity

[dlwfnc]

I have a Roku ultra wired to a gigabit wired network with all devices rated at gigabit and 4k or greater including every connecting HDMI and network cable.  Upon installation, I was present as every network jack was checked for Cat 6 compliance. The system worked well for almost two years, but during the past few months I have experienced persistent but erratic drops in content which result in turning off the Roku Ultra and triggers power off the attached TV and Home Theater Receiver.  It happens on indiscriminately on Fubo channels, PBS, and other apps in the Roku interface.  I do not subscribe to any content from Xfinity, so I do not use the Xfinity app. I have swapped out thee Roku ultra with one I use in another room, the power transformers, rebooted all devices incessantly, checked all home network devices for latest firmware  and double checked connections and routers and switches.   Of course, Xfinity repeatedly claims it is blameless and the problem is with my devices.

[atc98092]

Do you use the Xfinity modem as your router, or do you have a separate router and use their modem in bridge mode? I do the latter and have never had any streaming issues with any of my devices, which include Smart TVs, Roku players, Android based players, and Blu Ray players. My home is wired with Cat5, but that should not make any difference, especially since the Roku is only Fast Ethernet not Gigabit. In fact, for that reason I use my Ultra on my 802.11ac WiFi network as I get more than double the connection speed that way. But wired or wireless I've never had an issue. 

My Xfinity modem is in bridge mode, connected to a Linksys router that feeds several other Netgear Gigabit switches throughout my house. I have several different WiFI access points in addition to the one within the Linksys router, all feeding a 3 story 3700 sq ft house.

I originally used the Xfinity modem as my router, but grew frustrated with my lack of control of its settings. Since it is Xfinity property (cheaper to rent the modem than pay for unlimited data) they wouldn't let me control much of the WiFi settings. And their tool to configure port forwarding never worked, even when they themselves attempted to configure it. That's why I switched to my own router.

[dlwfnc]

Thanks for the quick response.  I also use bridge mode for the Xfinity router for the same reason - better control of devices and an additional firewall for security.  I use an Asus RTX88U.

[atc98092]

Which model Ultra do you have? I think they are up to 6-7 different versions now. 

[dlwfnc]

The two units I have changed out are both 4800 series.

[atc98092]

OK, then you have the latest CPU board and the larger memory. I can offer nothing else as to why you're having streaming issues. As a test you could try switching to WiFi and seeing if the problem persists. If it goes away, then there's always the chance the Roku has a defective Ethernet port. If it continues, then it's a toss-up between a hardware issue and simply something happening with the Internet stream itself. 

[AvsGunnar]

@dlwfnc 

Have you already tried adjusting the QoS settings in the Asus to see if any difference or stabilizes?

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1010935/

[dlwfnc]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts.  I set the QoS to prioritize media streaming to the Roku when the issue began to intrusively ruin watching video in September.  I really didn't think this should matter though because we are empty nesters and there is no bandwidth competition in the evening when we watch tv.  And it did not make a difference after setting the priority to the Roku.  I have not tested on wifi, and I will in a day or two but I am confident that my network components are all sound as the system worked flawlessly for the first two years.  Every cable and switch is gig rated. and as said, I only need fast ethernet. 

I have tinkered with tv settings, and on 1080p I do not get drops.  This is of course a waste of the LG OLED and other hardware so I have continued to search for a substantive fix.  Maybe Roku is optimizing its firmware updates for wireless, but all buffering fix advice is to try it on a wired network.  I plan to try Quantum as an alternative to Comcast and I may try an alternative aggregator to Roku if I don't find a solution soon.