Tailscale streaming quality

[vitony]

I'm using Tailscale to allow me to access a second (remote) ChannelsDVR (Windows 10) server but I've had to dial back the remote server streaming quality to 2Mbps to get a reasonably uninterrupted stream on my Shield client.
The remote upload speed is 37Mbps and the client download speed is 860Mbps.
Is it reasonable that the streaming quality needs to be constrained to 2Mbps?

[chDVRuser]

Doesn't the Shield client Channels app have a speedtest that tests the speed to the DVR server?

[chDVRuser]

@vitony

I've had to dial back the remote server streaming quality to 2Mbps

Thought when you used tailscale it's considered Connect at Home, not remote?
At least for my iPhone it is.

[pabs229xp]

Yes unfortunately I experience the same. I usually use just 1Mbps but sometimes 2Mbps tops for smooth remote streams. Tailscale does not offer very good performance. But it does "work" so it's fine.

[vitony]

Yes. I'm connected as if I'm At Home. However, on the second server, I've had to throttle back the streaming quality to 2Mbps. Otherwise I get a very interrupted stream.

[chDVRuser]

@chDVRuser

Doesn't the Shield client Channels app have a speedtest that tests the speed to the DVR server?

What does it show when you run the speedtest

[chDVRuser]

Your connection may be going through a DERP server
https://tailscale.com/kb/1082/firewall-ports/#how-can-i-tell-if-my-devices-are-using-a-relay

netcheck will show latency to DERP servers
https://tailscale.com/kb/1080/cli/#netcheck

[vitony]

Shield client Channels speed test shows 19 Mbps down and 107 latency

[mnwxman132]

Ive had similar questions with tailscale using a firestick. In my case to test the remote access i ran the firestick wifi on my guest network, which isolated it from my channels server. I then used tailscale to connect. On the firestick I immediately noticed all kinds of studdering and pixalation. On the firestick version of channels there is a speed test , which was giving me around 11mb/s . It wasnt until i adjusted the home quality on my server for the firestick client to around 4mb/s did i get stable results.

I read somewhere that at least on the firestick, it doesnt have enough processing overhead to handle the encryption without barfing - so in the thread below i was looking for some confirmation on that as well as some other things.

I just tried to check derp using terminal on my mac mini, but even though the tailnet client (firestick) is connected to the channels dvr tailscale server , i only see a “ - “ in the status. I.e. its not showing relay and not showing direct. This is while streaming through channels.

NEW: DVR Server + Tailscale integration, for easier Away from Home access (Experimental)

I was playing around with tailscale some more this week. 1: i installed this on a 4k firestick in preparation for traveling. Ive noticed that when using the firestick and tailscale i had to do more transcoding than my IOS devices. I wound up having a client setting for “at home” around 4mb. I think the processor in the firestick ARM chip just cant keep up with the additional tailscale encryption like an iphone or apple tv can, so when using tailscale on the firestick it needs more overhead. …

[chDVRuser]

@mnwxman132

I just tried to check derp using terminal on my mac mini, but even though the tailnet client (firestick) is connected to the channels dvr tailscale server , i only see a “ - “ in the status. I.e. its not showing relay and not showing direct.

tailscale ping should also show if a DERP relay is being used.
https://tailscale.com/kb/1080/cli/#ping

[vitony]

I also tried to see if a relay was in use using the windows command prompt and got the "-" status in field 5. When I pinged the server from another tailscale machine, the only info I got was "pong from dvr-XXXX (100.xx.xx.xx) via xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:62883 in 102ms" Perhaps that 102ms indicates a relay?

[vitony]

When I pinged using the machine name instead of the IP I got a DERP indicator in the results.
pong from dvr-XX (100.91.92.14) via DERP(lhr) in 306ms
pong from dvr-xx (100.91.92.14) via DERP(lhr) in 123ms
pong from dvr-xx (100.91.92.14) via DERP(lhr) in 103ms
pong from dvr-xx (100.91.92.14) via DERP(lhr) in 100ms
pong from dvr-xx (100.91.92.14) via xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:62883 in 105ms

I see the directions for trying to bypass DERP but I find them confusing. Do I open ports on my remote router or my home one? Is it advisable to open the ports?

[chDVRuser]

@vitony

via DERP(lhr)

DERP(lhr) is LONDON, I assume you're close based on the ping numbers
https://login.tailscale.com/derpmap/default

You can read up on why DERP is used and how to avoid it at the tailscale.com site and forum.
Personally I prefer not to open holes in my firewall or port forward. That's why I use tailscale.

[vitony]

I may have solved my problem. I forwarded port 41641 to the Tailscale IP of my Shield client and ran the ping command - saw no references to DERP in the result. I'll check the stream quality later and will let you know.

[vitony]

Yes - my remote server is in Ireland.
And I didn't solve my issue - subsequent pings show DERP.
I'll read as you suggested and see what I can do.
Many thanks for your feedback

[slampman]

Are you using pfsense for your firewall? It masks the port by doing PAT to hide source ports. Wreaks havoc for peer to peer connections like gaming, Skype etc. Good for security bad for ease of use.

[vitony]

Thanks - I'm not using pfsense.