Max SF 6.2.2.8 (and older): Byte-Sized Transfer Speeds

[BradYonder]

Putting a feeler out there before I open a ticket on this (or if it's already been opened, my apologies as I tried searching for something similar).

For quite some time now, the Max module (for USA transfers) seems to have a mind of its own in regards to which files are going to download at "regular" speeds and which ones are going to download at "byte" speeds. Not kilobyte...byte.

It seems like if I've got a list of TV show episodes in the queue, every third or fourth title downloads incredibly slow. Sometimes those downloads will ultimately fail.

I'll give an example: Before I left work I started downloading. When I came back, only 20 episodes completed successfully, and 9 had failed (and the last of the 9 is still trying to complete as I type this). Each episode is around 12 minutes long. So while I was gone 10+ hours, it successfully downloaded 20 12-minute episodes.

I don't know if this is an issue with Max with Ads. I was considering upgrading to the ad-free version for a while but I'm hesitant if this problem exists on that plan as well.

I'll upload logs when I can get a chance and I'll report the issue through the app...just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

(Complete uninstall/reinstall of SF had previously been done but this has been going on for several versions now)



(This is just a sample of what I'm seeing. I've been home a half hour now and progress hasn't moved.)

[Stan001]

I know, you say (for USA transfers). Are you in the USA or trying from other countries using VPN? If so, try changing VPN servers or if you can, try a different VPN provider.

If you are in the USA and not using a VPN, it might sound like it's going against the not using VPN idea, but try a VPN and try connecting to a different location then where you live, like try a different state.

I don't have MAX, so can't say what might be happening. It does sound possible it's more a MAX issue, and doubt changing from ads to no ads would change. The way you talk, it's been going on for some time, so not sure what else to say. The fact it gets some at good speed and others at bad, again either leads to a MAX issue or maybe an Internet issue.
Maybe even try using different DNS servers. Don't use ones that have ad block built in.

[Germania]

DL via VPN USA in <1 min



Close SF and kill the hanging StreamFab.exe (+ QCef.exe) process in Task Manager

[fanatic]

What I do with MAX with a vpn is I wait for the downloading video gets to 1% then I turn the vpn off and the download goes much faster as if I were in the USA and not Australia for example. This trick does not work with netflix though.

[BradYonder]

I know, you say (for USA transfers). Are you in the USA or trying from other countries using VPN? If so, try changing VPN servers or if you can, try a different VPN provider.

I live in the USA. I've not tried using a VPN to get from other countries for quite some time. Years ago I had used a VPN to try to get things from Channel 4 (or one of those you-can't-watch-this-because-you-don't-live-here stations) and the results were less than spectacular, so I gave up trying.

If you are in the USA and not using a VPN, it might sound like it's going against the not using VPN idea, but try a VPN and try connecting to a different location then where you live, like try a different state.

By any chance does there exist a chart showing where the "best" transfer speeds from "x" going to "y" by way of "z" are? I'm certainly willing to give it a try.

DL via VPN USA in <1 min Close SF and kill the hanging StreamFab.exe (+ QCef.exe) process in Task Manager

That might be a step I've been overlooking. Will certainly give that a try, thank you. Other episodes I'm sure were downloading at that speed for me but that particular one (and 8 others at the time) broke me.

What I do with MAX with a vpn is I wait for the downloading video gets to 1% then I turn the vpn off and the download goes much faster as if I were in the USA and not Australia for example. This trick does not work with netflix though.

I'll take that into consideration as well, thank you

[BradYonder]

I found a (temporary?) solution that seems to be working for me (for now):

Delete EVERYTHING out of the /temp directory and re-log-in to Max.

Didn't need to use a VPN. Transfer speeds are about where they were before and these 12-minute episodes are downloading/processing/remuxing in about a minute or less.

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions. If for some reason this fix doesn't work in the future I'll try incorporating them with what I found worked for me.

[Stan001]

I found a (temporary?) solution that seems to be working for me (for now):

Delete EVERYTHING out of the /temp directory and re-log-in to Max.

I think users may have to think about doing this more.
What instead, many say to do, is a clean uninstallation. Well, that also removes those files/folders when done correctly as instructed.
Plus, it uninstalls the whole program, and then you have to install again. Although the uninstaller for SF does completely remove what's in the program folder for Streamfab.
But it does not clear out the extra folders, more likely, so users don't then have to log back into all their providers each update.
But as I said, I think they know and have some idea of the crap that builds up in the temp folders and should make better attempts to remove it, as over time it can cause issues.

Locations of other folders

EITHER use

%HOMEPATH%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\
%HOMEPATH%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\Log
%HOMEPATH%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\Temp

%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Roaming\DVDFab\StreamFab​

or use

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\Log
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\DVDFab\StreamFab\Temp

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\DVDFab\StreamFab

Again, SF should clean up after itself, as even deleting the whole temp folder requires at least the user to re-log into their providers.
The clean uninstall, if users don't save the streamfab.ini file before, they also have to set up the settings in SF again.
I use other programs and now found out that one of them requires clearing out the cache for it, if/when it starts having issues.

[BradYonder]

I found a (temporary?) solution that seems to be working for me (for now):

Delete EVERYTHING out of the /temp directory and re-log-in to Max.

Didn't need to use a VPN. Transfer speeds are about where they were before and these 12-minute episodes are downloading/processing/remuxing in about a minute or less.

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions. If for some reason this fix doesn't work in the future I'll try incorporating them with what I found worked for me.

Also forgot to add, I cleared the items in the download queue and re-added them.

***

After doing this, I will say it worked for a while and then at some point it just stopped downloading (like, there would be an animation on Your Library -> Downloading that would indicate a file transfer was taking place), and after a few attempts of trying to getting it going again it went back to the byte-sized transfer speeds.

So...cleared the queue, closed the app, cleared the temp directory, took a nap (optional), reloaded SF, re-logged into Max, selected more things to download and went with "Download Now" (instead of adding to the queue), and...I will say so far so good.