Checking for Packet Loss

	This is the Expand icon.
	This is the Statistics icon.

If video in Orchid Alto VMS is unavailable or degraded, you may be experiencing packet loss in either of the following places:

• Between the camera and Orchid Alto VMS
• Between the Orchid Alto VMS and the viewing client

The diagram below indicates which check methods can be used to test the different connections.

Run a Check Using the Recording Statistics

1. To view the Recording Statistics, go to the Camera Configuration screen and click on the Expand icon to view the Recording Statistics section.

The Recording Statistics will provide the percentage of packet loss at the recording stream, averaged over three time periods: 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes. A comparison of these averages may give you some indication of the transmission quality both currently and over a longer period of time.

The goal, of course, is to have zero percent packet loss on the recording stream so that the archived video is not degraded. The presence of packet loss, even a minimal amount, will have some impact on the quality of the archived video. Video degradation may result in some frames being unviewable, and some frames being marred by video artifacts. If packet loss is high enough, the system may not receive enough data to record any video.

When the Recording Statistics show that packet loss is present, review the three averages to assess the situation. If all of the averages are very low, this suggests that the recording stream has intermittent problems with minor levels of packet loss. In another example, if the 1-minute average is high and the 15-minute average is low, this may indicate that the camera stream is currently having an issue, but over longer periods, is likely transmitting without problems. However, if the 15-minute average is high and the 1-minute average is low, this may signal that the camera stream’s connection is not sufficient, which may be a more significant problem, prompting further investigation.

Run a Check Using the Video Statistics

1. To view Player Statistics, go to the Stage and find the Player you need to check. Position the mouse over the image and click on the Statistics icon in the header.

If the Packets Lost stat increases continuously over a period of 30 seconds or more (versus an isolated burst), there may be a network problem that may prevent you from receiving good quality video. If the statistics do not show packet loss, but you still have video issues, contact IPConfigure Support.