RPi 3B+ and large media file on wireless

weust · March 15, 2018 at 10:32 AM

The 8.2.4 update blog post mentions the new wireless upgrades, but also has the following line:

Quote

Ethernet is still the best option for playing larger media files...

But why is that? What is wrong with wireless for large media files? I assume it would be something like a Blu-ray remux MKV file.

And is it specific to RPi, or in general?

Currently I am running a RPi 3B wired, with which I've never had issues so far.

Today I will receive my new RPI 3B+ and would like to switch to 5GHz wireless, and of course I will test it for myself but hoping to find a general answer here.

**HiassofT** · March 15, 2018 at 10:50 AM

Wireless will always be prone to interference, a problem which you won't have with a wired ethernet connection. So it's a general recommendation to use wired network, especially for high bitrate files. Buffering can work around short dropouts, but has it's limits.

If wireless works fine for you than use it. But if you get occasional stuttering this can be due to interference and switching to wired should solve it.

so long,

Hias

weust · March 16, 2018 at 8:53 PM

Alright, makes sense. Luckily I don't have a crappy access point in my house, using Ubiquiti, and got my new HD model in today.

Hanging it up tomorrow, and really hope the RPi3B+ behaves itself on wireless

**Klojum** · March 16, 2018 at 9:15 PM Official Post

It's the Wifi/BT module from the Raspberry Pi Zero, which was considered good.

But wireless connections are always unique in every house/apartment/location.

weust · March 16, 2018 at 9:40 PM

Luckily, in my case the AP hangs on the ceiling in my living room, and the RPi is beneath it.

So good enough. Good enough to play pretty much lag free online multiplayer on my PS4 Pro.

Rob77 · March 19, 2018 at 12:12 AM

How are you finding the built in wifi with the 3b+? I just got mine today and have a ubiquiti wap like yours. I'm connected to 5ghz and connected at 150Mbps but the best transfer speed I see is only around 23Mb which is not that good really. My old 2.4ghz usb dongle I have does at least 30Mb+

Rob77 · March 19, 2018 at 8:20 PM

Just to update that I now have the AC wireless working at the correct speed. I had something in my setup causing interference and slowing it down.

weust · March 20, 2018 at 6:14 AM

The quick tests I've done so far aren't fully satisfying.

I'm noticing very small stutters every so many seconds, and a movie like Avatar (extended edition, blu-ray remux) makes it buffer a few second after the movie starts, at the 20th Century Fox logo. After that I've not seen buffering anymore, or the couple of other movies I have.

Need to dig in deeper yet.