Skipping/Rebuffering Checklist

[samroc]

I'm trying to make a checklist for troubleshooting skipping/rebuffering. So far I have 4 main areas:

Feed station:
CPU utilization
OS configuration
Device Driver
Direct-X
Task priority

Up Link
bandwidth limits
Access ISP (at studio) routing issue

Server
Server load
process priority

Down Link
bandwidth limits
Hosting ISP (at data center) routing issue

Please add to my list and refine it.

[DJHattrick]

Version of player.
I noticed, often, changes in streaming buffering when i use diffrent programs.
(for me)
Winamp 3 is the best stream i get.
Then Realone
Then winamp 2, i once listened to the same stream, and on winamp 2 it was lower quality, and skipped more.

[samroc]

The Four(4) problem categories/areas:

Feed station:
CPU utilization
OS configuration
Device Driver
Direct-X
Task priority
Screen Saver/Power Savings
Winamp version/configuration/corruption

Up Link:
bandwidth limits
Access ISP (at studio) routing issue

Streaming Server:
Server load
process priority
sc_serv configuration

Down Link:
bandwidth limits
Hosting ISP (at data center) routing issue


ACTIONS:

Check upload bandwidth at studio
traceroute from feed station to server
traceroute from server to feed station (via SSH)



Anything else come to mind that we can add? What about check the underrun column on Shoutcast admin panel? Can someone give me a definitive and technical explaination of what it is? My guess is how many times the server is aware that that stream had run out of buffer and had to rebuffer. How reliable is that info? How often does the client end "choke" and the server never realized?