Bandwidth is too low for data streaming

[rgbinns 31]

I have been getting "Bandwidth is too low for data streaming, switch to off line mode now" for a number of days now since the latest upgrade. Never had this before and I have been flying in MSFS 2020 since it first came out first using the FBW A320 and then with the PMDG 737 and the Fenix, my system was able too work very well indeed. It is rather distressing as I can only fly off line now. One good thing is I am able to concentrate on the 1000 aboard the C 172 and flying using the instrument as per pic with the occasional look outside at the dreadful off-line scenery. Better than nothing though I suppose!!!

Does anybody else have this problem?
I have a fairly powerful computer which has been working with my custom settings for a few months but now THIS. What can be the problem I wonder??
Could anybody out there help with any ideas please?

https://icedrive.net/s/wtGARP3B7ZNbTBYXfxk6ZPfkg8Gg
https://icedrive.net/s/GRTC8yCDTfzjC7aAX4jkGWNyWZTG

Kind regards

Richard

 

[Adamski_NZ 950]

This problem has been posted many, many times over the last few months - yet MS/Asobo are in total denial.

Please upvote in the latest (of many) thread:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/option-to-completely-disable-the-low-bandwidth-warning/515513/12

and a mega-thread here:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/low-bandwidth-message-connection-lost-switched-offline/464121

Edited July 25, 2022 by Adamski_NZ

[skell300 3]

Really bad today.  Not had it like this before.  SIm really messed up.  Am in UK - us it just here or worldwide?

[JRBarrett 3,070]

I have been flying for two hours this morning (US East Coast, 200MB cable modem internet). I have had no “low bandwidth” messages. I do (occasionally) get a “you have been disconnected” message, but it almost always reconnects by itself. within seconds. No disconnects today.

I have never seen the “low bandwidth” message, and I fly almost every day.

[Treetops45 1,082]

Have been getting this several times a week after influx of 200k vacationers to the area.

I suspect ISP is throttling to cope with the extra load.

T45

[skell300 3]

Hi all

Solved it for me.  It's to do with the Google maps mod which I had a little look at last week.  I reverted back to default Bing but the mod puts a couple of lines into the "hosts" file which MSFS doesn't like.

Go to Windows/system32/drivers/etc

Open the hosts file

Delete the two lines :

127.0.0.1 kh.ssl.ak.virtual earth.net

127.0.0.1 khstorelive.azureedge.net

Save and run MSFS - should be OK.

 

More details here :

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?335133-Lost-connection-switching-to-off-line-mode-solution

 

[Adamski_NZ 950]

3 hours ago, skell300 said:

Solved it for me.  It's to do with the Google maps mod which I had a little look at last week.  I reverted back to default Bing but the mod puts a couple of lines into the "hosts" file which MSFS doesn't like.

I haven't used the maps mod for many weeks now (and always check my hosts file) yet I still get these annoying dropouts.

Ping times between your PC and the MS servers can be affected by so many things - most of which are beyond our control. Asobo/MS really need to adjust the threshold for when the error is triggered - simple as that - or the whole sim needs to be re-engineered to take into account that the Internet will *always* suffer slight delays/disruptions and the sim (or game) should be able to negotiate them correctly, using caching etc. It really is NOT rocket science.

I can't find the original post, but somebody once analysed the server traffic stats and concluded it was a server mis-configuration: that after only a handful of failed packets the server simply stops listening (ie. drops the connection - and we get the "connection lost" pop-up). Re-negotiating data packets elegantly is also not exactly rocket science. MS have set their servers up (badly, IMHO) to protect them from excess load - rather than solving the basic problem: add more capacity. Don't tell me they can't afford it.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Adamski_NZ

[JaseMelbo 387]

Those notifications are really random for me.  Mostly I don't get them however there's been occasions when I've received 4 in 3 minutes.

It doesn't matter how powerful your machine is, that's got nothing to do with it.  

It's server side and Asobo needs to look at how to fix it.

Jase

[cobalt 798]

Agreed. The low bandwidth notice pops up every now and then but has no apparent effect, so I ignore it. I will add that it makes no difference (for me) whether the google maps app is on or off -- I have it turned on and there is no problem.

[baxterbj 77]

Yes getting the same Low Bandwidth here in Western Australia.

Most recently over the last two weeks.

Bloody annoying, when you do a speed test an all is good.

Is it a problem with the Servers.

BJ from Oz

[hughbutcher 5]

I concur with the overall sentiments expressed in this thread and others. This is the most annoying experience I have encountered in the sim. After an enjoyable 'flight' in the superb WT cj4 then to line up on very short final only for it to be fatally interrupted by the messages is in fact beyond annoying. 

I first encountered this about 2 to 3 months ago, having previously made no changes to my system (other than installing Win11 - is this common?). I have only about 3 to 5 community entries (NZ mesh for example). I have ample band width available.

I added my vote to the problem reporting sites. I wish there were some way of emphasizing the level of irritation in the vote...  

 

 

[MrBitstFlyer 3,870]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:20 PM, skell300 said:

Hi all

Solved it for me.  It's to do with the Google maps mod which I had a little look at last week.  I reverted back to default Bing but the mod puts a couple of lines into the "hosts" file which MSFS doesn't like.

Go to Windows/system32/drivers/etc

Open the hosts file

Delete the two lines :

127.0.0.1 kh.ssl.ak.virtual earth.net

127.0.0.1 khstorelive.azureedge.net

Save and run MSFS - should be OK.

 

More details here :

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?335133-Lost-connection-switching-to-off-line-mode-solution

 

If the stop mod button is pressed, those two lines are removed automatically.  In any case, I have run the mod since release without disconnections/low bandwidth issues as some have reported.  The mod is fine.

[David Mills 4,753]

18 minutes ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

If the stop mod button is pressed, those two lines are removed automatically.  In any case, I have run the mod since release without disconnections/low bandwidth issues as some have reported.  The mod is fine.

I suffered the identical problem with the Google Maps mod -- caused by my not pressing the stop button. I couldn't stream data for MSFS anymore. Once I removed the two offending lines from the configuration file, everything went back to normal. If you don't press the stop button and then uninstall the Maps mod, you might have to reinstall the Maps mod in order to regain access to the configuration file that needs to be fixed.

[Adamski_NZ 950]

Please please PLEASE let's not keep thrashing this Google Maps mod. I get these errors *constantly* - without using this mod.

My observations lead me to believe that it's 99% an MS *Server* problem. However - I think anything that causes extreme load *locally* on your PC (like loading busy airports/scenery etc.) can cause momentary slow-downs - and therefore [maybe] temporarily increase your *average* ping times to the servers.

I'm guessing that the servers are interpolating pings as [32ms] [local CPU pause of 90ms] [32ms] as something like [60ms] (in effect) and therefore dropping the connection. Either that, or they drop it in that 90ms period. Either way, this threshold is *ludicrous* and needs to be fixed.

[MrBitstFlyer 3,870]

1 hour ago, David Mills said:

If you don't press the stop button and then uninstall the Maps mod, you might have to reinstall the Maps mod in order to regain access to the configuration file that needs to be fixed.

The mod enters two lines in the hosts file - why would the mod need to be re-installed to edit the hosts file?