I have complained for a long time that there are connection problems with
the WebRTC clients. It tries to connect, but I get no audio or video.
Occasionally I get audio with no video or sometime a one-way connection,
but usually it either works or doesn't work. Chrome is better than Firefox,
but both have problems. The problem is evident with STUN only
configurations and also present is STUN/TURN configurations. It is worse
across two networks. Two networks with two different browsers is even
worse. Everyone always blames it on the network and I need TURN, etc., but
I have done so many tests that I don't believe it and never have. Here is
a test that I ran today that is a really good example.
I have a desktop PC and a laptop PC on my desk. Both run Windows 7. I
also have two networks/routers, etc. One is ATT and the other is Comcast;
both large and well respected networks. We have developed a native client
for a PC. I ran the Chrome browser on one PC and on the other PC I had
both a native client and the Chrome browser. Now I compared the results of
calling Chrome to Chrome and Chrome to native client. Chrome to Chrome
always failed going from ATT to Comcast, but if I run the exact same test
Chrome to native client, it always worked. I can call Chrome to Chrome
going from Comcast to ATT, but not the opposite direction. What is
interesting about this test is the network didn't change nor did the WebRTC
server, the STUN/TURN application (we use the 5766 one), or the PC's. We
are using vs 32 of Chrome. The only thing that changed in this test is the
client on one end. Everything else was the same. It tells me that Chrome
has a problem in this area. I have done many other tests that tell me the
same thing, but this is the most conclusive.
What would really be nice is to have a diagnostic tool that would help to
diagnose this kind of problem. It seems like the available tools don't
really get to the heart of the issue. I can see the SDP, the ice
candidates, etc., but when it comes to the connectin itself, there is
nothing. A connected call and an unsuccessful attempt looks the same. I
want to know that it failed and why. I also want to know how it connected
assuming a connection. Was it point 2 point or was it through a relay and
if so, what relay. It seems like those tools should be built in.
the WebRTC clients. It tries to connect, but I get no audio or video.
Occasionally I get audio with no video or sometime a one-way connection,
but usually it either works or doesn't work. Chrome is better than Firefox,
but both have problems. The problem is evident with STUN only
configurations and also present is STUN/TURN configurations. It is worse
across two networks. Two networks with two different browsers is even
worse. Everyone always blames it on the network and I need TURN, etc., but
I have done so many tests that I don't believe it and never have. Here is
a test that I ran today that is a really good example.
I have a desktop PC and a laptop PC on my desk. Both run Windows 7. I
also have two networks/routers, etc. One is ATT and the other is Comcast;
both large and well respected networks. We have developed a native client
for a PC. I ran the Chrome browser on one PC and on the other PC I had
both a native client and the Chrome browser. Now I compared the results of
calling Chrome to Chrome and Chrome to native client. Chrome to Chrome
always failed going from ATT to Comcast, but if I run the exact same test
Chrome to native client, it always worked. I can call Chrome to Chrome
going from Comcast to ATT, but not the opposite direction. What is
interesting about this test is the network didn't change nor did the WebRTC
server, the STUN/TURN application (we use the 5766 one), or the PC's. We
are using vs 32 of Chrome. The only thing that changed in this test is the
client on one end. Everything else was the same. It tells me that Chrome
has a problem in this area. I have done many other tests that tell me the
same thing, but this is the most conclusive.
What would really be nice is to have a diagnostic tool that would help to
diagnose this kind of problem. It seems like the available tools don't
really get to the heart of the issue. I can see the SDP, the ice
candidates, etc., but when it comes to the connectin itself, there is
nothing. A connected call and an unsuccessful attempt looks the same. I
want to know that it failed and why. I also want to know how it connected
assuming a connection. Was it point 2 point or was it through a relay and
if so, what relay. It seems like those tools should be built in.
