Issue with app "SmartTubeNext"

[toastyturtlejc]

Hi,

Is someone at Virgin Media able to look into why this app, which is essentially a third party YouTube app, practically refuses to work on the Virgin Media network?

I have been using it for months, and from Saturday it has become unusable. I have a VPN and have tried the app via that route and it works perfectly. I have spoken to other people on BT and it works flawlessly for them too

I have spoken to other friends on Virgin Media, in various areas of the country, and they are having the exact same problem. There is something wrong with the VM network that is causing this problem.

https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTubeNext

Can this be investigated please?

[Matthew_ML]

Hey toastyturtlejc, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to see this app is not working.

We can never guarantee a 3rd party would work and when they do we can't promise it would work 100%.

After looking at this link, it would seem you need an Android TV or a Firestick for this to work.

This has nothing to do with our boxes and it will be down to what TV you have. Thanks 

[toastyturtlejc]

Hi Matthew,

Thanks for your response.

This is installed on an Android TV device. Specifically a Nvidia Shield, it was working flawlessly until last Friday.

It now struggles to operate at all, the issue is on the network level as running the app through a VPN works flawlessly. As I outlined in my original post, I have spoken with others on the Virgin Media network and they have also run into the exact same problems.

Speaking with friends on BT - they are not having these issues.

Something has changed on the network. I have been having similar (although not quite as severe) issues on the normal YouTube app on my phone.

I am happy to assist with identifying the problem, but let's not immediately just write this off as a third party app issue.

I have run a trace to the address the app connects to, www.youtube.com:443

tracetcp www.youtube.com:443 -p 5

Tracing route to 216.58.213.14 [lhr25s25-in-f14.1e100.net] on port 443
Over a maximum of 30 hops.
1 6 ms 8 ms 6 ms 7 ms 5 ms 192.168.0.1
2 * * * * * Request timed out.
3 21 ms 19 ms 26 ms 15 ms 16 ms 82.3.34.13 [leic-core-2a-ae6-639.network.virginmedia.net]
4 * * * * * Request timed out.
5 199 ms 171 ms 454 ms 426 ms * 62.253.175.22 [tele-ic-9-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net]
6 359 ms 464 ms 31 ms * 23 ms 72.14.210.114
7 22 ms 21 ms 21 ms 24 ms 26 ms 209.85.249.149
8 24 ms 26 ms * 27 ms * 172.253.65.211
9 Destination Reached in 26 ms. Connection established to 216.58.213.14
Trace Complete.

If necessary, I can obtain log files to prove the difference between a VPN connection and Virgin Media direct connection, I will need to setup a proxy to sit between the Shield and the router but if necessary, it can be done..

Thanks.

Jake

[toastyturtlejc]

I am now having issues with my Google Home smart devices.

Can someone please look into this? Something has clearly changed.

[Megan_L]

Hi Toastyturtlejc,

I am sorry you're having an issue with your Google Home devices! 

Can you give me more information about what's happening please?

• What are the devices stating?
• If you think this is a WIFI connection issue, are you having any issues on other devices, like your phones, tablets laptops? 

Thanks,

Megan_L