If web pages and ordinary downloads work but Listen Together takes a long time to get ready, playback stutters, or seeking keeps buffering, compare the network path first. Proxies, VPNs, game accelerators and transparent proxies on a router can all change the route your audio takes.
This guide covers Listen Together, LAN streaming and Handoff. If your phone cannot find the computer on the same Wi-Fi, start with Phone handoff and streaming.
Run one comparison
- Keep the same song, the same hosting device and the same playback steps, and note when the problem appears.
- If you use a proxy, VPN or accelerator, let this connection bypass it where you are allowed to, then start Listen Together or streaming again. A router can run a proxy too, so quitting the proxy app on your computer is not always enough.
- If you cannot change the proxy, compare on another network you can use, such as a hotspot from another device.
- Compare how long it takes to get ready, how steadily it plays and how it recovers after seeking. Restore your usual network settings afterwards.
You do not need to reinstall OFPlayer, clear your library or sign out. After you switch networks, connect again: a connection that is already set up does not always move to the new route.
Why web pages are fast but playback can be slow
Web pages, live audio and file transfers can use different protocols and pass through different proxy servers. Some networks allow browsing but limit UDP; some proxies carry UDP inside a TCP tunnel, which can stall when the network wavers. A speed test does not tell you how fast Listen Together will be.
A proxy is not always slower, and a direct route is not always faster. Results can go either way on different networks, so compare under the same conditions instead of turning your proxy off for good after one stutter. Do not turn off the firewall on your computer or router to test, and do not install certificates you do not recognise.
How Listen Together connects
Two devices on the same local network connect directly. When they are apart, OFPlayer tries a direct peer-to-peer connection first and falls back to its relay server if that fails. Local and peer-to-peer connections use no relay traffic; relayed traffic counts towards the relay allowance of the Hub subscription.
If it still does not work
When you report the problem, say which device started the session, whether each side uses Wi-Fi or mobile data, whether a proxy or VPN is involved, which connection type the app shows, and whether the problem appears when joining, while playing, after resuming or after seeking. If you compared two networks, include both results.