Livestream Audio Rarely Works for VPN Clients (Video Works Normally)

Overview (BTW ALL SYSTEMS ARE WINDOWS 11 PRO)

I am running a TeamSpeak 6 server behind a pfSense firewall and an AT&T BGW320-500 gateway. Remote users connect to my network through a SoftEther VPN configured in Layer-2 bridge mode so that VPN users appear as if they are on the same LAN as the TeamSpeak server.

The issue I am encountering specifically affects audio accompanying video livestreams. Standard voice communication in TeamSpeak channels works normally.

When users join a livestream:

• Video playback works consistently
• Audio from the stream usually does not play
• Only about 30% of the time users can hear the audio when joining the stream

This behavior is consistent across multiple users and sessions.


Network Architecture

Internet

AT&T BGW320-500 gateway

pfSense firewall/router

LAN

TeamSpeak 6 Server

SoftEther VPN bridge

VPN clients connect through SoftEther and are bridged into the LAN.

VPN subnet used:

x.x.10.0/24

Remote clients appear as LAN devices once connected.


VPN Configuration

SoftEther VPN is configured in Layer-2 bridge mode.

Configuration details:

• VPN clients are bridged directly to the LAN interface
• Clients receive IP addresses in subnet x.x.10.x
• Clients can access all LAN devices including the TeamSpeak server
• Network discovery and sharing settings were verified to ensure visibility

VPN users are able to fully interact with the LAN environment.


Firewall Configuration (Client Side)

To prevent Windows Firewall from blocking TeamSpeak traffic, VPN users are provided with a PowerShell script that creates rules allowing TeamSpeak traffic within the VPN subnet.

The script allows inbound and outbound communication for the required TeamSpeak ports for:

x.x.10.0/24

This ensures client firewalls are not blocking TeamSpeak traffic between VPN users and the server.


Connectivity Verification

Before testing livestreams, the following were verified:

• VPN users can successfully connect to the TeamSpeak server
• Users can join channels and communicate normally via voice chat
• Users can see livestream video without issue
• Network connectivity between VPN clients and the server is stable
The audio source for the streamed application is set to “System Default,” as recommended in older forum threads, to ensure the correct device is being captured for the livestream

Standard TeamSpeak functionality appears to work correctly.


Observed Problem

When a user joins a livestream:

• Video loads and plays correctly
• Audio from the stream usually does not play
• Approximately 10% of users hear the audio successfully when joining

This appears random and does not consistently affect the same users.

Additional observations:

• Some users may regain audio after reconnecting or rejoining the stream
• Most users consistently experience missing audio
• Voice chat in normal channels is unaffected


Environment

Components involved:

• TeamSpeak 6 server
• SoftEther VPN (Layer-2 bridge mode)
• pfSense firewall/router
• AT&T BGW320-500 gateway


Summary

The issue appears specific to livestream audio delivery, as:

• Voice chat works normally
• Livestream video works normally
• Livestream audio works for only about 10% of joining clients

We have verified that the audio source for the streamed app is set to “System Default”, as recommended in older threads.

I am attempting to determine whether this behavior could be related to how livestream audio is transported or negotiated when clients join the stream, particularly in environments where users are connected through a bridged VPN.

Any guidance on debugging or logging livestream audio transport would be greatly appreciated.

Can the viewers please check if the correct device is set as default for communication?

2 Likes

We have narrowed it down to apps that are requiring admin privileges. For example, portal 2 would not give audio. However, when i unchecked “Run as admin” under compatibility it worked fine. Been finding this to be the issue with almost all apps. It may have something to do with UAC?

double checked and everyone is set to the correct device as per the link provided.

Thanks for the input, I’ll forward it to QA to further investigate.

3 Likes