Welcome to KWFC's help page for Internet streaming. You have come to this page because of problems you are experiencing with the streaming audio. This page will attempt to answer most of the questions and problems you might be having.
Q: What player should I use?
A: Most streaming players (Windows Media, RealPlayer, Winamp, ITunes, etc.) will play .mp3 streams like KWFC uses for our Broadband feed. RealPlayer, Winamp and ITunes also play the AAC+ streams we use for the Dailup feed. Some of these players are naturally designed to play the formats, while others may need to have the feature turned on in their options or preferences settings.
We recommend that you use the current version of whichever player you choose. Older versions might not be able to handle today's technologies as easily as the current versions. In particular, the current version Winamp will work every time, since we use their Shoutcast software to encode our audio stream.
To find out if your media player can handle the streams KWFC uses, please consult the help sections provided by the company that makes your player.
Q: I can't hear the audio stream. What do I do?
A: First, check to make sure you have your speaker volume turned up. Next, ensure that the volume settings on the audio player and your computer are turned up (you'll know this if you can play a standard CD and hear it).
If you are still having difficulty hearing the stream, take a look at the player you are using. If it says "Buffering:" and gives a percentage that doesn't seem to be increasing, or has stalled, then there is likely an issue with the Internet. Somewhere, the chain between KWFC and your computer may have severed. Give it a little time to resume, or try back later.
If you are still having problems, you might contact your Internet service provider for technical support.
Q: How do I know if the KWFC audio feed is currently online?
A: To see if KWFC is currently streaming online, click here. This is the link to the Shoutcast servers that host the KWFC stream. This link will inform you if KWFC's stream is operating properly.
Q: Why does the audio feed occasionally stop, then resume a moment later?
A: There are several reasons that a streaming audio feed may occasionally stop, then start again. The primary reason is called "buffering." In fact, you probably notice the word from time to time on the player you are using. In layman's terms, your computer and the player are trying to store up enough (buffer) of the audio stream to begin playing it. Many times, this buffer is configured to only store 5-10 seconds of audio. Occasionally, this buffer runs out before your computer can store up more audio. This caused the audio stream to stall momentarily. To fix this, try changing your player's configuration options to buffer for a longer period of time.
If you are using a broadband connection, and these adjustments to your buffer don't seem to be working, you might try using the dialup connection. This uses less bandwidth, and your computer should be able to handle the lower bit rate better.
Another cause of a stop-then-start audio stream can be heavy Internet traffic. At certain times of the day, traffic over the Internet reaches extremely high levels. Sometimes, this traffic can become a bit congested, causing slow downs and delays across the Internet. This can also affect audio streams being broadcast over cyberspace. In these cases, you may be better off trying again in a few minutes.
Finally, your computer usage could be having an impact on your reception. If you are using the Internet while listening to the audio stream, this increases traffic through your online connection, and can create congestion that can stop, slow down or make your audio skip. You might consider getting a faster computer, increasing your RAM or getting a better Internet connection. If those options are out, you can always sit back, relax and enjoy KWFC and leave those other Internet activities for a less stressful part of your day.
Q: Why do I get an error message when I click on the button to hear the stream?
A: If you are using Windows Media Player, recent updates/versions for the player may have changed your mp3 streaming settings. If this is the case, you should consult Microsoft's website and search their Knowledge Base to fix your streaming problem.
If you're not really interested in messing around with your Media Player settings, we suggest you download the free Winamp player.
Q: Why is there a delay between what I hear over the radio and on the computer?
A: This delay is caused by the amount of time that it takes for a computer at KWFC to process the radio signal, send it across the Internet to our distributor, and then to your computer. Depending on Internet traffic, the delay could range from just a few seconds to nearly a minute. You will usually notice a longer delay if you are using the dialup stream, although this is not always true.