Configuration Profiles - TCP Streamer

Overview

TCP Streamer’s profile system allows you to save and switch between multiple complete configurations. Each profile stores all settings, including device selection, network parameters, buffer sizes, and advanced options. This enables you to quickly adapt to different streaming scenarios without reconfiguring settings manually.

Storage Backend: Profiles are persisted using the Tauri Plugin Store (v2), which stores settings in a binary file (store.bin) in the application’s data directory. Settings are automatically saved and synchronized across app sessions.

Profile Structure

Each profile contains a complete snapshot of all configurable settings:

Stored Settings

// main.js:393-413
const settings = {
    device: deviceSelect.value,
    ip: ipInput.value,
    port: parseInt(portInput.value),
    sample_rate: parseInt(sampleRateSelect.value),
    buffer_size: parseInt(bufferSizeSelect.value),
    ring_buffer_duration: parseInt(ringBufferDurationSelect.value),
    auto_stream: autostreamCheck.checked,
    auto_reconnect: autoReconnectCheck.checked,
    high_priority: priorityCheck.checked,
    dscp_strategy: dscpSelect.value,
    chunk_size: parseInt(chunkSizeSelect.value),
    adaptive_buffer: adaptiveBufferCheck.checked,
    min_buffer: parseInt(minBufferInput.value),
    max_buffer: parseInt(maxBufferInput.value),
    network_preset: networkPresetSelect.value,
};

Profile Data Model

// Tauri Store structure
{
    "profiles": {
        "Default": { /* settings object */ },
        "Home-Snapcast": { /* settings object */ },
        "Studio-Monitor": { /* settings object */ },
        "Testing": { /* settings object */ }
    },
    "current_profile": "Home-Snapcast",
    "device": "CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)",
    "loopback_mode": false
}

The device and loopback_mode settings are stored both globally (for convenience) and per-profile (for scenario-specific configurations).

Managing Profiles

Default Profile

Every installation starts with a Default profile that cannot be deleted:

// main.js:439-449
async function loadProfiles() {
    const profiles = await store.get("profiles");
    if (!profiles || Object.keys(profiles).length === 0) {
        // Initialize default profile
        await store.set("profiles", { Default: {} });
        await store.set("current_profile", "Default");
        await store.save();
    }
    await renderProfileList();
}

The Default profile serves as a fallback and cannot be removed to prevent the profile list from becoming empty.

Creating a New Profile

Click New Profile Button

In the Connection tab, click the ➕ New button next to the profile dropdown.

Enter Profile Name

Type a unique name for your profile (e.g., “Office-WiFi”, “Home-Ethernet”, “Snapcast-Bedroom”).

Confirm Creation

Click the ✓ Create button. The new profile is created by copying the current profile’s settings.

// main.js:468-487
async function createNewProfile(name) {
    if (!name) return;
    const profiles = (await store.get("profiles")) || {};
    if (profiles[name]) {
        alert("Profile already exists!");
        return;
    }
    
    // Copy current settings
    const currentProfile = profileSelect.value;
    profiles[name] = profiles[currentProfile] || {};
    
    await store.set("profiles", profiles);
    await store.set("current_profile", name);
    await store.save();
    
    await renderProfileList();
    profileSelect.value = name;
    showNotification(`Profile '${name}' created successfully`, "success");
}

Customize Settings

Modify settings as needed for this scenario. Changes are saved automatically when you adjust any setting.

Switching Profiles

Select from Dropdown

Click the profile dropdown menu in the Connection tab.

Choose Profile

Select the desired profile from the list.

Settings Load Automatically

All settings are immediately restored from the selected profile:

// main.js:834-839
if (profileSelect) {
    profileSelect.addEventListener("change", async (e) => {
        await store.set("current_profile", e.target.value);
        await store.save();
        await loadSettings();
    });
}

Active Stream Warning: If you switch profiles while streaming is active, the stream will not automatically restart with the new settings. You must manually stop and restart the stream to apply the new profile configuration.

Saving Changes to Profile

Settings are saved automatically whenever you modify any input field:

// main.js:776-791 - Auto-save listeners
if (deviceSelect) deviceSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (ipInput) ipInput.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (portInput) portInput.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (sampleRateSelect) sampleRateSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (bufferSizeSelect) bufferSizeSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (ringBufferDurationSelect) ringBufferDurationSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (autostreamCheck) autostreamCheck.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (autoReconnectCheck) autoReconnectCheck.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (priorityCheck) priorityCheck.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (dscpSelect) dscpSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);
if (chunkSizeSelect) chunkSizeSelect.addEventListener("change", saveSettings);

You can also manually click 💾 Save to force an immediate save operation:

// main.js:842
if (btnSaveProfile) btnSaveProfile.addEventListener("click", saveSettings);

Both trigger the same saveSettings() function, which updates the current profile in the store.

Deleting a Profile

Select Profile to Delete

Choose the profile you want to remove from the dropdown.

Click Delete Button

Click the 🗑️ Delete button.

Confirm Deletion

The profile is removed from the store, and you’re automatically switched to the Default profile:

// main.js:490-522
async function deleteProfile() {
    const current = profileSelect.value;
    if (!current) {
        alert("Please select a profile first");
        return;
    }
    
    if (current === "Default") {
        alert("Cannot delete Default profile");
        return;
    }
    
    const profiles = await store.get("profiles");
    delete profiles[current];
    
    await store.set("profiles", profiles);
    await store.set("current_profile", "Default");
    await store.save();
    
    await renderProfileList();
    await loadSettings(); // Reload settings for Default
    showNotification(`Profile '${current}' deleted successfully`, "success");
}

Cannot Delete Default: The Default profile is protected and cannot be removed. Attempting to delete it will display an error message.

Use Cases

Example Profile Configurations

Home-Snapcast
Studio-Monitor
Testing-Localhost
Office-Remote

Scenario: Streaming to a Snapcast server on home WiFi for multi-room audio.Settings:

device: "CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)"
ip: "192.168.1.100"
port: 4953
sample_rate: 48000
buffer_size: 1024
ring_buffer_duration: 4000
auto_stream: true
auto_reconnect: true
high_priority: false
dscp_strategy: "voip"
chunk_size: 1024
adaptive_buffer: true
min_buffer: 3000
max_buffer: 10000
network_preset: "wifi"

Why This Works:

WiFi preset provides 3-10s adaptive buffer range
VoIP DSCP tagging for QoS priority
Auto-reconnect ensures resilience to brief network hiccups
48kHz sample rate for high-fidelity music

Scenario: Low-latency monitoring over wired Ethernet to a remote studio monitor.Settings:

device: "Microphone (USB Audio)"
ip: "10.0.0.50"
port: 8000
sample_rate: 44100
buffer_size: 512
ring_buffer_duration: 2000
auto_stream: false
auto_reconnect: true
high_priority: true
dscp_strategy: "lowdelay"
chunk_size: 512
adaptive_buffer: true
min_buffer: 2000
max_buffer: 6000
network_preset: "ethernet"

Why This Works:

Ethernet preset minimizes latency (2-6s range)
Small buffer size (512) reduces capture latency
High-priority thread for consistent timing
Manual stream start (auto_stream: false) for control

Scenario: Local testing with netcat or custom TCP server for development.Settings:

device: "[Loopback] Speakers (Realtek)"
ip: "127.0.0.1"
port: 9999
sample_rate: 48000
buffer_size: 1024
ring_buffer_duration: 8000
auto_stream: false
auto_reconnect: false
high_priority: false
dscp_strategy: "besteffort"
chunk_size: 2048
adaptive_buffer: false
min_buffer: 8000
max_buffer: 8000
network_preset: "custom"

Why This Works:

Localhost eliminates network jitter
WASAPI loopback captures system audio
Large fixed buffer (8s) for stability during debugging
Auto-reconnect disabled to catch connection errors

Scenario: Streaming to a remote office over VPN/Internet with variable network quality.Settings:

device: "CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)"
ip: "vpn-server.company.com"
port: 4953
sample_rate: 44100
buffer_size: 2048
ring_buffer_duration: 8000
auto_stream: true
auto_reconnect: true
high_priority: false
dscp_strategy: "throughput"
chunk_size: 2048
adaptive_buffer: true
min_buffer: 5000
max_buffer: 15000
network_preset: "wifi-poor"

Why This Works:

WiFi-poor preset provides 5-15s adaptive buffer range
Large chunk size (2048) reduces packet overhead
Throughput DSCP for bulk data over WAN
Auto-stream + auto-reconnect for “set and forget” operation

Profile Workflows

Scenario-Based Workflow

Identify Your Scenarios

List the different environments or use cases where you stream audio:

Home WiFi multi-room
Office wired network
Laptop on WiFi (portable)
Testing/development setup

Create Profile for Each Scenario

For each scenario, create a dedicated profile with appropriate settings.

Test Each Profile

Start streaming with each profile and verify stability:

Monitor quality score (should stay >70)
Watch for “Buffer resized” log messages
Check for audio dropouts

Tune Settings

Adjust buffer sizes, chunk sizes, and network presets based on real-world performance.

Switch as Needed

When you change locations or scenarios, simply select the appropriate profile from the dropdown.

Quick Switching Example

Morning: At home on WiFi

Select “Home-Snapcast” profile
Click Start Streaming
Quality score: 85-95 (Good-Excellent)

Afternoon: Move to office with Ethernet

Stop stream
Select “Office-Ethernet” profile
Click Start Streaming
Quality score: 95-100 (Excellent)

Evening: Back home, but router is congested

Stop stream
Select “Home-Snapcast-Poor” profile (custom variant with higher buffers)
Click Start Streaming
Quality score: 70-80 (Good, no dropouts)

Persistence and Reliability

Automatic Saving

All profile changes are immediately persisted to disk:

// main.js:425-426
await store.save();
console.log(`💾 Settings saved to profile '${currentProfile}'`);

The Tauri Store plugin ensures atomic writes, so settings are never corrupted even if the app crashes.

Storage Location

Platform	Store File Path
Windows	`C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\com.tcp-streamer.app\store.bin`
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/com.tcp-streamer.app/store.bin`
Linux	`~/.local/share/com.tcp-streamer.app/store.bin`

The store file is a binary format managed by the Tauri plugin. It’s not human-readable, but it’s portable across systems. You can back up this file to preserve your profiles.

Backup and Restore

To Backup Profiles:

Locate the store.bin file (see paths above)
Copy it to a safe location (e.g., Dropbox, USB drive)
Optionally rename with timestamp: store.bin.backup-2024-03-04

To Restore Profiles:

Close TCP Streamer
Replace store.bin with your backup file
Restart TCP Streamer
Verify profiles loaded correctly in dropdown

Restoring will overwrite: If you restore a backup, any profiles created since that backup will be lost. Consider exporting individual profile settings manually if you need selective restore.

Advanced: Manual Profile Export/Import

While TCP Streamer doesn’t provide a built-in export/import UI, you can manually extract profile settings:

Exporting Profile Settings (Manual)

Open Developer Tools in the app (if enabled in development mode)

Run in console:

const store = await Store.load("store.bin");
const profiles = await store.get("profiles");
console.log(JSON.stringify(profiles["Home-Snapcast"], null, 2));

Copy the JSON output and save to a text file

Importing Profile Settings (Manual)

Open Developer Tools

Run in console:

const store = await Store.load("store.bin");
const profiles = await store.get("profiles");
profiles["Imported-Profile"] = {
    // Paste JSON here
};
await store.set("profiles", profiles);
await store.save();

Reload the app to see the new profile

This workflow is intended for advanced users and developers. A future release may add a built-in export/import UI feature.

Troubleshooting

Profile not saving changes

Symptoms:

Change settings, but they revert after app restart
Console shows errors like “Failed to save settings”

Causes:

Store file permissions issue
Disk full
Antivirus blocking file writes

Solutions:

Check file permissions on the store.bin directory
Verify sufficient disk space
Add TCP Streamer to antivirus whitelist
Try running app as administrator (Windows) to test if it’s a permission issue

Profile dropdown is empty

Cannot switch to specific profile

Symptoms:

Selecting profile from dropdown has no effect
Settings don’t change

Causes:

Profile data is corrupted or incomplete
JavaScript event listener not attached

Solutions:

Delete the problematic profile and recreate it
Check browser console for errors during profile switch
Verify profile exists in store: store.get("profiles").then(console.log)

Profiles lost after update

Symptoms:

After updating TCP Streamer, all profiles are gone
Only Default profile remains

Causes:

Update changed store file location
Store file was not migrated

Solutions:

Check old store location (if app ID changed)
Restore from backup if available
Manually recreate profiles (use backup text notes if you documented settings)

Best Practices

Descriptive Names

Use clear, descriptive profile names that indicate the scenario:

✅ “Home-WiFi-Snapcast”
✅ “Office-Ethernet-Monitor”
❌ “Profile1”
❌ “Test”

Document Settings

Keep a separate text file documenting your profile configurations, especially if they’re finely tuned. This serves as a backup if profiles are lost.

Test Before Relying

After creating a new profile, thoroughly test it under real conditions before depending on it for critical use.

Regular Backups

Periodically back up your store.bin file, especially after creating or modifying important profiles.

Future Enhancements

Export/Import UI

Built-in export/import feature for sharing profiles or backing up to JSON files.

Profile Templates

Pre-configured templates for common scenarios (Snapcast, live monitoring, remote streaming, etc.).

Cloud Sync

Optional cloud synchronization of profiles across multiple devices.

Profile Hotkeys

Keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between frequently-used profiles.

Audio Streaming

Understand the settings you’re configuring in profiles

Adaptive Buffering

Learn about the buffer settings saved in each profile

Quickstart

Get started with your first profile configuration

Getting Started

Core Features

Configuration

Platform Guides

Use Cases

Troubleshooting

​Overview

​Profile Structure

​Stored Settings

​Profile Data Model

​Managing Profiles

​Default Profile

​Creating a New Profile

​Switching Profiles

​Saving Changes to Profile

​Deleting a Profile

​Use Cases

​Example Profile Configurations

​Profile Workflows

​Scenario-Based Workflow

​Quick Switching Example

​Persistence and Reliability

​Automatic Saving

​Storage Location

​Backup and Restore

​Advanced: Manual Profile Export/Import

​Exporting Profile Settings (Manual)

​Importing Profile Settings (Manual)

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

Descriptive Names

Document Settings

Test Before Relying

Regular Backups

​Future Enhancements

Export/Import UI

Profile Templates

Cloud Sync

Profile Hotkeys

​Related Features

Audio Streaming

Adaptive Buffering

Quickstart

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Profile Structure

Stored Settings

Profile Data Model

Managing Profiles

Default Profile

Creating a New Profile

Switching Profiles

Saving Changes to Profile

Deleting a Profile

Use Cases

Example Profile Configurations

Profile Workflows

Scenario-Based Workflow

Quick Switching Example

Persistence and Reliability

Automatic Saving

Storage Location

Backup and Restore

Advanced: Manual Profile Export/Import

Exporting Profile Settings (Manual)

Importing Profile Settings (Manual)

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Future Enhancements

Related Features