Right ok. So are you only actually hearing this when tuned into the stream itself, but you are not hearing it when monitoring the automation software?
Are you using a dedicated external soundcard or your PC's on board?
Not exactly. I monitor my stream through iTunes (which is piped to my receiver); however, I haven't listened to the raw audio. Also, I use the PC's onboard soundcard. Thing is, the issue was replicated despite the fact that I tested using two different computers/operating systems.
It's very odd.
Back story: My fiance would log on to her systems each morning which, apparently, devoured our bandwidth (we have 30 down and 5 up which, to me, should be sufficient). My encoder would drop out each time. At the time, I was using a single band modem/router. Even so, I never experienced the popping/crackling I've described. Our provider sent a tech out who ended up replacing the single band with a dual band unit. Solved the problem of the daily dropout, though about a couple of months later, I began dealing with the popping noise I've described. I've performed all types of troubleshooting. Nothing's worked. I hope to have this resolved when the tech arrives to diagnose. If you guys have any other suggestions, I'm all ears.