# Unreliable Netflix service



## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

In the last couple of weeks I've encountered frequent buffering and connection errors with Netflix. My other streaming services are working fine. I have AT&T Fiber and my connection always tests close to the maximum, so I know the problem isn't on my end. Anyone else having issues?


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## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

Maybe, maybe not. Could be your ISP. Net Neutrality is dead, Chairman Ajit Pai at the FCC made sure of that. If you can try another service such as Hulu or Amazon for a few hours and validate its only Netflix, then call your ISP and see if they will help. But they are no longer under any legal obligation to help. Good Luck


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

We have a 4-streams Netflix account. Use it a lot. No buffering problems here.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

I wasn't having any problems either until a week or two ago. And again, all of my other streaming is working fine - MLB, Hulu, Amazon. And I doubt AT&T is throttling Netflix over its Gb fiber service. Also, the issue isn't limited to buffering. I'm getting intermittent "can't connect" errors. Then it will clear up and everything works fine for a while. Everything points to the the issue being with Netflix.

Netflix has been adding a ton of new subscribers. They may be adding more users than they have the capacity to handle.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

Everything doesn't point to Netflix otherwise wouldn't I be having problems too?


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

trh said:


> Everything doesn't point to Netflix otherwise wouldn't I be having problems too?


So what are you saying? If it's a Netflix issue, every subscriber in the country will experience the same problem? Seriously?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> So what are you saying? If it's a Netflix issue, every subscriber in the country will experience the same problem? Seriously?


I use NF every day for hours. I do see some buffering but never on boxes that are hardwired. I get over 200 Mbps down on my Wifi system which should be plenty but at times I do see the buffering. But for very brief periods and it's only when I turn on the streaming box and bring up NF. Once I'm in content I see no buffering. I gotta blame what I do see on the Wifi, I just don't see it on my hardwired devices.

What's your location? Always helps if you want to argue about these things.

Rich


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

Rich said:


> I use NF every day for hours. I do see some buffering but never on boxes that are hardwired. I get over 200 Mbps down on my Wifi system which should be plenty but at times I do see the buffering. But for very brief periods and it's only when I turn on the streaming box and bring up NF. Once I'm in content I see no buffering. I gotta blame what I do see on the Wifi, I just don't see it on my hardwired devices.
> 
> What's your location? Always helps if you want to argue about these things.
> 
> Rich


Thanks, Rich. I'm in the suburbs northwest of Atlanta. I have the same issue whether I'm using a wired or wireless connection. I can run a speed test on my wired PC and it will show throughput of more than 900Mbps. And the issue is intermittent - it will work flawlessly for hours at a time, then the problem returns. And it isn't just buffering, either. I can't even connect at times. I go to the Netflix page for DVDs when the issue occurs and then go to the "Watch Instantly" section and I get a screen that indicates the site isn't accessible. When this happens, my phone and tablet will give "can't connect" errors. And all of my other streaming continues to work without issue. I stream a lot of MLB every day.

I had a similar issue with Hulu about a year ago. It went on for a couple of weeks and then suddenly cleared up. And until a week or so ago, I had no issues with Netflix. It will probably clear up on its own, but it's really annoying. I'm not knocking Netflix, but I really wonder if they are having capacity issues from adding so many new subscribers.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> Thanks, Rich. I'm in the suburbs northwest of Atlanta. I have the same issue whether I'm using a wired or wireless connection. I can run a speed test on my wired PC and it will show throughput of more than 900Mbps. And the issue is intermittent - it will work flawlessly for hours at a time, then the problem returns. And it isn't just buffering, either. I can't even connect at times. I go to the Netflix page for DVDs when the issue occurs and then go to the "Watch Instantly" section and I get a screen that indicates the site isn't accessible. When this happens, my phone and tablet will give "can't connect" errors. And all of my other streaming continues to work without issue. I stream a lot of MLB every day.
> 
> I had a similar issue with Hulu about a year ago. It went on for a couple of weeks and then suddenly cleared up. And until a week or so ago, I had no issues with Netflix. It will probably clear up on its own, but it's really annoying. I'm not knocking Netflix, but I really wonder if they are having capacity issues from adding so many new subscribers.


Got it, thanx. Yup, sounds like you're right, gotta be a problem at their end. Guess location has something to do with it too, I don't see what you see. Hardwired, with your speed, you should never see buffering.

Rich


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## billsharpe (Jan 25, 2007)

I have no problems streaming Netflix on my Roku TV, hard-wired, or my Fire TV stick, wirelessly connected two rooms away from the router, or on my upstairs computer, also a wireless connection. I have 100/100 Internet from Frontier FiOS but the speed is roughly half that wirelessly.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

We have 10 devices tied into Netflix (excluding tablets and computers). 6 Rokus, 1 Fire TV, 5 smart TVs. 5 people watching: 3 people in FL, 1 person in NY (mother in law) and 1 in IL (daughter -- currently living in an extended stay hotel) (Love Netflix's 'family and friends' concept). 

No buffering reported over the last several weeks. Wired and wireless.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> Thanks, Rich. I'm in the suburbs northwest of Atlanta. I have the same issue whether I'm using a wired or wireless connection. I can run a speed test on my wired PC and it will show throughput of more than 900Mbps. And the issue is intermittent - it will work flawlessly for hours at a time, then the problem returns. And it isn't just buffering, either. I can't even connect at times. I go to the Netflix page for DVDs when the issue occurs and then go to the "Watch Instantly" section and I get a screen that indicates the site isn't accessible. When this happens, my phone and tablet will give "can't connect" errors. And all of my other streaming continues to work without issue. I stream a lot of MLB every day.
> 
> I had a similar issue with Hulu about a year ago. It went on for a couple of weeks and then suddenly cleared up. And until a week or so ago, I had no issues with Netflix. It will probably clear up on its own, but it's really annoying. I'm not knocking Netflix, but I really wonder if they are having capacity issues from adding so many new subscribers.


I have noticed one change recently. On all my devices, smart TVs-ATVs-FTVs-BD players, when I am watching a program and want some info I back out and read the content info page. Lately I see a several second pause when I do this. Used to be quick, now it's slow. I'm thinking this is one more symptom of overloaded servers. AP, HULU, HBO Now, Showtime, etc. all seem to be "normal". Quick as they always were.

Rich


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

Rich said:


> I have noticed one change recently. On all my devices, smart TVs-ATVs-FTVs-BD players, when I am watching a program and want some info I back out and read the content info page. Lately I see a several second pause when I do this. Used to be quick, now it's slow. I'm thinking this is one more symptom of overloaded servers. AP, HULU, HBO Now, Showtime, etc. all seem to be "normal". Quick as they always were.
> 
> Rich


That's interesting. I think the issue will get resolved sooner or later, but it went on for weeks with Hulu.

It's amusing that some people think if Netflix is working fine for them, it proves that someone else's problem can't be a Netflix issue. It's like they think everyone is connecting to the same servers in the same location.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> That's interesting. I think the issue will get resolved sooner or later, but it went on for weeks with Hulu.
> 
> *It's amusing that some people think if Netflix is working fine for them, it proves that someone else's problem can't be a Netflix issue.* It's like they think everyone is connecting to the same servers in the same location.


NF's servers must be spread across the country, right? Not one huge building with one huge server bank. So locations matter. I do see issues, not your issues. And that makes sense. The issues I wrote about are minor annoyances, just last a few seconds. Constant buffering is always very annoying. I think you've explained the issues well, has to be NF's fault. If you saw the same thing on other streaming video services it wouldn't be a NF issue. But you don't see that and you made that quite clear.

What I highlighted above is common. Again, locations matter, folks have to understand that. My first thought when I read your OP was, "He's not in NJ." I get the location thing. Some of us would like to see a location attached to every avatar panel. Just makes things easier.

Gotta wonder if NF folks are aware of this. Calling them is an act of futility, no tech service (much like D* but NF openly admits that).

Rich


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

the2130 said:


> It's amusing that some people think if Netflix is working fine for them, it proves that someone else's problem can't be a Netflix issue.


And I find it suspect that because someone has an issue with Netflix, they immediately jump to an assumption that Netflix has added more subscribers than they can properly support.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

the2130 said:


> That's interesting. I think the issue will get resolved sooner or later, but it went on for weeks with Hulu.
> 
> It's amusing that some people think if Netflix is working fine for them, it proves that someone else's problem can't be a Netflix issue. It's like they think everyone is connecting to the same servers in the same location.


NetFlix actually has built out and operates its own CDN. In the US it has tons of distributed servers located at various internet exchange points (IXP) throughout the country. It's a pretty complex infrastructure so you can certainly have issues in one area and not others. Several years ago some researchers in the UK mapped out NetFlix's CDN. You can read about it here:

Researchers Map Locations of 4,669 Servers in Netflix's Content Delivery Network


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> Thanks, Rich. I'm in the suburbs northwest of Atlanta. I have the same issue whether I'm using a wired or wireless connection. I can run a speed test on my wired PC and it will show throughput of more than 900Mbps. And the issue is intermittent - it will work flawlessly for hours at a time, then the problem returns. And it isn't just buffering, either. I can't even connect at times. I go to the Netflix page for DVDs when the issue occurs and then go to the "Watch Instantly" section and I get a screen that indicates the site isn't accessible. When this happens, my phone and tablet will give "can't connect" errors. And all of my other streaming continues to work without issue. I stream a lot of MLB every day.
> 
> I had a similar issue with Hulu about a year ago. It went on for a couple of weeks and then suddenly cleared up. And until a week or so ago, I had no issues with Netflix. It will probably clear up on its own, but it's really annoying. I'm not knocking Netflix, but I really wonder if they are having capacity issues from adding so many new subscribers.


About that "slowness" I mentioned: I was downstairs last evening with my son and noticed NF was working quickly on his ATV, he has his own NF account and it was working like it used to. What to do? I go upstairs and my NF app is working just like my son's app. What happened? On every device I have NF is now working correctly. Must have got an update, I guess. Curious.

Rich


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

trh said:


> And I find it suspect that because someone has an issue with Netflix, they immediately jump to an assumption that Netflix has added more subscribers than they can properly support.


It's just a theory as to what might be causing it, but it's pretty clear this is a Netflix issue, not an issue with my Internet service.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

I watched an episode of Daredevil without issue earlier today. Now it isn't working at all for me. I get "can't connect" errors on my Android tablet and phone, and from my wired PC I can't even access the Netflix site from a web browser. I get a "Netflix site error". See the screenshot.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

When I got the error above tonight on my PC, I was also getting the "can't connect" error on my phone, but I noticed that my tablet, which was still connected to Netflix from earlier, was able to play a video. But when I restarted the app on the tablet, I got the "can't connect" error I was getting on my phone. I ran the diagnostics in the Netflix app on the phone, which showed the following:









As I read it, my Internet connection is fine, but I can't connect to the Netflix server. It started working again later in the evening and now it's inaccessible again. I've been watching Hulu and MLB without any problems, while the issue with Netflix comes and goes. I think I'm going to try calling Netflix on Monday to see if I can get someone to look into it.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> When I got the error above tonight on my PC, I was also getting the "can't connect" error on my phone, but I noticed that my tablet, which was still connected to Netflix from earlier, was able to play a video. But when I restarted the app on the tablet, I got the "can't connect" error I was getting on my phone. I ran the diagnostics in the Netflix app on the phone, which showed the following:
> 
> View attachment 29255
> 
> As I read it, my Internet connection is fine, but I can't connect to the Netflix server. It started working again later in the evening and now it's inaccessible again. I've been watching Hulu and MLB without any problems, while the issue with Netflix comes and goes.* I think I'm going to try calling Netflix on Monday to see if I can get someone to look into it.*


Your attachment strongly points to NF having a server problem. I've called NF a few times with concerns and I've never gotten anywhere. They simply don't have tech support.

Rich


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

Rich said:


> Your attachment strongly points to NF having a server problem. I've called NF a few times with concerns and I've never gotten anywhere. They simply don't have tech support.
> 
> Rich


Yeah, I'm not expecting much in the way of support, but if enough people start complaining it could make a difference. It's unfortunate, but that seems to be the case with most companies today. Their support lines are staffed by people who don't know anything.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

the2130 said:


> Yeah, I'm not expecting much in the way of support, but if enough people start complaining it could make a difference. It's unfortunate, but that seems to be the case with most companies today. _*Their support lines are staffed by people who don't know anything.*_


Yup, and it's getting worse. I bought a clothes washer a few weeks ago, a Whirlpool. The washer it replaced had been in place for about 7 years, plugged into a GFCI receptacle. Never had a problem with the GFCI. I plugged the new washer in and sat down to see how it worked. Tripped the GFI. Okay, did some voltage tests found nothing wrong. Reset the GFI. Tripped again. Called the store. Got a replacement. Between the time I plugged it in and the replacement arrived I had tried two more GFIs and got the same result. I gave up and plugged the washer into an extension cord that was plugged into a normal circuit breaker. Washer worked fine.

Got the new replacement. By that time I was pretty sure every washer in this model line was gonna do the same thing but I had to try. Plugged it in and it tripped the GFI at about the same spot in the cycle. Called the store's service department. They blamed the GFI, naturally. Told them 3 GFIs tripped in the same manner at about the same point in the cycle. Okay, you need an electrician. Told the guy I am an electrician. Oh...call the store and get a replacement. Did that, same thing happens. Oh. Gave up on getting any help and called Whirlpool.

I get a CSR who asks me how she can help. Ask for the tech support line...don't have one. Explain what's happening in detail. As soon as I get done she says, "What's a GFI?" I apologized and used the proper acronym, GFCI. "What's that?". Carefully and slowly I reply, "Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter". "What does that do?", she replies. I went into detail about how one works, how it protects people. Asked her if she could contact Whirlpool's engineering department for help. Now she's getting worried, she tells me she has to call for help. After a few minutes she comes back and tells me you can't use a GFI on a washing machine. But I had a similar washer on the same GFI for about 7 years and it never tripped the GFI. All I got was, "That's what I was told to tell you." I gave up.

Couple days ago I was asked to review the new washer. I told the same story in that review, I've heard nothing from Whirlpool. You wrote: *Their support lines are staffed by people who don't know anything. *You nailed that!

Rich


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

Netflix was streaming fine for a while this morning, and now I can't access it again. I called Netflix and, as expected, got no help at all. The rep claimed it was a problem with my Internet service, even though everything else works fine and even though the diagnostics in the Netflix app shows my Internet connection is working as it should. Said I should call my ISP, but said he could try to help me troubleshoot. I asked him to tell me step by step exactly what he would do to troubleshoot. His answer: power off all connected devices, shut down the router, power back on after 30 seconds. And if the problem persists? Then I need to call my ISP. In other words, no help whatsoever.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

I called AT&T, my ISP, to have them take a look. The rep confirmed that my Internet connection is working fine and also connected to my Android phone to take a look from there. After restarting the phone and clearing the data and cache for the app, it still wouldn't access Netflix. She ran the same diagnostic for the app that I ran previously and got the same result as in the screenshot above - it shows my Internet connection is working but no connection to a Netflix server. I asked her to try connecting to www.netflix.com on her PC. She got a Netflix screen, but it was frozen and she couldn't do anything from there. Her take is the same as mine - this cannot be anything but a Netflix issue.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

A few minutes ago it started working again, and the diag now shows a connection to a Netflix server. So it's up until the problem returns.


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## LifehackerSupreme (Apr 23, 2018)

Greetings.

Why bother? Just demand to have a technician sent. Even if they have to sent 10 in a week, no matter.

I had 12 tech visits from April 4th to April 19th, and it was the 12th guy who finally got it working. 

Their procedure doesn't include sending a person out there to fix your Netfix, and they say they charge without subscribing to their Protection Plan. But here I am. Long time DIsh customer and haven't had to suscribe to anything extra and always demand to have tech visits for free. They will eventually bend and send someone, so they don't get a bad survey. And if they hang up on you, call back and don't give up.

Cheers!


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

the2130 said:


> I called AT&T, my ISP, to have them take a look. The rep confirmed that my Internet connection is working fine and also connected to my Android phone to take a look from there. After restarting the phone and clearing the data and cache for the app, it still wouldn't access Netflix. She ran the same diagnostic for the app that I ran previously and got the same result as in the screenshot above - it shows my Internet connection is working but no connection to a Netflix server. I asked her to try connecting to www.netflix.com on her PC. She got a Netflix screen, but it was frozen and she couldn't do anything from there. Her take is the same as mine - this cannot be anything but a Netflix issue.


Anyone else in your neighborhood having the same issues? Netflix account database and their main site is hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS); the actual shows stream from Netflix's servers.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

trh said:


> Anyone else in your neighborhood having the same issues? Netflix account database and their main site is hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS); the actual shows stream from Netflix's servers.


I think all of it runs on AWS. I haven't been able to determine if my neighbors are having issues. It's intermittent, so they wouldn't necessarily be aware of it.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

the2130 said:


> I think all of it runs on AWS. I haven't been able to determine if my neighbors are having issues. It's intermittent, so they wouldn't necessarily be aware of it.


A quick read of any Netflix media would make one think that everything is on AWS. But their movies/shows are on their own servers. See article that mjwagner provided on post #16 of this thread.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

trh said:


> A quick read of any Netflix media would make one think that everything is on AWS. But their movies/shows are on their own servers. See article that mjwagner provided on post #16 of this thread.


That's an interesting article. I didn't realize Netflix still used their own servers for hosting content.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

A little bit more succient and explains ISPs involvement Netflix finishes its massive migration to the Amazon cloud

I like the statement that 1/3 of all internet traffic during peak watching times in North America is from Netflix.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

After working for a few hours, Netflix is again inaccessible to any of my devices. Once again, the diags in the Netflix app on my phone show my Internet connection is fine but the connection to the "Netflix Android Server" is down. As an additional test, I disabled Wi-Fi on my phone to and in the Netflix app to force it to go to the Internet over AT&T's 4G network instead of through my AT&T Gb Internet service. Same result - Internet connection shows as working, connection to Netflix server is down. Based on what's in that article referenced in post #16 (see the comments about how the authors identified server names and locations), Netflix should be able to trace the issue to the server I'm connecting to and pinpoint the problem. Of course, that would require having customer support personnel who have a clue, or at least know how to report an issue to someone who can identify the problem.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

This does appear to be a Netflix issue but I thought I would share a few things it could be on the ISP side. You should ask your Internet Service provider if they are behind a Carrier Grade Nat. If so, you are going to be limited on the amount of connections you can have before hitting the NAT Block Limit. Once you hit that limit, you will see lots of issues like no internet or dropping out. The ISP that I work for, we have to assign a static IP to allow for more connections. That solves a lot of the issue. What I was going to have you do was try it on wifi as well. It that worked then it could be an ISP issue. What I am wondering though is I think you said both your ISP and cell provider are AT&T. I wonder if they are having issues. Might be worth asking though.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

joshjr said:


> This does appear to be a Netflix issue but I thought I would share a few things it could be on the ISP side. You should ask your Internet Service provider if they are behind a Carrier Grade Nat. If so, you are going to be limited on the amount of connections you can have before hitting the NAT Block Limit. Once you hit that limit, you will see lots of issues like no internet or dropping out. The ISP that I work for, we have to assign a static IP to allow for more connections. That solves a lot of the issue. What I was going to have you do was try it on wifi as well. It that worked then it could be an ISP issue. What I am wondering though is I think you said both your ISP and cell provider are AT&T. I wonder if they are having issues. Might be worth asking though.


It sounds like you haven't read what I posted previously, so I will say it again. EVERYTHING WORKS FINE EXCEPT NETFLIX. The issue is exactly the same on both my wired and wireless devices. It is the same whether i am going through my router to get to the Internet or connecting over the cellular network. I can stream Amazon, Hulu, MLB, Vudu, and anything else as much as I want without issue. I have UNLIMITED Gb fiber service. I can run speed tests all day long and get throughput upwards of 200Mbps on my wired devices and close to 1000Mbps on my wired devices. I stream hours of MLB some days. The diagnostics in the Netflix app itself show that I am getting upwards of 200Mbps, that my Internet connection is working properly, and that the issue is due to NO CONNECTION TO A NETFLIX SERVER.

The bottom line on this issue is simple: THIS IS A NETFLIX ISSUE AND CAN ONLY BE FIXED BY NETFLIX.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Sounds like you didnt read what I wrote either. I agreed that it was probably a Netflix issue but wanted to give you an alternative to check on. AT&T is the provider on both ends. They could be having issues with Netflix on their end. Anyways I work for an ISP and just thought I would throw another avenue out there for you. If you dont wanna take it, thats fine. Was only trying to help. One other thing you might be able to do is if you can see a neighbors wifi network, see if they would let you test a device on it. Be better if you could do it from inside your home. The hope here would be that the neighbor has a different internet provider than you. Then you could see if you get the same thing with their provider or not. Just an FYI but I work for an unlimted Fiber Gigabit Internet Provider as well. That does not mean that you wont ever have issues. Our fiber runs all the way into the house straight into the ONT (modem router combo). If they are behind a carrier grade nat there is a connections limit no matter which internet plan you are on.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

joshjr said:


> Sounds like you didnt read what I wrote either. I agreed that it was probably a Netflix issue but wanted to give you an alternative to check on. AT&T is the provider on both ends. They could be having issues with Netflix on their end. Anyways I work for an ISP and just thought I would throw another avenue out there for you. If you dont wanna take it, thats fine. Was only trying to help. One other thing you might be able to do is if you can see a neighbors wifi network, see if they would let you test a device on it. Be better if you could do it from inside your home. The hope here would be that the neighbor has a different internet provider than you. Then you could see if you get the same thing with their provider or not. Just an FYI but I work for an unlimted Fiber Gigabit Internet Provider as well. That does not mean that you wont ever have issues. Our fiber runs all the way into the house straight into the ONT (modem router combo). If they are behind a carrier grade nat there is a connections limit no matter which internet plan you are on.


And if you actually read what I posted previously, you would know that I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THIS TO AT&T., and they have confirmed what I said previously - that this is an issue with Netflix, not AT&T. You would also know that everything else is working without issue, while Netflix is going up and down like a yo-yo EVERY SINGLE DAY. And most of all, you would know that Netflix's own diagnostic tool clearly shows that THIS IS A NETFLIX ISSUE.

Also note that this not due to any "connections limit". I have always had multiple devices connected and they all work as long as they are able to get IP addresses from the router. And to repeat (again) what I've already said, when Netflix stops working, it stops working on ALL OF MY DEVICES AT THE SAME TIME.

Testing a neighbor's access to Netflix would make sense, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT, which I have also stated repeatedly. I don't see my neighbors every day to begin with, and it would only be helpful if I could catch up with them at the time the issue is occurring.

I don't mean to come across as ungrateful for your input, but the suggestion that this is an ISP issue despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary is just not helpful.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Man I am only trying to offer additional things to help. You act like I am your ISP and I gave you the run around. Were all here to help. It would help if you could tell them its working with this internet provider and not with this one. There are other things to though. Some internet providers have Netflix brought inhouse. Meaning they bring a server to the ISPs location to keep the traffic local and not WAN traffic. So in the end, this could still be your ISP. I can tell you the provider I work for isnt big enough to do that yet but I was thinking I read that you live in Atlanta and have AT&T. I would imagine they have done it. See below. This came from a page that talks about this. This is another reason why it could be your internet provider and you dont know it. Also could be why you see the same thing on AT&T cellular as well. Maybe instead of you testing your neighbors wifi, if they have someone else, are they having the same issues with their own netflix? Starting to think it may be your ISP. If your gonna keep calling Netflix ask them about the OCA and if AT&T has one in your area to help with all that traffic.

See below statement I found online about the OCA's

We also give qualifying ISPs the same Open Connect Appliances (OCAs) that we use in our internet interconnection locations. After these appliances are installed in an ISP's data center, almost all Netflix content is served from the local OCAs rather than "upstream" from the internet. Many ISPs take advantage of this option, in addition to local network interconnection, because it reduces the amount of capacity they need to build to the rest of the internet since Netflix is no longer a significant factor in that capacity. This has the dual benefit of reducing the ISP's cost of operation and ensuring the best possible Netflix experience for their subscribers.

Below is the hyper link to the article on Netflix's site.

How Netflix Works With ISPs Around the Globe to Deliver a Great Viewing Experience


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

From the article I linked in post #32:

"Netflix operates its own content delivery network (CDN) called Open Connect. Netflix manages Open Connect from Amazon, *but the storage boxes holding videos that stream to your house or mobile device are all located in data centers within Internet service providers' networks* or at Internet exchange points, facilities where major network operators exchange traffic. *Netflix distributes traffic directly to* Comcast, Verizon, *AT&T,* and other big network operators at these exchange points."


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

The linked articles have some interesting information about how Netflix delivers content, particularly the parts about having Netflix servers and equipment installed in the data centers of ISPs in order to cache content closer to users and reduce Internet traffic. So I called AT&T again to find out if they are co-hosting Netflix equipment and, if so, who is responsible for managing and supporting it. The person I spoke to was not aware of any such arrangement. She ran a test on my connection (or at least said she did) and claimed there was a "line fault" that needed to be fixed by a technician onsite.

The technician found no issues and stated emphatically that AT&T does NOT have Netflix equipment in its data centers. He said this was 100% a Netflix issue and even offered to join me on a call to Netflix to let them know it was not an AT&T issue. The Netflix rep pulled up my previous call and picked up where the previous rep left off, arguing with the AT&T tech and continuing to claim it was an ISP issue. The call went on for more than a half hour, until the AT&T tech finally became exasperated and asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor was polite and pleasant, calmly reviewed the information we presented, and then put us on hold while she looked into the matter. A few minutes later, she came back on the line and said she had checked with some technical people, who advised her that it was a back-end issue which they were aware of and working on. She suggested staying off Netflix for a couple of days until they could fix it and she updated the call record with that information. She also gave me a credit to cover a month of Netflix service.

Bottom line: this is not an ISP issue in any way, shape or form. It is 100% a Netflix issue. As to the matter of ISPs co-hosting Netflix equipment, if you read those articles in detail, you will see that Netflix still owns and manages that equipment. It would make no sense for an ISP to have sole responsibility for Netflix content devices, or to have end users calling the ISP about Netflix-specific issues.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

I’m glad it is but your still missing. So in some cases Netflix has equipment sitting in the local ISP’s network. That would mean your connecting basically to the ISP who is keeping that traffic in network and not WAN traffic. That could mean a break down between the Customer and the ISPs Network that he Netflix equipment sits on or even the connection from the ISP to Netflix where it gets the content to cache it locally. In either case, the ISP would be involved in fixing that or aware of it at least. In some ways, you can’t expect a random AT&T agent who is not in your are to know if they have said equipment. Hey would not be privy to that. My ISP I work for is small but growing. I work closely with the guy who would launch and maintain that for my ISP. Like I said, glad it’s a Netflix issue. Now let’s see how quickly they get it fixed. 

I just had a problem with me trying to help you learn more about the ISP side and pointing you in another direction to try and narrow it down and you downplaying and discounting everything I said. In the end it was part of that information me and the other guy provided that finally got you to breakthrough with Netflix. My guess is it’s not fixed anytime soon. Hope I’m wrong. If I was in your shoes and I had to call netflix back in another week I would be asking a supervisor about the possibility of that equipment existing with tournament ISP. They should somewhere have a list of exactly who has it. Just have to get to someone who even knows what your talking about. I’d be asking though. THIa aite exits to help others. Next time don’t be so quick to discount the advice of someone who works in the industry.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I have had similar problems with phone service and have found that it is best to keep my complaints focused on the company I am paying for the service. For example, if I contract with a company to provide a dedicated data circuit to connect two of my sites in different cities said company is responsible for the connection. It does not matter if the connection runs through two different local telephone companies and a third carrier to connect the cities. It is not my responsibility to contact the underlying providers. The company I pay is responsible for that conversation.

I had a problem with one circuit - I called the company we paid for the service and their techs tried to pawn it off to a local exchange carrier that they paid for the last mile of the connection. Wanting the connection restored I wasted my time contacting that local exchange carrier and was turned away. I was not their customer for that connection. Although my money passed through to them to pay for the last mile I had no standing. I was forced to go back to the company I was paying for the service and focus my complaints there.

If I paid a local ISP for a connection to the Internet and my local ISP was having their own connectivity problems I would not expect my local ISP to say: "Oh, your connection to us is fine, our internal network is fine, the problem is with our connection to (insert the ISP's provider here). Please call that company and complain about your connectivity problems." I am a customer of the local ISP, not their underlying provider.

The bottom line is that the customer is paying Netflix for this service. It is Netflix's responsibility to deliver the service. Whether they choose to do that through a hosted server at the local ISP or one in Timbuktu is not my concern. Netflix is responsible for providing the service.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

Thank you you for the excellent example, James Long. It demonstrates the point I've been trying to make all along. Even if the issue was due to ISP equipment which Netflix is connecting to, it would be up to Netflix to trace the problem to the source and address it with the ISP in order to get it fixed.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

If that is where the problem is located.

The TS also posted he "had similar problems with Hulu." That means the problem could be with his network. If that is the case, it isn't a Netflix issue and they can't be expected to fix it.


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## the2130 (Dec 18, 2014)

The issue was specific to Netflix, as I've explained repeatedly. If all other streaming services are working, which they are, it's clearly a Netflix issue and it is up to Netflix to correct it.

My previous comments about the issue with Hulu clearly stated that it was more than a year ago and affected only Hulu. It had nothing to do with my Internet service then, any more than the Netflix issue does now.


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