Streaming bandwidth issues on Netflix's side?

[Millertime]

I recently joined Netflix, mainly interested in the new ability to stream content through the Xbox 360. Over the last few days I've been using it quite a bit, and from what I've seen it appears that the quality degradation issue is on Netflix's side.

Let me explain a bit. I'm on a 6.5 mbit connection, I confirm this through www.speedtest.net and similar internet sites to see my actual bandwidth. I use the internet a lot including lots of VPN activity during business hours when I'm working from home. I check the speeds often and my returns are very consistant except on the rare occasions that my ISP is having issues.

Over the last several days I've streamed movies and TV shows at all hours of the day from 9am to 10-11pm EST. Ok... so my "working" at home isn't always really working ;) Anyway, during the day I get great connection quality of 4 bars and get HD offerings in HD through the 360. As the night moves on however, the quality degrades through several steps until it's eventually a blurry mess not worth my time.

It start around 7pm EST when I often get my first interruption and a quality adjustment, but the difference is not noticable. Over the next hour or two I will often get a few more downgrades, each time I check my internet speeds and they are consistantly at 6.5mbit. Almost every night around 9pm EST I get a downgrade so severe that the quality is horrible, and often the buffering even at that low quality takes 2 minutes. During the day my buffering for HD quality takes around 15 seconds.

I don't believe this is an ISP issue as my pings, bandwidth, and packet loss quality all remain very steady. I am personally using more bandwidth on my connection during the day with an always open VPN connection that constantly streams data from my work. And yet by 9:15 each night the quality of "my internet connection" is trash from Netflix. I believe this is an issue of bandwidth on their side, not mine.

I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed the same tendencies? The time would probably be Netflix's busiest, lining up with 6pm on the west coast and the most members accessing content. I was initially very happy with the service, but if this is what I will continue to get I don't see any use for it.

[elving]

Bill, that traceroute does indeed suggest a problem, but perhaps not the one you suspect. Note that you're being routed via Florida and Texas all the way to Los Angeles.

Do you know what DNS servers are being handed to your Xbox over DHCP? Can you change them? Limelight has edge servers all around the world. The matchmaking process is handled by DNS; a given Limelight FQDN will resolve to different IP addresses based on who made the request. If you're using a DNS server that isn't nearby -- or that delegates to a DNS server that isn't nearby -- you'll be directed to the wrong edge servers.

[Bill]

yeah. I changed my ISP DNS servers out for OpenDNS based off a post I read. That didn't help though. Tried same stream this morning at 7:00 am and it worked fine...full 4bars. Looks like a bandwidth/load balancing issue.

[elving]

Yes, the problem is certainly bandwidth. However, you're likely to get better bandwidth from a nearby edge server, especially at peak times. I really do think the problem is that you're being directed to LA. You may want to try resolving netflix-000.vo.llnwd.net against different DNS servers until you find one that returns an IP address of a closer edge server.

[Bill]

will do. would be nice if you could manually tweak the player settings on the Xbox..

[Charles]

I am not sure I am interpreting what you said correctly, but I did a trace route from my home computer to the address you gave above and got there in 17 hops until I came to cdn-68-142-118-4.atl1.llnw.net [68.142.118.4].

How can I resolve that address against different DNS servers?

Just curious.

Thanks.

[elving]

When you run traceroute from the command line, your operating system resolves the hostname you specify to an IP address using a particular DNS server. To resolve the address using a different DNS server, you could a) reconfigure your operating system to use a different DNS server or b) resolve the hostname using a program like dig or nslookup that allows you to specify a DNS server.

This isn't something that a user of the Netflix service would normally do. I suggested it to Bill because of his background as a network engineer.

[Joel]

Same here. Talked to a Netflix tech and they suggested changing the DNS servers. Used open DNS and changed nothing. Still getting 1 bar when trying to stream. Speed test look good and even bypassed the router. I even had a tech from my cable provider tell me there is nothing wrong with my lines. I just think it is funny that no one on the Microsoft side or the Netflix side claim responsibility for it.

[Spindaddydad]

I consistently get 4 dots on my Roku?

[Tig]

I am experiencing the same issues. The first movie I streamed was just fine. Everyone since then (and it's worse in the evenings) has lower quality, and the quality keeps reducing. The interruptions are annoying and the quality is so poor, I am seriously considering not continuing after my trial period, even though they are also adding Tivo's. It is frustrating as the trial experience I am having is not displaying a justification for the cost.

[DBruessow]

I don't know about anyone's Internet connection but there is certainly either something going on with the Netflix servers or the software (player). I started having issues as soon as I opted in for the Silverlight version of the online player. All viewings prior to the install of the new (beta) player were fine (video was smooth). After the upgrade (downgrade actually) the video quality went downhill. This all started a couple of days ago when I "opted in". I certainly can't prove that it is an end result of the player but then is it just coincidence that it started after I upgraded??? I have every reason to believe that there is an issue on the Netflix side that will be resolved (in a matter of time). Whether the problem is software or server congestion I am confident that they will find the culprit and get things back to where they were (at minimum) - who knows maybe we will see an improvement (it has to get better)... In the meantime I will hang patiently and do a little testing of my own...

[Lou]

When I initially started using instant viewing -- about 7 months ago, things were fine, and I always got 4 x4 quality, even to my laptop stationed in the living room, and the wireless connection. My cable connection typically runs 8.5 to 9.5 Mb/sec (download). I recently purchased the ROKU set-box, and all was fine -- until the last several weeks. Now, evening movies are worthless, even though my connection bandwidth is just fine.

Netflix had better invest in more streaming server/connections, and get their bandwidth up, if they still want me as a customer! They got the customer response they wanted, now it's time to act, or they're going to lose some customers. I guess my buying the set-box, and then ending up with instant viewing going south in about 2 months is why I'm a bit angry -- to the point of dumping Netflix.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention their DRM scheme corrupting my Windows (Vista) Media Player on one of my PCs. I had loaded the MP developers kit after losing the DRM license for one of my PCs, then all went downhill after that. A few big companies are refusing to use DRM (like Amazon), as they consider their customer more important than the DRM proponents. I wish Netflix would chew on the DRM nonsense, as I have no intention of reinstalling Vista, and having to reload all my graphics software!

[Deric Kettel]

Wow I just found this site, and I thought it was just me. I even went to my local ISP office and let them know that my Internet speed need fixed or I was going to look at other options. I have a 10 MB connection and all I get is blurry pictures on my Xbox with long waits. That's not gonna work for me. I'm glad I found this forum, if for nothing else a place to vent with others. :)

Deric