Is Verizon Blocking Streaming Devices?

[DuffDry]

I use Sony and Panasonic Blu-ray players to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services.  Starting sometime over the weekend, both of these devices will not longer connect at all.  They will not even pass a simple connection test.  Both devices use wired connections.  I connected my computer to both wires to test for Internet 45 jacks and cables are fine.

Is anyone else experinceing similar problems?

[bobbo527]

Yes, and Verizon will blatantly lie and say they are not throttling, but they are.

[eljefe2]

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@DuffDry wrote:

I use Sony and Panasonic Blu-ray players to watch Netflix, Amazon Prime and other services.  Starting sometime over the weekend, both of these devices will not longer connect at all.  They will not even pass a simple connection test.  Both devices use wired connections.  I connected my computer to both wires to test for Internet 45 jacks and cables are fine.

Is anyone else experinceing similar problems?

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Roku box and Sony BluRay player both stream Amazon and other services fine here.  (I don't use Netflix so can't comment about it.)

I would suggest you try obtaining a new WAN IP address for your FiOS router.  It might be that your particular IP is being blocked for some reason.  If you want to give that a try and need a step-by-step, see this link:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-Internet/How-am-I-able-to-change-my-ip-address/m-p/703336#M47733

[Hubrisnxs]

I use all of the above with no trouble. 

Southern California area

[lmp4]

I had no problem this weekend.

[BigDaveVT]

Throttling or outright blocking?

Yes, Verizon throttles Netflix.  See http://www.extremetech.com/computing/186576-verizon-caught-throttling-netflix-traffic-even-after-its...

No, Verizon does not block Netflix.  I get connection problems from time to time owing to throttling ... the quality of what should be HD Netflix video is often shown at a lower resolution because of it ... but never have I had it simply refuse altogether to connect unless Netflix was actually down.

I have a blu ray player, Fire TV, and Apple TV.  In my experience, the Apple TV seems to be the best quality of the three, but also has a way of timing out (presumably because of throttling).

[angegurl]

I was having trouble streaming Amazon Video all weekend.  On two different devices.  I am in Socal using FIOS internet and TV.

[Telcoguru]

If you plug a computer into the ethernet port on the router does it work?

[DuffDry]

                It appears as though they are completely blocking these two devices. My PC works in the port with the exact same cable I had plugged into the Blu-ray player. I used a cable tester to check the cable from the router to the device and it is fine. Neither device will work even when plugged directly into the router. I have moved them all through the house trying every combination I can think of. It is very odd that two different brand devices both stopped working at the same time.

               I guess I need to find a neighbor with Comcast and see if these players can connect to their wired network.

----I am in the Harrisburg, PA area.

[eljefe2]

Testing either or both of your devices at a neighbor's using Comcast would be a good troubleshooting step, although something of a **bleep**.

I'm wondering if there's something going on with your Amazon account that might be causing the problem.  Trying to connect via another provider (Comcast) could confirm or eliminate that possiblity.

Also, when my Sony BluRay player can't connect it pops up a message asking if you want to reset the Internet connection settings.  Do you get that same message, and, if so, did you let the player go through the steps to auto-reconnect?

And did you try my earlier suggestion to obtain a different IP address for your router?  If not, it's still possible that your IP address is being blocked for some reason and changing it might help.