Netflix is slow lately on FIOS

[#1]

I have no issues with netflix, and you can't always blame everything on Verizon. If you really want to see what ports are open for your stream. When streaming a video, open a command prompt and execute netstat -f and it will show you the FQDN that the ports are open to. If you want the options for that command, execute netstat -? some simple basic network commands will tell you much about where your computer is actually connecting. Then trace to that point.

This is a trace to just one of multiple servers.

C:\Windows\system32>tracert  ipv4_1.lagg0.c018.iad001.ix.nflxvideo.net

Tracing route to ipv4_1.lagg0.c018.iad001.ix.nflxvideo.net [108.175.35.137]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  moat1.localnet [192.168.2.1]
  2    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  FWDR-192.FWDR-168.FWDR-1.FWDR-1 [192.168.1.1]
  3    77 ms    36 ms   122 ms  L100.WASHDC-VFTTP-69.verizon-gni.net [x.x.x.x]
  4     5 ms     7 ms     7 ms  G0-8-1-2.WASHDC-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.219.146]
  5     5 ms     5 ms     5 ms  so-12-1-0-0.RES-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.151.230]
  6     7 ms     5 ms     5 ms  0.xe-5-1-2.XL3.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.7.241]
  7     8 ms    10 ms    10 ms  TenGigE0-4-2-0.GW1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.38.254]
  8    24 ms    24 ms    24 ms  teliasonera-gw.customer.alter.net [63.125.125.42]
  9    49 ms    48 ms     *     netflix-ic-156694-ash-bb1.c.telia.net [213.248.101.26]
 10    20 ms    20 ms    58 ms  ipv4_1.lagg0.c018.iad001.ix.nflxvideo.net [108.175.35.137]

Trace complete.

C:\Windows\system32>

You may notice some latency between alter.net and the customer peering point. If the customer don't pay for it, it isn't free. The customer being Netflix. Netflix is providing a pay for video feed, which is a business to make money. Well look at it this way, Verizon does the same thing, and it is VOD. Should a company provide free bandwidth to their competition. Verizon too is an entertainment provider. If Netflix starts dropping feeds, they will start dropping customers. I have told Netflix to pound sand three different times. A couple times for content, and once for quality of the feed. Now a few years later, I figured I would give them another shot, since I am running a 100% Microsoft Media Center setup with various extenders.

I noticed multiple connections open for the video.

[#2]

Also based on that last post, it looks like Verizon does have some latency on their network, so it could be a combination of things. 3    77 ms    36 ms   122 ms  L100.WASHDC-VFTTP-69.verizon-gni.net [x.x.x.x]

I would say the best way to see, would be to tracert  to the streaming servrs when you strt having issues. Then you will know.

Non prime time?

  3     2 ms     2 ms     6 ms  L100.WASHDC-VFTTP-69.verizon-gni.net [71.127.53.1]
  4     9 ms     7 ms     7 ms  G0-8-1-2.WASHDC-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.219.146]
  5   151 ms     7 ms     5 ms  so-12-1-0-0.RES-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.151.230]
  6     7 ms     5 ms     5 ms  0.xe-4-1-0.XL3.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.2.249]
  7    10 ms     9 ms    11 ms  TenGigE0-6-4-0.GW1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.35.145]
  8    24 ms    23 ms    24 ms  teliasonera-gw.customer.alter.net [63.125.125.42]
  9    44 ms    44 ms    46 ms  netflix-ic-156694-ash-bb1.c.telia.net [213.248.101.26]
 10     5 ms    44 ms     6 ms  ipv4_1.lagg0.c018.iad001.ix.nflxvideo.net [108.175.35.137]

Trace complete.

[#3]

Prisaz,

Verizon has already stated that it is allowing peering points with Cogent to become saturated due to a business dispute with them. Cogent is one of the bigger providers of Netflix streaming content.

[#4]

One of the unpleasant realities is that all of that  hardware that normally makes the internet work smoothly costs money.  The current dispute involving Verizon, Netflix and Cogent is all about money.  It's easy to blame Verizon.  After all, they are the ones who are getting our money.  And Verizon may be at fault to some extent.  But my guess is that all three companies are at fault to some extent. The following articles help explain this dispute.

http://www.telecompetitor.com/verizon-netflix-dispute-not-just-over-peering-servers-are-new-battlefi...

http://publicpolicy.verizon.com/blog/entry/unbalanced-peering-and-the-real-story-behind-the-verizon-...

http://www.cybertelecom.org/industry/cogent.htm

[#5]

Walt

Thanks for the education. It looks like I may be lucky in that my traffic was or is being routed through telia.net which has resolved any disputes with cogent? I did not see cogent anywhere in my path. Lucky me? I agree based on my first post. It isn't free, it is all about money, and greed. The cost of upgrading all the routes to handle the bandwidth is a ton of money. So net neutrality goes out the window when the load of traffic between networks is not balanced. (Neutral) Should Verizon pay for hosting space for Netfilx Servers, just because Verizon users want them to? I see all our cost going up. Let's throw a few YouTube servers in Reston and Ashton Va! Everyone on the East coast would be happy. It looked like my Netfilix is hosted in Ca.

Perhaps the whole idea is that Netflix would build there own data center here, if given a free pipe!

[#6]

How weird, it's not even 2pm ET on a Sunday and I can't seem to stream Netflix in HD! Must be tough getting 2.35 or 3mbit over Verizon pipes... 🙂

[#7]

Agreed. This is garbage. I love watching Netflix in about 8 pixels of total resolution on my tv. Thanks FiOS! Can't quite muster anything over 0.9 Mbps out of my 50/50 connection. That's good work!

[#8]

This is seriously ridiculous. When I come home at night I want to be able to relax and stream from Netflix in HD and this is not happening.

I am seriously considering canceling my Fios service, Verizon. I do have other options.

[#9]

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@anonFios wrote:
This is seriously ridiculous. When I come home at night I want to be able to relax and stream from Netflix in HD and this is not happening.

I am seriously considering canceling my Fios service, Verizon. I do have other options.

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I agree. I've got a complaint in with the BBB in addition to the attorney general and am awaiting response. If in the event nothing comes of either, I fully intend to just file in small claims and seek a refund of what I've paid already. I'll be darned if I have to pay an ETF for crap service.

[#10]

Netflix is still running like crap. I can say at least that it took until about 9pm for it to take a nose dive vs. the typical 4-5pm ET.