OpenDNS interferes with SmartTV access to NetFlix

gerrym52 · ‎02-18-2015

My apologies if this topic is covered here. My searches using the forum search engine did not return specific relevant info.

I have had been using my annual subscription OpenDNS account for a number of years, occasionally run into a snag that is easily cleared. I have been using NetFlix streaming with no issue all those years, on a Tivo and a Samsung BluRay player.

Just purchased a 2014 model Samsung SmartTV. Its Netflix app complains when I try to stream any title, and says: "We're having trouble playing this file right now. Please try again later or select a different file".

Went through a ton of dead end Google leads. Called Netflix, they checked it out and after about 20 minutes said 'your Netflix app' on the Samsung TV is out of date and needs to be updated, and Samsung will have to help you do that.

Called Samsung, they ran through a few things with me, and came up empty till... we edited the network settings to manually select DNS. They wanted to point it to Google at 8.8.8.8. Okay for tests... I'm okay with that.

That DNS change allowed Netflix to work correctly. Hmmm... put netflix.com in my 'always allowed', waited a good 15 minutes, reset the dhcp dns pointer, and Netflix was broken again. Put dns back to 8.8.8.8 and all is fine again.

Any thoughts about what else I may need to adjust in my content filters here on OpenDNS?

Thanks!

mattwilson9090 · ‎02-18-2015

Without knowing how your filters are setup it's impossible to tell you what to change. At a guess I'd say that your settings are blocking a CDN that Netflix is using to distribute their content.

All I can do is recommend checking your stats to see what domains are being blocked, you might be able to identify something to whitelist from that.

You could also try either removing all of your blocked categories and adding them back one by one till you find the one (or ones) that are blocking your Netflix traffic, or take it from the opposite direction and remove blocks one by one till you find the one that allows the traffic through. Once you've identified the category you could restore everything else and leave that category unblocked, or look closer at your stats with that category in mind and find whatever it is that you need to whitelist.

gerrym52 · ‎02-18-2015

Thanks for the quick feedback. Thank you for the suggestions. I suppose my frustration is that 2 other devices behind my router can function just fine with NetFlix. It is uniquely the new Samsung SmartTV that refuses to cooperate. Several thoughts, one is the Netflix app version are in fact different, and perhaps that the SmartTV is UHD, and points to NetFlix remote storage the other devices do not. I am culling through my blocks and looking for hits that are the same from yesterday and today. I will dig and see what I can find and post back.

gerrym52 · ‎02-19-2015

Yes, little doubt this was the issue since switching DNS pointers would 'heal' NetFlix. Removed 9 filters in my setup, taking the large cut approach first. Basically if the filter sounded like something a NetFlix movie might contain, I unselected it. Will put the filters back momentarily, and I have since setup the Samsung SmartTV to point to my ISP's tertiary DNS server and all is fine. A remaining unknown is why NetFlix only failed on the SmartTV app inside the Samsung app collective, but not on TIvo's version or my Samsung BluRay. I'll chalk it up to a much newer version on the Samsung SmartTV, and perhaps that this box does seek UHD/4K content. Gerry-

mattwilson9090 · ‎02-19-2015

You'd have to know what the app is doing network traffic wise and what domains it is looking up to know for sure. Odds are it's going to a CDN that is blocked by your settings or some obscure domain that is directly owned by Netflix. Since the interfaces on SmartTV's are generally so opaque, other than some sort of packet sniffing on your network you'll have to check your OpenDNS stats.

As an aside, after working support at a large video company I came to the conclusion that SmartTV's are pretty dumb, and paying extra money for the "smart" features is just a waste of money. You're better off buying a "dumb TV" with the same picture quality, and either pocketing the savings, or getting a device such as a Roku, Xbox, Playsation, or something else to play your video to what is essentially just a display monitor. We had some issues with the apps on SmartTV's that never could be resolved because we were entirely dependent on the app's built into the TV and couldn't work around them.

sonicconor · ‎02-23-2015

I'm having the exact same issue. Wii, Wii-U, android phone and iPad all work with OpenDNS, but Samsung smart TV, no dice.

I've been on to Netflix, Samsung and my ISP, all of whom gave me the brush off and blamed each other.

Samsung support did confirm that their Netflix traffic went to an non standard server(s) but would not give me an ip or ip range.

The level of detail offered by OpenDNS is not high enough to get a specific ip accessed at a specific time (at least to the best of my efforts, please correct me if I'm wrong).

I've looked at the log and logging on my home router and have the same issue of not enough detail.

So if you've found which checkbox it is on OpenDNS or the specific domain/ip please let me know.

I'm going to look at an old DDWRT router I have and see if I can track what it's trying to access with that. I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks

rotblitz · ‎02-23-2015

Check your blocked domains at https://dashboard.opendns.com/stats/all/blockeddomains and whitelist those domains related to the service you're having trouble with.

mattwilson9090 · ‎02-23-2015

It doesn't matter what IP range Netflix is using if you are trying to resolve an issue with OpenDNS. OpenDNS only deals with DNS and DNS lookups, and you can only blacklist or whitelist domains or categories of domains, not IP address addresses.

If you want to continue using Netflix on the SmartTV you will (as rotblitz) said, need to look in your blocked domain stats to find out what DOMAINS are being blocked, and work with that information. If you are using the free service you won't be able to get time information, just domain information.

sonicconor · ‎05-16-2015

Hi, sorry for the delay in getting back. Unblocking "services.wmdrm.windowsmedia.com" worked for me. I've looked up the Whois of "windowsmedia.com" and it does appear to be a Microsoft owned domain name. I suspect that it might have something to do with the sliverlight plugin. Anyway unblock "services.wmdrm.windowsmedia.com". Hope it works for others.

rotblitz · ‎05-16-2015

Then you must have blocked at least one of the categories Movies, Radio, Video Sharing, Television, Software/Technology, Music, Content Delivery Networks, else there was no need to whitelist it.
https://domain.opendns.com/services.wmdrm.windowsmedia.com

sonicconor · ‎05-16-2015

Yes Rotblitz,
I want to block as many categories as possible, and allow only the services I require.

rotblitz · ‎05-17-2015

I see. Then OpenDNS Home VIP with whitelist-only mode may be an option for you. You don't have to struggle around with categories then but whitelist only the few domain names you need access to.

sonicconor · ‎05-17-2015

I don't know. I paid $19 to block a more domains. Anyway the hard part was trying to figure out which blocked domain was associated with the Netflix service as I have a busy house of internet traffic and it seems to take opendns 24hrs to update the traffic data. Still working now thanks.

rotblitz · ‎05-17-2015

"I don't know. I paid $19 to block a more domains."

Then it looks like you already have OpenDNS VIP which costs $19.95/year. So you can enable whitelist-only mode and add the domains you want to allow to your 50 entries of the "never block" list.

"it seems to take opendns 24hrs to update the traffic data."

No, it takes 1-3 hours. You may not have set your time zone correctly:
https://dashboard.opendns.com/myaccount/timezone

gerrym52 · ‎05-17-2015

My 'simple' response here is that I have tried watching my logs for any offending domains or specific services. My observations have concluded limited facts, but one is that this failure with Netflix can be version dependent. My Samsung 'Smart TV' Netflix may fail to connect with my existing settings on OpenDNS, but if I switch over to my Tivo Premier which is running an older Netflix version, the same selection that fails on my Samsung will play without issue on my Tivo. It apparently is related in some manner to DNS lookups, and my workaround for now? Put my Samsung on a static IP pointing to just a single DNS server operated by my local ISP ( Cox Hampton Roads ).

Samsung Tech Support back in Feb 2015 'fixed' my Smart TV they thought... by pointing their app to Google's DNS at 8.8.8.8. That 'fix' did not last more than a few weeks before I had the same problem. So take what you will from that info.

I still suspect that Netflix has some issue with their DNS advertising, not the lookups from my ISP, OpenDNS, Google or anyone else. Just my humble and small opinion..