[maven]

Originally Posted by earthian

I have an isue and hope i get a solution.
I have a 50mbps connection. I have a 3 floor house with the main router (Linksys EA 4500) on the second floor and a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 EX 7000 as an extender on the ground floor.
I have a home theatre on the third floor and while there is a hard wire ethernet from the EA 4500, available there; i use an Amazon Firestick for watching US content (through a VPN )there, through a Denon AVR. ( so the hardwire is not used)
The problem is that while Amazon Prime Video quality is okay, the Netflix quality is very bad (Through the firestick). Do i need to:

• Add an extender on the third floor?
• Or is it the VPN?
• Or is it the competition (Amazon) trying to edge out Netflix?

I think the cheapest option would be to get a wifi range extender that pings to your router on the second floor. Just connect the range extender to your TV through ethernet. Best is to get a spare from somewhere and try first before buying a new one.

I had the same issue, Amazon Prime Vs Netflix video quality. TV is in the lounge while the new router was this time centrally placed in the house, Netflix would still mostly pixellate toward the evening for sure. Whilst Prime video would be okay. A week ago, put an old airport express (wifi range extender) to service and things have been alright since.

in Netflix app on your TV just go to the "Get Help" tab and there is a connection test right there. i was getting 3MBPS over the air earlier and after adding the wifi range extender the Netflix connection test reports speeds of 16.4 - 17 MBPS which are more than sufficient.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by maven

I think that’s what I was saying as well earlier. The actual speeds delivered are good in ORBI because of the backhaul. The daisy chain method is like WiFi range extenders. They are suboptimal and not a mesh setup.

It seems Netgear is working on a firmware update where one satellite will be able to talk to another satellite in a mesh setup to have optimum data pass through.

All the routers that support daisy chain whether Tp link Deco or Orbi will have sup optimal performance when you have to hop from satellite to satellite.

The additional pass thru or hop will have an inherent delay.

The Orbi is just like any other and I'm not sure why you say not a true mesh. All mesh routers have 2 topology, star and daisy chain and all prefer star vs daisy chain. In some you need to enable daisy chain and others will switch to daisy if they don't find the main router.

Also, the tri band helps even in daisy chain. I checked a Tp link deco setup with 1 router and 3 satellites and it always tries to go to star. You have to literally place it in a cupboard to get it to connect to a satellite and it loses speed drastically.

All routers with daisy chain in essence have throughput loss and this is a known constraint not specific to anyone.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by roamer012

I think it is a combination of two factors

1. VPN - The major culprit
2. Wifi

Any way we can make the VPN ,more efficient? I use Express VPN.

... i would rather hardwire the firestick (Amazon does provide a dongle for that)

Thanks. Didn't know that. Shall check that out.

Originally Posted by ElonSkum

For such a high throughput application, as HD video streaming, I would always try to get my set-up correct. That would be hard-wired any given day.

Yes, hard wiring is the way to go. There is nothing wrong with the broadband, since Netflix India and Prime video india stream with good video quality. Could going through the Denon be an issue? I have an old AVR ( about 8 years old)

Originally Posted by binand

Very unlikely.

Netflix has its own bandwidth measurement tool called Fast.

Thank you. Shall check that out.

Originally Posted by maven

I think the cheapest option would be to get a wifi range extender that pings to your router on the second floor.

Thank you.

[ElonSkum]

Originally Posted by earthian

Any way we can make the VPN ,more efficient? I use Express VPN.

VPN more efficient? Of course you can! But, you would need to pay a lot more. Do you have anyone in the US? Friends-family? If so and technically savvy, you can ask them to host a VPN server for you.

Originally Posted by earthian

Yes, hard wiring is the way to go. There is nothing wrong with the broadband, since Netflix India and Prime video india stream with good video quality. Could going through the Denon be an issue? I have an old AVR ( about 8 years old)

8 years old is practically new, unless you are an audio/videophile. As I understand your setup. The Firestick in the 3rd floor connects to the Linksys router, which is located in 2nd floor, over WiFi? Am I correct? If yes, you can try these steps to diagnose the cause.

• Connect your laptop to the router with an Ethernet cable.
• Install / activate the Express VPN client on your laptop.
• Check Netflix either on web or using their Windows application.
• If it streams fine, then your WiFI is an issue.
• If it streams just the same, then your VPN is an issue.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by ElonSkum

VPN more efficient? Of course you can! But, you would need to pay a lot more. Do you have anyone in the US? Friends-family? If so and technically savvy, you can ask them to host a VPN server for you.

The VPN being used by me is my son's account who is in the US. The Amazon prime (US) and Netflix (US) is also his account. Didn't quite understand as to what is meant by "hosting" a VPN server?

As I understand your setup. The Firestick in the 3rd floor connects to the Linksys router, which is located in 2nd floor, over WiFi? Am I correct?

Yes, you got that absolutely right.
I also have Amazon prime (India) which stream just fine. When the Netflix account is used for Indian content (without VPN) on other streaming devices (on 2nd and ground floors); it streams just fine.

ps: I heard in a different forum that Amazon is quick to detect VPN and that prevents you for accessing US content. Express VPN seems to be able to hoodwink Amazon-as is what some people have commented.

[ElonSkum]

Originally Posted by earthian

. Didn't quite understand as to what is meant by "hosting" a VPN server?

I shall try to explain it with a simple analogy.

Let's say you want milk. You have two options - buy only milk from the dairy or you rear your own cow.

In our context, the "VPN Service" that you avail is the milk. The hosting company maintains the servers, OS, softwares, power, connectivity, similar to the dairy, which maintains the shed, fodder, health of the cattle etc etc. In this scenario you are limited by choice and are paying a premium for each added facility.


The other option is that you host your own server;for your needs ,any suitable computer loaded with the suitable OS and suitable software, network speed similar to rearing your own cow - certain breed, certain fodder etc etc. Here, you have more control over what you get and comes much cheaper. But, would be more involved, similar to rearing your own cow.
[/quote]

Originally Posted by earthian

Yes, you got that absolutely right.
I also have Amazon prime (India) which stream just fine. When the Netflix account is used for Indian content (without VPN) on other streaming devices (on 2nd and ground floors); it streams just fine.

I would still recommend that you use that unused Ethernet connection on your 3rd floor. You can have another WiFi router there in bridged-mode. Wouldn't cost you much. I wonder how strong your WiFi from 2nd floor would be in the 3rd floor, after passing through so many concrete walls.

Originally Posted by earthian

ps: I heard in a different forum that Amazon is quick to detect VPN and that prevents you for accessing US content. Express VPN seems to be able to hoodwink Amazon-as is what some people have commented.

Possible. Can be easily detected by different parameters. And, isn't Amazon, one of the Gods of AI in these times. I don't think Express VPN would be able to hoodwink for long, if Amazon is really into blocking VPN streaming.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by ElonSkum

I would still recommend that you use that unused Ethernet connection on your 3rd floor. You can have another WiFi router there in bridged-mode. Wouldn't cost you much. I wonder how strong your WiFi from 2nd floor would be in the 3rd floor, after passing through so many concrete walls.

I did some experiments in the morning.

1. No VPN: Speed check (through Firestick):

2. No VPN: Speed check through Netflix:

Attachment 2028966

3. With VPN: Speed check (Through Firestick):

4. With VPN: Speed check through Netflix:

5. With VPN: Speed check through Netflix (2nd reading after 2 hours)

The fluctuation when speed is checked through the Netflix App is very high.

My conclusions:

1. Prime Video (US) works fine through VPN .
2. Prime Video (India) works fine.
3. Netflix (India) works fine.
4. Netflix (US Content) does NOT work good (with VPN)

I tried changing the server of the VPN from New York to New Jersey etc, but no change. What i don't understand is why the speed drops so drastically when Netflix is accessed through VPN?

What is the fix here?

[binand]

Originally Posted by earthian

What i don't understand is why the speed drops so drastically when Netflix is accessed through VPN?

I think it is rather well-known that Netflix detects and blocks/throttles VPNs.

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/how-do...-block-vpn-use

[earthian]

Originally Posted by binand

I think it is rather well-known that Netflix detects and blocks/throttles VPNs.

Yes, i get that. Only in this case, the standard warning is not shown, nor is the site blocked. It gets throttled down though. And way to get around this?

[ElonSkum]

Originally Posted by earthian

Yes, i get that. Only in this case, the standard warning is not shown, nor is the site blocked. It gets throttled down though. And way to get around this?

You have very good VPN speed. Looks like a premium paid service.

I am guessing Netflix keeps an ever increasing list of constantly changing IPs, against their subscribers, that seem to be up to some mischief.

Coming back to ways around; Try checking with your VPN provider if they provide you with a static IP? If no, then I would again peddle my favourite panachea - ask your son to host a VPN server for you. End to all cat and mouse games.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by ElonSkum

You have very good VPN speed. Looks like a premium paid service.

It is a premium paid service....but i didn't quite understand why you mentioned that we have good VPN speed. The speed shown when Netflix is via VPN goes down to a fraction of 1 mbps. Thats bad. Right?

[ElonSkum]

Originally Posted by earthian

It is a premium paid service....but i didn't quite understand why you mentioned that we have good VPN speed. The speed shown when Netflix is via VPN goes down to a fraction of 1 mbps. Thats bad. Right?

You do have good VPN service ~ 70Mbs. It's just Netflix US that's throttling down on the speed. It's obvious that they are clamping down on such loopholes.

P.S. : As luck would have it, my brother who's in US, currently, just put up his own VPN server. I spent the better part of the day trying to set up a VPN client here. Lot's of gotchas. A rabbit hole, I dare say.

[binand]

Originally Posted by ElonSkum

P.S. : As luck would have it, my brother who's in US, currently, just put up his own VPN server.

I run my own OpenVPN server (on my home server mostly, primarily to avoid IP-based geolocation that mobile apps do) which can be done on AWS too - just that it costs money. Helps in those rare cases when one needs to access something in different countries though limited to AWS locations.

[earthian]

What is smart DNS? How to set it up so that we can stream Netflix through VPN?

Sorry. I read through an article but didn't understand it so the query here.

[binand]

Originally Posted by earthian

What is smart DNS? How to set it up so that we can stream Netflix through VPN?

Sorry. I read through an article but didn't understand it so the query here.

Smart DNS is a marketing term for a combo DNS+application proxy which is less resource intensive and of course, less secure than a regular VPN. Some VPN providers are offering it as an entry-level product I believe.

If Netflix is geofencing their content and you are trying to work around such protection they have applied, you are violating a US law called DMCA. Just be aware - from your previous posts I understand the Netflix account owner is a US resident. Also this discussion might be in violation of the forum's AUP too.