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Netflix Blocks Many IPv6 Users Over Geolocation Difficulty
An anonymous reader writes: In another example of content owners putting the screws to Netflix and consumers, network operators are reporting that the popular streaming service has begun blocking many customers on IPv6 connections. Many users of Hurricane Electric's IPv4-to-IPv6 service have been blocked entirely, while users on ISPs that provide native IPv6 are also facing difficulty connecting and watching shows. Netflix customer service has been advising users that the only workaround is to completely disable IPv6 on their computers. The ban on IPv6 appears to be the latest round of a wider crackdown against users whose IP address can't be sufficiently geolocated. While the rest of the internet moves forward with implementing IPv6, content owners are forcing Netflix to move backwards.
I'm curious if this will utterly destroy IPv6's reputation among Internet users at large.
It's no secret that IPv6 has been taking forever to deploy. Many network admins and more technical folks are skeptical about it, even if most Internet users have no idea what it is.
This will likely be the first exposure that many average Internet users will have had to IPv6, and it won't have been a good experience for them.
They'll now see IPv6 as that "problematic" technology that they disabled to get Netflix working again.
And once disabled on their computers, it's unlikely that it will ever be re-enabled again. After all, they'll want to continue being able to watch Netflix.
Historians may very well define this month as the one when IPv6 went from being a delayed technology rollout to a complete and utter failure.
IPv6's reputation may now be tainted in the eyes of many Internet users, much like how systemd has tainted Linux's reputation, and how Firefox's reputation has declined over the years.
I thought the world was running out of IPv4 and the internet was in dire straits. We must all move to the IPv6 lifeboats or drown in the sea of no-internet.
Hopefully this is a temporary problem/solution because Netflix is effectively shutting off Potential New Customers. "Thanks for joining the modern internet - sorry we can't service you today"
geolocating IPv6 --- hmmm.... an interesting problem. I guess it was easier when you only had to map 4 billion entries and the address scheme followed a pattern.
is to discontinue subscribing to Netflix. ( Unlike Cable or Satellite, discontinuing / restarting service is dead simple. )
Enough folks follow this method and Netflix will set a world record in getting this issue resolved.
Just noticed I was getting blocked the other day. Not trying to do anything shady. I need IPv6 for work and use Hurricane Electric for that. Kinda not cool move Netflix.
IPv6 is a solution to several problems that _do_ exist! Have you ever looked at the changes from IPv4 to IPv6?
Why does this topic have a Digital Electronics logo ? Did I miss something ?
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
Not going to happen. If they fuck up Netflix, people will just go back to pirating their shit.
According to Google, about an eighth of all their traffic today is IPV6, the percentage is growing, and the rate is accelerating. If you were waiting for a clear sign from the heavens that it's time to finally start supporting IPv6 as at least equal to IPv4, then you can stop waiting. While almost all of those systems currently also have native IPv4, it's absolutely insane to ignore v6 traffic in 2016. Do it at your and your employer's own peril.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
What does Hillary have to do with any of this?
Will she set up a server in her basement that I can use to VPN over to Netflix?
I could be wrong, but I doubt that Netflix wants to implement any kind of geo-restrictions on its content. The problem -- as I understand it -- is that the rights to various media follow an extremely antiquated system, where one group might own the north American rights, another the European Union rights, another the Oceania rights, etc.
Again, this is just my understanding, but I think Netflix couldn't care less about who has access to their content; but if the studio execs get word that Netflix is allowing users to "illegally" access content, then they face revocation of the content rights.
The problem here is the content creators (*IAA asshats) who have no business sense. I can not get a good justification for the complexity of their distribution channels (country codes in dvd drives, IP restrictions, all of if). Why? Why?
/rant
If it's a sales tax issue, then the local taxes should be bolted after the sticker price ($9.99 + tax). If it's because censorship beauros around the world need to get and classify the material, fine! But let the governments worry about blocking it. This becomes a real problem when customers in countries not seemingly affected by these externalities end up suffering and have to regress in technology because of it.
And speaking of backwards, why isn't Netflix itself who is suffering the issue turning off IPv6? Why should I fuck up my home router because their service doesn't work with the latest shit? Clearly I'm living right here (SoCal), since my card and my billing address are here. Complain to their support dept and claim you need V6 for work, make them fix it, or lose business!
Why would Hillary do that? She's in the pocket of the copyright cartels.
I'm blocking Netflix IPv6 subnets on my router with ICMPv6 no-route-to-host. Windows, Mac and Android clients all seem to immediately fall back to IPv4 and play as normal. It seems like a better solution than disabling IPv6 outright.
Mikrotik RouterOS syntax:
add address=2406:da00:ff00::/48 list=netflix
add address=2600:1407:19::/48 list=netflix
add address=2607:f8b0:4001::/48 list=netflix
add address=2620:108:700f::/48 list=netflix
add address=2a01:578:3::/48 list=netflix
add chain=forward dst-address-list=netflix action=reject