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potato6
join:2012-12-13

potato6

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Netflix Still Terrible on Mediacom

I cancelled my Netflix subscription several months ago since I could rarely stream watchable quality, even though other streaming services worked fine.

I decided a couple of days ago to try it again, but unfortunately the results are no different. Other streaming services (Amazon, etc) work fine, HD is no problem. My download speeds are usually over 100mbps while Netflix trickles in under 500kbps.

Even more strange, is that if I connect using a VPN I get instant HD streams from Netflix. I don't understand why I need to "hide" what I'm doing from Mediacom to get better service from Netflix.

Does Mediacom throttle Netflix?
...


chris92
join:2008-09-20
Coal Valley, IL

chris92

Member

What VPN service are you using, and what is the location? What software are you using to calculate your streaming quality?
potato6
join:2012-12-13

potato6

Member

PIA: Dallas, Tampa, Chicago, New Jersey.
Home Grown: DC (Softlayer), Orlando (DimeNOC), New York (DO), Ocala (family peer on Comcast)
EDIT: my actual location is south-central Alabama, routed through AT&T in Atlanta

Mainly I use my eyes to determine quality, but when I want numbers I use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S while viewing Netflix (this brings up the stream manager pictured above).

If I want something a little more detailed and real-time I use torch on my switch (tool> torch ether3 src=...) (Mikrotik setup as internal L2 switch).

My guess is it's actually AT&T causing the problem. If that's the case, I don't understand why Mediacom can't use another backbone or even sue AT&T for not adhering to an SLA (surely they have minimum service level agreements in place).

Whatever the case, it's frustrating as hell and I shouldn't have to dance around the issue and try to figure it out. I pay for service(s). I want the service(s) I pay for.
chris92
join:2008-09-20
Coal Valley, IL

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So I just got a Netflix subscription. Looking at it now, I think its a Netflix problem. I'm located in Western Illinois, and Mediacom runs on AT&T fiber that goes straight to Chicago.

When I started streaming "House of Cards", the stream was coming from a netflix server located in Seattle. I then start streaming "Orange is the New Black". That one is coming from New York. Both were going through AT&T to Chicago, then going out on XO to the server in each city. I then played Skyfall - That one was coming from a server in Chicago, going from AT&T to Level 3, then the server. So what I see here, is that Netflix probably has maximized the bandwidth allowed to the server(s) in Chicago, and routes me to another one.

All of this talk about "free peering" Netflix should have is nonsense - free peering agreements are made when companies have equal amounts of traffic needing to go EACH way, and Netflix is a one-way service.

I imagine that the reason why you can get a better stream on the VPN is because is coming from a server that does not have a port/connection that is over-utilized.

As far as SLA's for Mediacom, they would certainly have an SLA to the AT&T Carrier Hotel. After that, you have no SLA, unless it was to a specific location, and I doubt they would have one to Netflix. So, I would complain to Netflix for not paying the money needed to provide better service. $8.99 a month is pretty cheap for unlimited content.

We, at least here, are still in the hands of AT&T. One thing that might help the situation is Mediacom peering with other providers. I know in my area, there are a few, like Windstream, netINS, and Centurylink. There's many data centers going up in Iowa, and it doesn't help when everything goes to Chicago first.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

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said by potato6:

Even more strange, is that if I connect using a VPN I get instant HD streams from Netflix.

There is nothing special about how VPN works for these streaming video services WRT "hiding". It is about the routing between the services and the tunnel endpoints.

I don't need a VPN to see a difference in video delivery. Since my ISP is a Netflix Open Connect partner, I don't have buffering issues there; but YouTube is another matter. I can choose between a Hurricane Electric 6in4 IPv6 tunnel, or my ISP's 6rd IPv6 tunnel. With IPv6 enabled, I will hit YT on the IPv6 Internet. Each tunnel is routed different: On my ISP connection YT buffers, but on the HE YT does not buffer.
djbrettb0
join:2008-07-09
West Des Moines, IA

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Exact same thing I'm experiencing. Could you post a traceroute to netflix-822.yo.llwnd.net, both disconnected from VPN, and connected to VPN? When I'm not connected to my VPN (aka directly on Mediacom's network), the route goes over to Amsterdam for some reason. When connected to Chicago-based PIA VPN, I go directly to Chicago and then to Cogent. Curious to see if you're experiencing the same issue.
Expand your moderator at work
Pringlescan
join:2007-01-05
Des Moines, IA

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Re: Netflix Still Terrible on Mediacom

This issue has been posted over and over again with the same result that it's not MC and that it's AT&T and Netflix
potato6
join:2012-12-13

potato6

Member

Is there an official post by MC on this somewhere?
djbrettb0
join:2008-07-09
West Des Moines, IA

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Okay great, but it was Mediacom's choice to peer with AT&T in the first place. So what other option do we have in order to make that change?
k9iua6
join:2004-05-23
Dubuque, IA

k9iua6

Member

It has been also reported here a few times (about a year ago?) that in many of Mediacom's market areas they are adding a second border gateway to a backbone peer other than AT&T to give some redundancy. I have no idea what the status of the process is, or how MC's border gateway routers prioritize use of the two gateways, as it has not been mentioned in a while. Maybe Bainch or MediacomChad can give us an update.
kb0nly
join:2003-07-25
Tyler, MN

kb0nly

Member

I have been dealing with the YouTube problem here in MN off and on for months. When I get stuck in an endless buffer I can use my VPN or a few free web proxies and it works great until Mediacom works again on its own. I don't have Netflix but I have heard from some that do here and they have the same issues.

BAINCH
MVM
join:2003-04-02
Blooming Grove, NY

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said by k9iua6:

It has been also reported here a few times (about a year ago?) that in many of Mediacom's market areas they are adding a second border gateway to a backbone peer other than AT&T to give some redundancy. I have no idea what the status of the process is, or how MC's border gateway routers prioritize use of the two gateways, as it has not been mentioned in a while. Maybe Bainch or MediacomChad can give us an update.

Mediacom has brought in three additional backbone providers who are fulfilling traffic in five of the nine current regional aggregation points. The balance of traffic is still in AT&Ts favor although we haven't added any new connections with them in some time. For now the routing is semi-static. We hope to use more dynamic "best path" routing but that requires a better balance of total traffic by backbone provider than we've achieved so far (or we risk over-utilizing certain circuits.)
GLIMMER
join:2004-01-17
Fisher, IL

GLIMMER

Member

So BAINCH...

What are you doing for the smaller markets like the ones in IL. My traces still show att only
chris92
join:2008-09-20
Coal Valley, IL

chris92

Member

I imagine all of North-ish Illinois goes to one "regional aggregation point".

»business.mediacomcable.c ··· t_02.jpg

One thing I did notice is when doing a traceroute to comcast.net, it goes from a Mediacom internal IP to 350ecermak.il.ibone.comcast.net, pointing that Comcast may be one of the other providers, or it could be just Mediacom fiber peered to Comcast in Chicago
v12dock
join:2011-05-21
Chillicothe, IL

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Mediacom does not peer with Comcast you will go though Comcast if you are reaching a server on Comcasts network otherwise you will be going though ATT. If you want to bypass ATT find a VPN on Comcasts network
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

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Mediacom has a lot of peers, including Comcast.

»bgp.he.net/AS30036#_asinfo

BAINCH
MVM
join:2003-04-02
Blooming Grove, NY

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said by GLIMMER:

So BAINCH...

What are you doing for the smaller markets like the ones in IL. My traces still show att only

Parts of IL do use circuits from other providers.
BAINCH

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said by silbaco:

Mediacom has a lot of peers, including Comcast.

»bgp.he.net/AS30036#_asinfo

That is correct. We do interconnect with Comcast, and not just in Chicago.
v12dock
join:2011-05-21
Chillicothe, IL

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Its great Mediacom upgraded all customers speeds but its hard to take advantage of the new speeds when I still get unstable download speeds. There are very few servers in which I take advantage of the speed boosts.

BAINCH
MVM
join:2003-04-02
Blooming Grove, NY

BAINCH

MVM

said by v12dock:

Its great Mediacom upgraded all customers speeds but its hard to take advantage of the new speeds when I still get unstable download speeds. There are very few servers in which I take advantage of the speed boosts.

Perhaps you can post some details or IM me your Cable MacID.
oletheos
join:2010-10-26
Springfield, MO

oletheos

Member

It's been horrible today. Sd quality 80% of the time on 3 diff shows.
oletheos

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So how is everyone else's netflix working in springfield mo. I'm getting constant sd streams thru my appletv. Pretty annoying to have a 50/5 plan yet seeing artifacts on anything I watch

ahent
join:2006-10-06
Johnston, IA

ahent

Member

I live in the Des Moines, Iowa market (specifically Johnston, IA) and my Netflix works fine. I always get a clear HD picture with it. I am running a 15/1 service.

IowaMan
Premium Member
join:2008-08-21
Grinnell, IA

IowaMan

Premium Member

Add me to the list of "Happy Netflix" users Mine works out well.
drumnj
join:2010-05-13
Plymouth, MI

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Absolutely abysmal tonight, and most nights, just that tonight I couldn't get anything to buffer above the lowest...250 I think. Netflix has slowly gotten worse for me, watching in the evening is pretty much non-existence to the point of wondering why do I even bother having Netflix when I can't use it when I want to.
ssego
join:2014-06-16
USA

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Quality here is fine, but if I watch much more than a few hours a night at decent quality I go over my data cap so I have it turned down to low.
Grandpasnorz
join:2011-12-28
Orange Beach, AL

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My Netflix works great. No problems here
Big_Craig
join:2005-02-08
Cedar Rapids, IA

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My Netflix works great in Cedar Rapids. We constantly stream two shows at the same time. Though I did set the kids to lowest quality Netflix to save my monthly usage.
psdp
join:2011-01-20
Cedar Rapids, IA

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Re: OK in Cedar Rapids still

I had random issues before I got my new modem, but now that it's bonding, it has been streaming great. I dropped cable over a year ago, so we tend to have at least a few hours of Netflix and/or Hulu every night. (this is in Cedar Rapids area) I have occasional weird issues, but it's often the Netflix app on the AppleTV as I can still load it on my phone (still on wifi) and run it through the ATV fine.

It's one of the few things I don't seem to curse at Mediacom for actually… (now, when the whole enchilada goes down when I'm trying to watch something… :P )

edit: ok, gotta add a safety "so far it streams ok" to not jinx myself further… I was just checking netflix-- on my computer-- and it was oddly slow…