QoS & Netflix etc.

crazylegs · 08-31-2010, 11:35 AM

So users on my network are allowed to stream movies while they work. I'm allowed to throttle that content, so I suppose it's not the biggest issue, but when I started looking at what I need to do to give business needs higher priority, I ran into a little snag. Our most prolific user showed up in last night's report having like 12 GB streamed yesterday. From multiple addresses, all which look like netflix:

netflix-990.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-044.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-417.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-925.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-903.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-529.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-094.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-436.vo.llnwd.net

netflix-438.vo.llnwd.net

It looks like 68.142.64.0/18 is the address I need to throttle. Will a address block work? Is there a better way to do this with UT?

jcoehoorn · 09-02-2010, 07:38 AM

The netflix app for iPhone just dropped a couple days ago. He's likely watching over wifi on an iPhone or iPod Touch (could explain same user/multiple IPs).

I'd also be very interested to hear how I can use untangle to throttle these addresses without blocking them entirely. Unfortunately, I suspect that any throttling on a streaming service like this will turn into an effective block, as the video becomes too choppy. This is especially true on my network of nearly 400 college students.

crazylegs · 09-02-2010, 01:59 PM

Use the QoS piece. The way I'm trying to do it isn't the prettiest way, but in theory, it should work to allow access without allowing that access to slow down the rest of the business. With QoS, you have 3 options: low, normal and high priority. DNS gets high priority, streaming from that block of addresses gets low priority here.

Frankly, if the video gets choppy, they can deal with it or do something else. We have X amount of bandwidth to share with many other services (including web servers, mail servers etc.). Streaming is not so much supported as it is allowed. We allow staff to stream all they want or bring in MP3 players or DVD's or whatever to use while they're working, so long as that media use is at little or no cost to the business.

Actually, the streaming is being done using a desktop. I'm assuming that Netflix has several servers set up to offer streaming, that's why I decided to try to throttle that IP block. It's mostly one internal user connecting to several IP's. We have a statically addressed network.

jcoehoorn · 09-02-2010, 02:47 PM

I work for a school rather than corporation, so my users are students who expect to mostly do as they please.

My understanding of QoS though is that it's main utility is for enabling services with time-sensitive packets like VoIP and streaming video. It would never stop or slow a packet deliberately and shouldn't change the amount of bandwidth going to one service over another. Rather, it makes something like netflix work better, especially during high-traffic periods. I don't think that setting netflix to the low-priority QoS option will really help other traffic that much, except by discouraging netflix use in the first place by making the video pretty much unwatchable.

sky-knight · 09-02-2010, 03:26 PM

Setting netflix to low priority just means it doesn't get bandwidth if anything else needs it. If the network utilization is low, it will work fine.

You can't have it all... QoS is a system by which you tell your network certain services are allowed to take a back seat if things get busy. Video / Audio streaming on an educational network sound perfect for the low priority queue.

jcoehoorn · 09-02-2010, 03:50 PM

In that case, look into nflximg.com.edgesuite.net as well.

crazylegs · 09-02-2010, 05:29 PM

I did. It's hosted @ amazon, and I don't think I can get away with blocking that. It would be nice to be able to use QoS based on something other than raw IP's...

08-31-2010, 11:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
crazylegs Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 194	QoS & Netflix etc. So users on my network are allowed to stream movies while they work. I'm allowed to throttle that content, so I suppose it's not the biggest issue, but when I started looking at what I need to do to give business needs higher priority, I ran into a little snag. Our most prolific user showed up in last night's report having like 12 GB streamed yesterday. From multiple addresses, all which look like netflix: netflix-990.vo.llnwd.net netflix-044.vo.llnwd.net netflix-417.vo.llnwd.net netflix-925.vo.llnwd.net netflix-903.vo.llnwd.net netflix-529.vo.llnwd.net netflix-094.vo.llnwd.net netflix-436.vo.llnwd.net netflix-438.vo.llnwd.net It looks like 68.142.64.0/18 is the address I need to throttle. Will a address block work? Is there a better way to do this with UT?

09-02-2010, 02:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
jcoehoorn Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: York, NE Posts: 408	I work for a school rather than corporation, so my users are students who expect to mostly do as they please. My understanding of QoS though is that it's main utility is for enabling services with time-sensitive packets like VoIP and streaming video. It would never stop or slow a packet deliberately and shouldn't change the amount of bandwidth going to one service over another. Rather, it makes something like netflix work better, especially during high-traffic periods. I don't think that setting netflix to the low-priority QoS option will really help other traffic that much, except by discouraging netflix use in the first place by making the video pretty much unwatchable. Last edited by jcoehoorn; 09-02-2010 at 02:49 PM..

09-02-2010, 03:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
sky-knight Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ URLs submitted: 8 Posts: 14,698	Setting netflix to low priority just means it doesn't get bandwidth if anything else needs it. If the network utilization is low, it will work fine. You can't have it all... QoS is a system by which you tell your network certain services are allowed to take a back seat if things get busy. Video / Audio streaming on an educational network sound perfect for the low priority queue. __________________ Rob Sandling, BS:SWE, MCP Intouch Technology Phone: 480-272-9889 rob@intouchtechllc.com UntangleAppliances.com Phone: 866-794-8879

09-02-2010, 07:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
jcoehoorn Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: York, NE Posts: 408	The netflix app for iPhone just dropped a couple days ago. He's likely watching over wifi on an iPhone or iPod Touch (could explain same user/multiple IPs). I'd also be very interested to hear how I can use untangle to throttle these addresses without blocking them entirely. Unfortunately, I suspect that any throttling on a streaming service like this will turn into an effective block, as the video becomes too choppy. This is especially true on my network of nearly 400 college students.

09-02-2010, 01:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
crazylegs Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 194	Use the QoS piece. The way I'm trying to do it isn't the prettiest way, but in theory, it should work to allow access without allowing that access to slow down the rest of the business. With QoS, you have 3 options: low, normal and high priority. DNS gets high priority, streaming from that block of addresses gets low priority here. Frankly, if the video gets choppy, they can deal with it or do something else. We have X amount of bandwidth to share with many other services (including web servers, mail servers etc.). Streaming is not so much supported as it is allowed. We allow staff to stream all they want or bring in MP3 players or DVD's or whatever to use while they're working, so long as that media use is at little or no cost to the business. Actually, the streaming is being done using a desktop. I'm assuming that Netflix has several servers set up to offer streaming, that's why I decided to try to throttle that IP block. It's mostly one internal user connecting to several IP's. We have a statically addressed network.

09-02-2010, 03:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
jcoehoorn Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: York, NE Posts: 408	In that case, look into nflximg.com.edgesuite.net as well.

09-02-2010, 05:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
crazylegs Master Untangler Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 194	I did. It's hosted @ amazon, and I don't think I can get away with blocking that. It would be nice to be able to use QoS based on something other than raw IP's...