[HOWTO] Chromecast/Netflix outside USA without VPN

[mondohow]

How can I tell if this needs to be added or if my router automatically ads it?

iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -j MASQUERADE

I'm using an RT-AC66 running Tomato Shibby latest.

Thanks...

 

[zoot1]

How can I tell if this needs to be added or if my router automatically ads it?

iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -j MASQUERADE

I'm using an RT-AC66 running Tomato Shibby latest.

Thanks...

My router is working without this line .

I am using dd-wrt

 

[Rylo]

Hi All
I have found a solution to this problem.
Netflix on my chromecast in Australia stopped working after the latest update 19084 when casting from Netflix android app 3.7.1 while it would work normally on my laptop and android.
At this point I had unblock-us dns configured on the android device and laptop (issued by the router).

The solution involves fooling the chromecast and android app into thinking they are talking to google DNS while they are actually communicating with unblock-us DNS
Latest chromecast firmware and Netflix app are required for this. (19084 and 3.7.2 respectively)
The way to do this on a cisco router is by using the following configuration

------------------------------------------------------
interface Vlan1 (or any other LAN interface)
ip address 192.168.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip nat inside
ip policy route-map google_dns-redirect

ip access-list extended google_dns
permit udp 192.168.15.0 0.0.0.255 host 8.8.8.8

route-map google_dns-redirect permit 10
match ip address google_dns
set ip next-hop 111.118.175.56

ip nat outside source static 111.118.175.56 8.8.8.8
-------------------------------------------------------

With this config, the router redirects any traffic destined for 8.8.8.8 to instead go to 111.118.175.56 (while the Chromecast thinks it is still going to 8.8.8.8)
It is important that the return traffic to CC does not appear to be coming from Unblock-us so the router needs to be setup to change any traffic coming from 111.118.175.56 to 8.8.8.8 using a static NAT statement.
As you can see, this method is different to the popular method of blackholing traffic to 8.8.8.8 causing the CC to fail over to whatever DNS is configured on the router (unblock-us DNS)
This fix should also be fairly easily to setup on a firewall using a GUI. Not sure if DD-WRT, Open-WRT or Tomato are capable of this as they are firewall features.
Also note that this fix will only work if the Netflix on the Android is latest 3.7.2 as the old version (3.7.1) without hardcoded DNS gives away its location while casting to the lastest chromecast 19084
Hope this helps.

Any idea on how to get this working on a fritzbox 7360 ? Or could you tell me what 'option' your router needs to have. Thanks!

 

[fishyrelic]

Any idea on how to get this working on a fritzbox 7360 ? Or could you tell me what 'option' your router needs to have. Thanks!

I haven't used the fritzbox 7360 but it appears to be a generic consumer grade router and will most likely not have any traffic redirecting/manipulating capabilities. You would either need an advanced router like a cisco or a firewall such as a dell sonicwall.

 

[Rylo]

It seems your correct. Thanks for your quick reply.

Or i need to build my own firmware and add one of these packages >> http://freetz.org/wiki/packages

 

[DJames1]

Looks like Netflix has broken geo-unblocking in the latest version of the Android and iOS apps (Android app now at version 3.8.3). And the casting Chromecast won't work any more with older versions of the apps, so using an older version to get around the problem won't work. Thanks a lot Netflix!

Not sure yet if this affects only the static-route-Google-DNS-to-nowhere method, or it also affects the Google-DNS-rediction-using-iptables method. Maybe someone can report about the latter? It may be a while before I get time to check.

 

[gpkgpk]

Looks like Netflix has broken geo-unblocking in the latest version of the Android and iOS apps (Android app now at version 3.8.3). And the casting Chromecast won't work any more with older versions of the apps, so using an older version to get around the problem won't work. Thanks a lot Netflix!

Not sure yet if this affects only the static-route-Google-DNS-to-nowhere method, or it also affects the Google-DNS-rediction-using-iptables method. Maybe someone can report about the latter? It may be a while before I get time to check.

Thought it was just me, grr.
With the static-route-Google-DNS-to-nowhere method , Netflix+Chromecast is giving me the error "Sorry that title is not available to watch instantly. Please try another title" error message.
Anyone have any ideas? Tried the iptables tricks too, no luck.
gpk

 

[DJames1]

Strangely you can still browse and cast out-of-region Netflix content from the latest version of the Netflix Android app (3.8.3) - you just can't play it on the Android device itself. Set it to play on the Chromecast before you attempt to play anything. Also note that after updating the Netflix Android app, you must log in for the first time in your home region.

You can still play out-of-region content using the Netflix Android app version 3.7.1, but now the Netflix Chromecast app refuses to play content cast from that version and insists that you update it.

So you can't have both local and Chromecast capability at the same time.

 

[ykphuah]

Need to wait for the unlocator guys to outsmart the netflix guys!
I have given up on using android to cast to chromecast. Tried netflix from laptop chrome casting to chromecast, worked perfectly fine. Does the netflix webapp works on the chrome on android?

 

[skivnit]

all i'm getting is the "oops i shouldn't be here error" its playing fine on my Android phone and ipad, i guess all i can do now is use chrome to cast my screen from the laptop

 

[DJames1]

As far as I know, the current situation is:

- Netflix Android app up to version 3.7.1 works with DNS redirection and can play all content on the Android device. But as of a month or so ago, the Chromecast Netflix app will no longer accept casting from version 3.7.1 - it displays a message saying that you must update your Android app.

- The current version of the Netflix Android app (up to version 3.8.3 at least) only works partly with DNS redirection. It will allow you to browse all content, and it will cast it successfully to the Chromecast, but it will not play that content locally on the Android device itself.

This applies if you are blocking Google DNS. I don't know what happens if you are redirecting Google DNS with iptables commands - I have heard that it works erratically.

The situation is the same with all the DNS redirection services I have tested, and as far as I have read it is the same with all of them. Apparently the Netflix app is now doing something new with Google DNS, and for the Android app nobody has quite solved it. Netflix is continuing to update their app, so the situation might change at any time, for better or worse.

(Note that after updating the Netflix Android app, you must initially start it and log in from your home region.)

 

[skivnit]

Brain freeze when redirecting Google to another dns

 

[DJames1]

I just tested the Android Netflix app version 3.8.3 using my DD-WRT router with Google DNS redirected via iptables commands instead of using my regular router with Google blocked. It successfully plays out-of-region content locally on the Android device.

The format I am using is:
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i br0 -p tcp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to <redirected dns ip address>
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i br0 -p udp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to <redirected dns ip address>

I can't say whether it works reliably from this quick test, but it worked first time for me.

 

[ykphuah]

I too am using the forward everything to port 53 to unlocator, and netflix is playing fine on android, and mac. Chromecast won't even show the netflix app now. Tried with both old and new netflix app on android.

zzz, chromecast have just gotten less useful.

 

[ykphuah]

Realize one thing, the way to cast from android, is to let the show play on android first, and then only cast.

If I choose the cast first, then only play, it will never play.

I think someone mentioned this in previous posts but I didn't paid much attention to it previously.

 

[DJames1]

I found the opposite when using the Netflix app version 3.8.3 with Google DNS blocked by a static route in the router. It wouldn't work if I tried to play on Android first, but if I set it to cast to Chromecast first and then played the selection, it would cast successfully.

 

[ykphuah]

I found the opposite when using the Netflix app version 3.8.3 with Google DNS blocked by a static route in the router. It wouldn't work if I tried to play on Android first, but if I set it to cast to Chromecast first and then played the selection, it would cast successfully.

I am on the latest Netflix, its 3.9.1 according to Apps Info, if I just use the Blocked by Static Route method, netflix won't play at all on the android.

 

[DJames1]

I can't get Netflix to cast to the Chromecast at all any more when using an alternate DNS, whether blocking Google DNS or redirecting it.

Netflix appears to be making rapid changes with the specific intent of more effectively blocking access to out-of-region content. The Netflix Roku app has been affected too. It's always disappointing to see a company putting their development efforts into screwing with their customers on behalf of third parties rather than enhancing their product. Beginning of the end for Netflix I think, as it has beem for other companies when they lose sight of who the customer is.

What continues to work just fine are the old Netflix apps on my Blu-Ray players, so I guess I'll go back to using them.

 

[DJames1]

Surprisingly I was able to get both Android playback and Chromecast casting to work again using iptables commands after updating the Netflix Android app to version 3.9.1.

I'm suspicious that it wasn't the app version update that made the difference though. Too many variables to test here, especially since I'm not sure if trying to access Netflix from different regions on the same device in rapid succession would introduce another variable.

What I'm thinking might have happened is that I checked that Netflix region switching via iptables commands still worked with the Netflix Roku app, and then I paused it on the Roku and tested Android and Chromecast casting with the same media selection. Maybe it worked because Netflix was already streaming that selection to me on the Roku, and I just paused it on one device and then started streaming it again on another device on the same account. If that was the case, it occurs to me that one could possibly start a title streaming in PC web browser, pause it, then switch to Android and cast it. Maybe someone else having problems with the Android app currently could test that?

 

[ykphuah]

Yeah, the night after I posted the above, my playing on android stopped working again.

The most consistent way is to play it on my mac and cast it from there.