Netflix shows catalog is different when traffic is routed through the droplet

Hi there,

The behaviour you’re experiencing with your Netflix catalog changing when using a VPN can be attributed to a few potential reasons, even though the Droplet is located in the same city as you.

One option for you might be to reach out to Netflix directly and ask them for further assistance as it is a paid service.

But besides that here are a few of my theories on why this might be happening:

1. IP Address Geolocation:

   • Netflix determines your location based on your IP address. Even if your Droplet is in the same city, the IP address assigned to it might be registered or recognized as belonging to a different location.
   • IP geolocation databases, which services like Netflix use to determine location, are not always precise. The IP of your droplet might be inaccurately mapped to a different region or country.
   • You can try using this website here to verify if this is the case: https://www.iplocation.net/

2. VPN Detection by Netflix:

   • Netflix has robust systems to detect and block VPNs and proxies. When they detect traffic coming from such sources, they often limit the content catalog to prevent bypassing regional restrictions.
   • Even if you are not intending to bypass regional restrictions, the mere fact that you’re using a VPN can trigger these controls.

3. Data Center IP Range:

   • IPs from data centers, like those used by DigitalOcean and any other cloud providers, are often detected by streaming services. These IPs are recognized as non-residential and may be treated differently.

Hope that this helps!

Best,

Bobby

Heya,

The change in the Netflix catalog that you’re observing when routing your traffic through your WireGuard VPN server on your droplet, even though it’s located in the same city as you, can be attributed to several factors:

1. IP Address Recognition by Netflix: Netflix determines your location based on your IP address. When you connect through your VPN, Netflix sees the IP address of the VPN server, not your actual IP. Even if the server is in the same city, its IP might be registered or recognized differently by Netflix.

2. IP Address Range and Data Center IPs: The IP addresses assigned to cloud service providers and data centers (like the ones used for droplets) are often recognized as non-residential IPs. Netflix and other streaming services might have different content libraries for these IPs or might restrict access altogether because they are commonly used for bypassing geo-restrictions.

3. Geo-IP Databases Might Be Outdated or Incorrect: The databases that services like Netflix use to determine your location based on your IP might be outdated or incorrect. They might not accurately reflect the physical location of the IP address provided by your droplet.

4. VPN Detection Algorithms: Netflix has sophisticated algorithms to detect and block VPNs. These algorithms might flag your VPN’s IP address and alter the content you can access.

5. Content Licensing and Distribution Rights: Netflix’s content varies by region due to licensing agreements. If Netflix’s systems detect your VPN’s IP address as being from a different region (even if it’s not), it will show the content library available for that perceived region.

Hey @KFSys and @Bobby Iliev,

Thank you for your response. I was hoping those wouldn’t be the reason because it would mean I’d have no way to fix it from my side. I’m probably just gonna install the GUI for the OS that I’m using in the droplet and try using Netflix directly on the droplet using my Netflix account and see what the catalog shows.

Also, I was considering putting in some effort to create firewall rules on my side to route only Netflix traffic through my WAN instead of the Wireguard VPN tunnel. It seems like a tough task since Netflix has a huge range of IPs and I’m not able to easily find a resource that can give me all the IPs for the Netflix FQDN that I need to use in the firewall rule.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could give me some pointers in this regard.

Thank you in advance.