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Setting up Roku for US Netflix

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netflix roku
44K views 17 replies 4 participants last post by  North_of_Calgary 
#1 ·
Okay, I am getting very frustrated. I am not sure if it's the order in which I set things up or how, but here goes:

About two years ago, I set up a Netflix free trial. I live in Canada and I guess my free trial was Canadian. Didn't have the bandwidth for it, so after the free trial, I didn't use it again. Recently, I upgraded more bandwidth. I set up the US-Unblock and made sure the region was US, and changed my DNS on my router so I could see US content on my PC under the same Netflix account email address as the trial. It seems to work.

I then purchased a Roku. I set it all up, went to the Roku.com/link site as described and typed in the number it gave me to activate the device. After I added my channels, and then logged into my Netflix account on the Roku, I am not able to search for items that I know are on the US server. I can search for them on my PC using Netflix.

When I set up my Roku account, I had to add a credit card number and billing address. These are Canadian. I didn't realize that would dictate content. I went back and changed my billing address to my US post box but left my Canadian Credit card, rebooted my Roku, and still no US content. I then changed my Credit card to Paypal, hoping to avoid all the issues with a Canadian credit card. Still my Roku shows only Canadian content.

Anyone have any ideas? Should I unlink and relink my Roku again?
 
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#2 ·
Did you setup unblock-us in your router? And before adding the Roku to your network?

If should not matter where you setup your Roku account or your Netflix account. If you have unblock-us in your router so it gives the unblock-us DNS to the Roku via DHCP then you should be seeing the US content. No you shouldn't need to unlink and link your roku again - check the network settings.
 
#6 ·
Or so I thought. It didn't. Roku content appeared to be US (Hulu and Amazon), but Netflix was still Canadian ONLY content. I have since reset the Roku to factory defaults, deleted my Netflix and Roku accounts and created a new gmail email address. I ensured that Unblock-US was running on my PC, and also verified the DNS on my router before even turning the Roku back on. When through the entire process again, and even though Netflix on my PC is showing US content, the Roku insists it's in Canada and is only showing Canadian content. I am about to send it back.
 
#9 ·
So when you see the Hulu and Amazon content as being US does that mean that you actually watched US content on those services or you just see the apps? Just seeing the apps doesn't indicate that you're setup with US service - it just means that you've created yourself a US based Roku account. You can even go in to the apps and sometimes even browse titles. But sometimes it's only when you actually try to "play" the content that those services pass you on to their CDNs and the geoblocking restriction is enforced. Just just seeing the apps and browsing them doesn't mean that you're configured for the US.

You can send the roku back if you want but I think that it looks like the issue is with your Bell/Netgear modem and not the Roku. Try the Roku at someone else's house that does have unblock-us working and you'll see US content on Netflix.
 
#8 ·
I think I found the issue. Just not sure how to fix it. I have been changing the DNS on the Netgear router (Bell Turbo Hub) and assumed it was working. The DNS is associated to the Ethernet Broadband settings, assuming the modem was connected by an Ethernet cable. However, the "Wireless Broadband Settings" show a DIFFERENT DNS, and that's the connection I am using. However, doesn't appear I can changed the "Wireless Broadband Settings" on the router, so no option to change the DNS. Will look into it further, but it's making sense now. Of course, if I figure it out on Bell, I will have to do it again next week when I switch to Xplornet wireless. And I am not sure either are going to let me fiddle with the wireless settings.
 
#11 ·
I just see the apps, I haven't tried to run any content on Hulu or Amazon. I just know they are not normally there in the Canadian Roku menu or apps options.

I did check Unblock-Us support, and it seems that there are issues with 4G wireless services, in that you can never change the DNS settings. This is true for the new service I am getting from Xplornet next week, as well as the service I currently have for Bell. However, I believe for $10/month I can get a static IP address and also be able to change my DNS server. I am trying to find out more info, as it would be worth it, given all the nightmares trying to set this up. I just wish I could get cable, dsl, or fibre were I am, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
#12 ·
An alternative is to see if you can setup a different router that handles the wifi signal and so you can change the DNS. I used to have a similar setup on my Telus router which also has a fixed DNS. I don't have that setup anymore as I find setting the DNS on each product to work better with Unblock-us.
 
#14 ·
I actually have a cascading router setup already. It's a Linksys router acting as a "slave" to the "Netgear" router/modem. I use it because I live in a log house and the wireless Netgear modem/router from Bell sits on one side of a 12" log wall in my office (where my printer is), and my other devices (Internet Radio, TV, Roku) are permentantly on the other side of the log wall. My Blackberry and laptop go between both areas, so I have wireless set up on both routers.

The Linksys "slave" router is wired directly to the Netgear "master" router via Ethernet. DHCP (and therefore DNS) are turned off on the Linksys. I really need wireless on both devices given that darn log wall, and both routers are currently set up with the same SSID and key for ease of use.

The IP of the Netgear Router/Modem (Bell Turbo Hub) is 192.168.1.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.2. The Netgear acts as the DHCP server and starts at 192.168.1.3. Basically they are just on the same LAN segment. I am using the Linksys as a remote access point.

If I were to turn on DHCP on the Linksys router (which I can actually change the DNS on), and turn it off on the Netgear router would this work, given that this is not the default gateway?

Trish :)
 
#16 ·
If I were to turn on DHCP on the Linksys router (which I can actually change the DNS on), and turn it off on the Netgear router would this work, given that this is not the default gateway?
You don't need to turn off the DCHP on the Netgear - just disable wifi on it (or use a different SSID). Let it act as a DCHP server but for the Linksys only. Then configure unblock-us on the Linksys and enable it as a DCHP server for the other devices including the Roku.
 
#15 ·
I think I have to introduce a third router, and turn wireless off on my first. The Bell Netgear router would be on one LAN segment, and only connect to the second router. The second and third router would be on the same LAN segment, and the 2nd router would act as the DHCP/DNS server. My partner has a spare wireless router, so I am picking it up from him and hopefully will get this done tonight.
 
#17 ·
It WORKED! I set the Bell Netgear Turbo Hub to 192.168.0.1 and turned off the wireless function. The connected via Ethernet the Linksys, configured as 192.168.1.1 with DHCP enabled and the Unblock-US DNS. Then I connected the third router (also a Linksys) via Ethernet (the one between the rooms), and configured it as 198.162.1.2 with DHCP disabled. They two Linksys routers have the same SSID and encryption key. The great thing about that is all my existing devices didn't have to be reconfigured, they just worked. Especially those with assigned IP, since my previous setup used the 192.168.1.0 subnet.

Once I knew I had connection, I checked my PC (after disabling the UNblock-US tool running), and it showed my DNS as the Unblock-US, so I knew I was getting it from the Linksys.

I went to my Roku account, unlinked the device, reset the Roku to factory settings, obtained a new code, relinked, and then finally when all the channels were downloaded, opened Netflix on the Roku, logged in, and it finally was showing US content, including the complete "My List" or "Instant Queue" for the items I had set up on Netflix via my PC.

I guess there is a solution to this 4G issue after all. Let's just see what happens when I changed to xplornet next week. Not sure what kind of router/modem they supply, but as long as I can change the LAN IP address, and disabled Wifi, I should be able to swap it with the Netgear without any noticeable difference.

Thanks!
 
#18 ·
Well that's good. You probably didn't need to go through the whole "unlinking" and "factory reset part".

One question: do you pay your Netflix bill in CAN$ or US$? Because with their current configuration you should only see your "My List/Instant Queue" when in your home country. So if you're paying Netflix in CAN$ then I think that your Roku should not show the ML/IQ when you're using unblock-us to get the US content.
 
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