VPN & Prime Videos

[macster2075]

Using vpn on Windows app Nord and Surfshark and I have no issues. But when connecting using the router, Amazon detects Im using a vpn and prevents me from watching them.
Like I said, that doesn't happen when using the Windows apps.

I've tried this setting along with enabling DNS system server resolver.
I have also tried using "Strict" and Yes to all. (turning off resolver).

No matter which, Amazon detects the vpn.

 

[eibgrad]

Should we assume the client in question is bound to the VPN w/ the VPN Director? If so, does Exclusive work? Because that's the equivalent of having the client itself manage the VPN.

 

[macster2075]

No setting I use at this point fixes it. The only streaming plat giving me issues is Amazon. I was thinking which do I prefer.. more security by using a vpn... or get no more DnsMasq... so I decided for more security until I find a way to get both...so this is why I am still with the vpn haha.

 

[macster2075]

For example.. If I am connected using the Windows app, I don't see the error message about the vpn... if I disconnect from it and connect using the router then refresh the page and the message is there...so there has to be a setting somewhere no?

Why would the app work fine, but not the router?

 

[eibgrad]

For example.. If I am connected using the Windows app, I don't see the error message about the vpn... if I disconnect from it and connect using the router then refresh the page and the message is there...so there has to be a setting somewhere no?

Why would the app work fine, but not the router?

I don't know the full differences. I know some VPN providers make it a point to work around regional restrictions, but it's not always clear how they do it. Esp. when it comes to their own apps. Are they using special servers? Are they perhaps bypassing DNS over the VPN? Are there switches in the app for these purposes?

IOW, when dealing w/ the router, it's just the "raw" networking. But I have no idea what the app may be doing to make this work. Such details (if they exist) are hidden.

P.S. Maybe the app is bypassing the VPN (at least for Amazon)!

 

[macster2075]

But the fact that Amazon is able to detect the vpn and know it's me, that means there a leak?

 

[Tech Junky]

I've been dealing with Amazon being stingy over VPN for so long I just download the content instead. if I want the streaming experience I have a spreadsheet of servers that do work w/ Amazon and connect to those specifically. It's sometimes a PITA if they've been marked as VPN vs residential though. There's no real rhyme or reason as to why one method over another is working though.

I pinged Amazon on the issue and it seems to be that they need to geo lock some titles for distribution agreements with the content owners as some titles work w/o the VPN lock and others don't. So, I find other ways to make membership worthwhile like buying stuff to use for projects and then return them when the project is complete like a rental service. They got a little ticked off about the returns and did an audit / sent an e-mail saying they saw an abnormal amount of returns at one point. I guess I was eating into their profits a bit too much with shipping costs mounting. They didn't do anything to my account though to stop it. They did start taking longer to issue refunds but, pestering them about refunds got the job done.

TLDR; connect / test / document to get around the VPN wall

able to detect the vpn

It's just based off the IP and how it's registered.

For instance https://www.abuseipdb.com/check/194.110.112.166

Take any residential or non-VPN IP and it will come back with unique registration details. Also, the cookies being used for the session linger in the device being used until the app is closed and need to be cleared to get a fresh response from the VPN checker.

 

[eibgrad]

But the fact that Amazon is able to detect the vpn and know it's me, that means there a leak?

It's my assumption your intention is to access Prime video over the VPN. But these streaming content sites has various ways of knowing you're using a VPN. The most obvious being the public IP you present to their service through the VPN. But they also can sometimes detect you're using a VPN for your DNS, even if the actual streaming content itself is over the WAN. I assume that's because the public IP used to resolve DNS is inconsistent w/ the public IP used to access the actual content.

All that said, I wouldn't say this qualifies as a DNS leak in the sense we've been dealing w/ that issue in other threads. These are NOT networking issues as much as administrative or policy issues imposed by the content provider.

 

[Tech Junky]

Also, some banks do the same crap with VPN connections which was initially why I started documenting which ones work for what. I have a couple of banks that act up when connected to VPN depending on the IP that's being presented and out of several connections only a couple of them work for both banks simultaneously on occasion.

 

[Tech9]

Some of the reasons I do not recommend network-wide VPN use.

 

[macster2075]

All that said, I wouldn't say this qualifies as a DNS leak in the sense we've been dealing w/ that issue in other threads.

That reminds me.. So I got to chat with another tech and explained what was happening and when he looked at the results he said everything was fine. The other IP addresses were just from my custom dns which is OpenDns... he said I should not have been told those were leaks....that being said, I guess I got no leaks!

 

[eibgrad]

That reminds me.. So I got to chat with another tech and explained what was happening and when he looked at the results he said everything was fine. The other IP addresses were just from my custom dns which is OpenDns... he said I should not have been told those were leaks....that being said, I guess I got no leaks!

What specifically are you referring to? I deal w/ a lot of users and threads, so you need to remind me of the specific issue you were having.

As I've said many times, what constitutes a DNS leak is sometimes subjective. For some ppl it's *anything* related to DNS that routed over the WAN in the clear. For others, it's only for those clients being routed over the VPN. Neither I nor anyone else can tell you if it is or isn't a DNS leak. All my script does is make you aware of what's happening so YOU can decide whether it's something that needs to be addressed.

 

[TomMe]

Your issue could be a totally different from what I've seen myself, but using VPN on the router doesn't block ipv6 leaks, so I need to either disable ipv6 on the router or in Windows. The NordVPN app already blocks ipv6 so it works without disabling ipv6 on Windows or on the router.

 

[Tech Junky]

ipv6 leaks

That's a consideration as to how Amazon might be able to authenticate location and either block / permit playback of videos.

I disabled V6 when I made my own router to force all V4 traffic over the VPN. It also makes for simpler firewall rules to keep things clean and speedy. Using wire guard = line speed with the higher end CPU handling the encryption. It's nice to be secure + get 1gbps speeds over VPN instead of 40-50% of the paid speeds with OVPN setups.

 

[macster2075]

I checked the router IPV6 setting and it’s disabled.

 

[macster2075]

The way I have it now is.. since the Prime video is only affecting one device which is a Firestick in my bedroom, I am using VPN Director and manually assigning the devices I want protected by the vpn excluding the firestick. So far I haven't encountered any other issues with accessing my bank. I was using nord and I had issues connecting to my bank...had to use specific servers.

I am now using Surfshark and I haven't encountered any issues with any ip. So this one is a keeper for now.

 

[samuraijmb]

I use NordVPN OpenVPN Client and it works well with Prime.

What I had to do was setup NordVPN DNS Servers in DNSFilter tab under LAN. Set one of the servers in the Custom field and then assign it to your Firestick in VPN Director and then Prime will not detect you are using a VPN.

What are the addresses of my NordVPN DNS servers?

NordVPN offers private DNS in its apps, which ensures tighter security and privacy for your traffic. The NordVPN native applications automatically use NordVPN's DNS servers when connected to VPN. T...

support.nordvpn.com

 

[macster2075]

Does it matter which IP address I use 103.86.96.100 or 103.86.99.100?

 

[macster2075]

But what is the difference between doing this and setting the DNS address at the WAN?
I ask because I've used Surfshark and Nordvpn DNS addresses in the WAN which would impact every device, not?
But, that still doesn't work. Amazon will still detect my vpn.

 

[samuraijmb]

Does it matter which IP address I use 103.86.96.100 or 103.86.99.100?

Shouldn't matter which.