I love technology … when it works. For example, if I say “Alexa, Play Breaking Bad on Netflix” My Firestick fires up and starts playing the series from the point where I last watched.
However, from time to time I get the dreaded Whirling Dervish buffering symbol meaning it may or may not reconnect at some unspecified time in the future. If I am really lucky, I get a message saying there is a problem and try again later. It gives no clue as to who or what caused the error, how to correct it or when it might be corrected but at least I know it won’t be anytime soon.
This leads to a lengthy flurry of checks, turning stuff off and on, rebooting, cache clearing, factory resetting, VPN location changing, Wi-Fi checking, connection speed verifying and so on – much of which has no effect on the current problem.
I can access Netflix in three different ways. I have a Firestick connected by Ethernet to a router, I have an app on my smart TV which is also connected via Ethernet to the router and I have a Roku connected via Wi-Fi to the router.
Here is my dilemma. If I use one of the other methods of connecting to Netflix one of them may work perfectly although I cannot predict which of the alternatives that will be. There seems to be no consistency as to which device will work with Netflix.
The problem also happens with other apps particularly BBC I Player and ITV X. On the other hand, UKTV (Dave etc.) always works perfectly.
The only conclusion I can come to is that the streaming software is written by Fujitsu and that these errors are not actually MY fault.
I have had similar issues in the past, especially with iPlayer and ITVx. Mainly it seems to be down to either the VPN service and/or excessive or variable latency in the connection between France and the UK. When I had NordVPN, I had to change the server used every 3 months or so because iPlayer would refuse to play, but this wasn’t really an issue. Now I use ExpressVPN, and there is no concept of changing servers manually. Occasionally iPlayer/ITVx does stop working, but whatever they do (probably just changing the IP address seamlessly) it seems to be fixed quickly without any sort of intervention by me. When it works, it’s almost always rock solid. What VPN service are you using ?
Edit: Is your VPN on a router then ? What you say seems to suggest this. This is how I do my VPN.
Yes I use Express VPN as well. Their helpline, where you get to speak to a real person and not a bot, is outstanding. Yes, it is installed on the router. I also have a version installed on the Firestick. Perhaps you are right and IP addresses are being changed seamlessly and I should be a little more patient and wait for this to happen. It does not really explain why, if I change to a different app on another device, Netflix works, then when I go back to the Firestick it is still not working. Fortunately this is not an overly frequent occurrence but I hate the feeling that stuff is going on behind my back.
I’ve always been a big fan of fire sticks but I’m becoming less and less convinced that they work well with VPNs.
I’ve moved over to SmartDNS for iPlayer and, so far, it works perfectly.
I frequently have the same issue.
I always thought that it was either due to latency somewhere between France and the USA or a server issue at the target web site. The problem occurs with the same frequency irrespective of the browser used (Chrome, Brave, Samsung, Edge, or Opera). However using TOR I rarely experience the problem - which is the complete opposite to what I would have expected.
A bit of thread drift - but it does have Fujitsu at the centre… There is an extremely sad docudrama on ITVx on the UK Post Office scandal - all the fault of that Fujitsu mob. I was in the throes of leaving the UK around then, so I missed the detail in the news at the time.
Interestingly, check out with Mr G how many other IT projects paid by the UK taxpayer that were b+ggered up by Fujitsu.
"According to a report by the National Audit Office, Fujitsu has been involved in a number of IT projects that have been paid for by the UK taxpayer and that have been botched . These projects include:
The £12.7 billion National Programme for IT in the NHS (NPfIT), which was supposed to create a paperless NHS by 2018. The program was plagued by delays, cost overruns, and technical problems. It was finally scrapped in 2011, having cost the taxpayer £12.7 billion.
The £1.2 billion Identity and Passport Service (IPS) project, which was supposed to create a new passport system for the UK. The project was delayed by several years and over budget. It was finally completed in 2015, but it was plagued by technical problems and delays.
The £675 million Child Support Agency (CSA) IT system, which was supposed to automate the collection of child support payments. The system was plagued by delays, cost overruns, and technical problems. It was finally scrapped in 2012, having cost the taxpayer £675 million.
The £500 million Universal Credit IT system, which was supposed to replace six existing benefits with a single payment. The system has been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and technical problems. It is still not fully operational.
In total, Fujitsu has been involved in at least five IT projects that have been paid for by the UK taxpayer and that have been botched. These projects have cost the taxpayer billions of pounds and have caused significant disruption to public services. Fujitsu has been fined for its role in some of these projects, but it has not been held to account for the full extent of the damage it has caused."
I think I will invent a new verb - to be Fujitsued. Meaning to have software which does something different than it says on the tin without you changing any parameters (then getting sued for using it)
Those are the big ones! The company has had lots of smaller fiascos on top.
I find it disgraceful, in the PO case, that they are allowed to get away with it. I guess it is the power that large conglomerates have over the world.
There’s a long history to this stretching back to ICL, the British Leyland of the computing world. ICL, despite being absolutely crap and a hardware company, not software developers, won Government contracts because they were the only British tenderers, Fujitsu, who are not developers either, acquired ICL and its tentacles into Government. Hence the disasters that unfolded.
OH reckons we will never know the deals that have enabled Fujitsu to thrive but wonders if bringing the Japanese car industry to the UK has been part of a quid pro quo.
I’ve no idea Karen. A post office accounting package could be written by a 12 year old in BASIC and they couldn’t manage it, so if Fujitsu ran Fukushima it would made sense
Oh dear, I shoudn’t have checked. Sounds like a similar sorry tale. I think the Post Office scandal is the thin end of a very large wedge.
Fujitsu provided software to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The company supplied a variety of software systems, including reactor management systems, plant control systems, and safety systems. Some of the specific software products that Fujitsu provided to the plant include:
SPARCstation 10 Supercomputer: Fujitsu provided a SPARCstation 10 supercomputer to the plant for real-time monitoring and control of reactor operations.
FACOM FV Series Mainframe Computers: Fujitsu provided a number of FACOM FV series mainframe computers to the plant for various applications, including plant control, safety systems, and data logging.
DBMS/200: Fujitsu provided a DBMS/200 database system to the plant for storing and managing plant data.
ESOP: Fujitsu provided an ESOP software system to the plant for managing plant safety procedures.
The software provided by Fujitsu played a critical role in the operation of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. However, it has also been criticized for contributing to the severity of the accident that occurred at the plant in 2011. Some of the specific criticisms of Fujitsu’s software include:
Inadequate testing and verification: Fujitsu’s software was not adequately tested and verified before being deployed at the plant. This led to a number of software bugs that contributed to the accident.
Lack of redundancy: Fujitsu’s software systems were not adequately redundant. This meant that when one system failed, the plant was left without backup systems to ensure safe operation.
Inadequate training: Fujitsu’s software was not adequately documented or trained to plant operators. This made it difficult for operators to understand and use the software properly, which contributed to the accident.
As a result of these criticisms, Fujitsu has been fined and has faced lawsuits from victims of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident. The company has also been forced to improve its software development practices and to provide better training to plant operators.
I’d expect nothing better from them. Around that time (2011) their Irish Country General Manager “complained” to our local CGM (who I didn’t even report to ) because I’d displaced them in a major client I outsourced. The Ffffing arrogance
