This Product Will Pay For Itself

[Plouffe]

Can a Canadian company make a good streaming service product? We checked out the StreamLocator to see if it's any good for unblocking Netflix and giving you cheaper access to your favorite sportsball games, no matter where you might live.

 

Buy StreamLocator

On Amazon (PAID LINK): https://geni.us/HzxD

On Newegg (PAID LINK): https://geni.us/K8QD5FC

 

 

[RAM555789]

Really cool product, too bad I don't have $100 to spare with possible transmission problems on my car.

[GodAtum]

My question is can power users do this using software with something like PFsense?

 

Also, how long will this last, a few months at best IMO.

[gudvinr]

He says that VPN routes all traffic through it which isn't true...

It's just most public VPN services setup their network interface as "default" for traffic routing so your PC routes all traffic there.

 

You can have VPN connection without default route set up and setup routes for different IP addresses/networks.

E.g. you could route 8.8.8.8 through VPN and google DNS would think that you came from VPN while 1.1.1.1 would still be routed through physical connection.

 

This is often using for VPN in companies where they setup routes for addresses in some private subnet like 10.0.11.0/24 so everything except these addresses will still be accessible through your usual connection. Often it's paired with private DNS server that only contains records for addresses in some particular domain like "waterbottle.lttstore -> 10.0.11.24".

 

@GodAtum They probably use exactly this. But you somehow should maintain list of IP addresses, subnets and domain names. So in theory it is easily done in software but they probably do a good job at keeping lists up to date. If you can find curated list or maintain such kind of list by yourself, then yes.

 

"route" means rule in system routes table that tells which network interface (ethernet port, wifi card, vpn link, usb tethering from smarphone, etc) should be used to connect with given IP address.

 

Also he says that Netflix doesn't have to check it's own address because an app developed by Netflix.

Which is partly true. There are at least 2 major reasons why service could use DNS:

* DNS server can be set up that way so it will return address of server closer to you

* if server IP address changes, your app can't operate unless updated

 

But there's one exception: app could have a hardcoded IP address of DNS server. Companies like Netflix can afford to have their own authoritative DNS servers so they technically don't need to rely on public DNS. It is very unlikely that their DNS server will go down because if it is, there will be facebook-level problems.

Technically, they still need to check addresses but they do that using their DNS server rather than system one.

That's why it is partially true. Not every company has highly distributed network so they use their own location-based DNS. So for most companies public DNS providers would be just more reliable than their own DNS server.

[GodAtum]

They actually have a free app and browser extension.

 

BUT i'm very skeptical of how they will fund keeping the list up to date. It could easily turn into a subscription model.

[HenrySalayne]

Why would you subscribe to the UFC in Germany (9.99€ = $11.56 USD) and pay more money than you would for a US or Canada subscription ($9.99 USD) and also pay $7 a month for the Stream Locator?

 

I have a feeling this may take a while.

 

 

 

[Luscious]

LOL come back in a year and tell us how it's going. Assuming the device hasn't been totally bricked, the streaming services for sure would no longer be showing up the same. This is just like those unlimited 3G data scams from a few years back that threw in the mifi hotspot for free, only to then cancel the plans or cap you and charge extra. Glad I returned mine after my trial finished.

 

If outfits like Netflix can nerf VPN they will find a way to turn this device into a paperweight pretty quickly. They won't bat an eyelid when it comes to their revenue being hijacked. Yet I somehow don't understand the fuss when you are already paying them a subscription just to have "permission". They've already got that money. Now the consumer is getting screwed 2x by paying for this device on top of that subscription.

 

If you're that desperate to watch just a TV show I think you've got bigger issues in your life.

[Moten]

Does anyone else think this is a borderline negligent product recommendation/video? They are selling a $10 gigabit router for $85 with the only "special" thing about it being a custom DNS rules (and access to their server for 1 year before subscription starts). DNS rerouting has been the day 1 tool to get around Netflix and is now ALWAYS blocked. I remember using a custom DNS service to access Netflix before it came to Australia years ago and they have been consistently blocked and useless for the last 4 years. He even acknowledges it was taken down days after testing. (You don't find your silver bullet for bypassing Netflix after you make the HW and give it to testers btw) I guarantee this thing will experience constant intermittent service across some services at best before they dump support after maybe 6 months. This really is no different to current DNS rerouting services for your computer and they are SHIT (they even offer the service for your browser).

 

This company isn't smart enough to be the only people on the planet to bypass Netflix (and 60 other service providers) forever and once Netflix get their hands on one they will literally have a constant list of the servers they are using. Their terms and conditions also state that the device not working due to not being able to access services isn't means for a refund. Considering Linus is profiting off of sales of this Canadian product through affiliate links and direct product sponsorship then titling the video "THIS PRODUCT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF" I call scam.

[AlexusMaximusDE]

5 hours ago, GodAtum said:

My question is can power users do this using software with something like PFsense?

 

Also, how long will this last, a few months at best IMO.

For some reason my comment on YouTube got deleted but here it is:

Quote

 

So, after doing some research I am fairly certain that Streamlocator uses the services of Digiport OU (an Estonian company) on the backend.

 

Digiport offers their own service (without the need to use a proprietary device, simply by setting up a DNS server) under the getflix brand.

 

Streamlocator may actually just be a subsidy of Digiport considering the similarity of their websites.

 

So for the people looking for a solution for a a PiHole, OpenWRT or (opn/pf)Sense setup, you may want to look at Digiport/getflix

 

 

After testing it however, I can not access US Netflix from Germany though it may be related to my Netflix account being linked to a German IPTV provider so that may override whatever technical geo-checking they have in place

[Skeeter]

This sounds like something that could, and should, be an app that I can run on my RPi that is also hosting Pi-Hole. No reason this requires hardware, especially if it gets borked once some popular Youtuber tells everyone about it.

 

Oopse.

[maskmcgee]

Or instead of wasting money, just pirate everything, stop paying these garbage streaming services anything until they grow up and realise they need to become like music streaming, everything on one platform, no exceptions. Instead you get idiots like Linus who will not only pay for these services but then break the law anyway to stream from another countries library.

[iAxX]

I don't come on this forum often but this is a pretty disheartening to see promoted. 

 

A garbage $15 router sold at a premium for a locked down version of OpenWRT with a set of custom route tables and DNS rules. 

 

This is a product that could be sold as software, it could be put on a Raspberry Pi, you could just simply run it in a VM and all of your other devices would work just fine. 

 

On top of that the only security this product had from being shut down was through obscurity, it takes one sysadmin or even an intern at Netflix to figure out why they have 100+ DNS requests from 5-6 residential IP addresses every hour and block them. 

 

By the time the next WAN Show airs this product will be dead. 

[Kaymations]

12 hours ago, Plouffe said:

when are you guys gonna make a windows 11 review

 

[FrozenPeg]

A cat and mouse game between say Netflix and this device. This game will only cost your $119.99 CDN Sold by some 3rd party seller on Amazon.ca ($99 USD on Amazon.com) or $171.98 USD by some third party seller on Newegg.com. This device is could be down for weeks on end., God this reminds me of some other tv service 21 years ago. If the Stream Locator is taken out by Netflix for a month or more will they refund your monthly subscription if that is all you use it for? Nope.

[hackslash]

Alternative software that does similar to this is ControlD (from folks over at Windscribe). It is a DNS based proxy with an elegant interface to select which websites to proxy and from which proxy server (multiple servers per location). And it is $4 a month.

It can be configured on basically anything that allows your to modify your DNS settings, so that includes most routers, PCs, consoles, TVs, etc. 

[Rodn3y]

The open-source license violations happening here aside, there are some more lulz in their Terms of Service:

Quote

When you buy the service we will send you a router to enable the service. This router belongs to us, at the conclusion of your service we may ask you to return the router at your expense.

So you're paying $85 for a $20 router they found on Alibaba, and you don't even own it! That's rich.

 

I'm pretty disappointed in this video overall. The ethical (and in some cases legal) issues related to the suggested usage and product itself are pretty bad and really this should not be promoted by this channel.

[HenrySalayne]

Just for future reference:

I really hope this doesn't turn into a disappointment. Maybe LTT could do a follow-up in a few month. Would be quite interesting to know if they can keep their promises and how the service develops.

[jtrent238]

Its the exact same product as this but with different firmware

https://www.cudytech.com/productinfo/90088.html

[iAxX]

39 minutes ago, jtrent238 said:

Its the exact same product as this but with different firmware

https://www.cudytech.com/productinfo/90088.html

$22 retail on Amazon jesus.

 

So it must be like half that to produce. 

[Derangel]

18 hours ago, maskmcgee said:

Or instead of wasting money, just pirate everything, stop paying these garbage streaming services anything until they grow up and realise they need to become like music streaming, everything on one platform, no exceptions. Instead you get idiots like Linus who will not only pay for these services but then break the law anyway to stream from another countries library.

There is no law breaking going on, wth are you talking about?

[YellowJersey]

I wish LTT wouldn't promote this kind of thing because it shines a spotlight on ways to circumvent restrictions. It's like ringing a bell and letting everyone know that there's a hole to be plugged. Something similar happened with some Windows thing a while back. It's like saying, "Hey, streaming providers! People are getting around your restrictions and here's precisely how so you know exactly where to plug the hole."

[ollidiemaus]

Long time lurker, I just registered to comment on here.

I was excited about the idea of not having to turn on my vpn every time I wanna watch sports (F1, NBA and Golf) because lets be honest its a pain but living in Germany you don't have all these fancy providers (and if they are available its super expensive)

So I ordered this device but boy does it suck. I somehow expected to add custom Services they don't support let's say F1 TV but that's not an option.

And using another Wifi also kinda sucks if you already have a decent wifi setup.

 

I once fiddled with openwrt and a extension called vpn-policy-routing but it wasn't perfect.

Does anyone here maybe has some experience in setting this up with pfsense or something different?

[pythonmegapixel]

10 minutes ago, Caroline said:

Imagine paying to watch woke propaganda.

So everything on Netflix now is "woke propaganda", whatever the hell that means.

 

Sure.

[Murth]

So debate on the value of the product aside from what I can see is this allows you to use apps such as ITV Hub from outside the UK but how are you supposed to download the ITV Hub app on an apple tv if you are not in the UK to start?

[cloneman]

Does this device become the default gateway for all your LAN or just the computers/TVs that you choose? I don't want to use this product as my main router/firewall.

Also it should be offered as a paid stand-alone openwrt image that I can run on a VM or other hardware. I'd gladly support the project but I'm not gonna buy another e-waste router that I don't need.