This topic

logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Thu, 30 May 2024 11:27:32 GMT

Dont get me wrong, im not one of those tin foil hat wearing guys but I do have a Pi-Hole installed at home which helps prevent against tracking, there are many reasons why a Pi-Hole is useful which there is no need to go into now but I did find it crazy how often the EETV Box tries to connect to logs.netflix.com

Netflix is installed on various devices around the house and it can be seen trying to contact this logging URL when in use, Apple TV, mobile phones etc.....but when those apps arent open there is no traffic. The worst offender by some distance is the EETV Box pro which without fail tries to contact this URL every 20 seconds whether it is on or in standby, the Pi-Hole blocks this. I dont even have Netflix logged in on the EETV Box nor has it ever been opened.

Its a bit odd because there are many apps on the EETV box, I have an Apple TV in the same room so it is never used for apps at all, only live TV and live TV recorded, so why is Netflix so thirsty to report even though there is nothing to track and the app isnt even open? None of the other apps that arent used either do.

Like I said im not going crazy over it but wondering if it keeps trying because it cannot reach the URL....but at the same time considering the app has never been logged in or even opened it does seem odd.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

ptrduffy — Thu, 30 May 2024 11:54:53 GMT

The Netflix app is (I believe) created by Netflix and not BT, so it's unlikely anyone here can say why it exhibits this behaviour. I wouldn't be surprised if the periodic behaviour is due to the fact that you have it blocked - a timeout is causing a regular retry.

You could try unblocking it temporarily to see if the behaviour changes?

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Thu, 30 May 2024 11:58:47 GMT

True, but the box is in standby, the app has never even been loaded or logged into, so thats a Youview thing allowing the app to stay persistent in the background on their OS where no other app on the box is doing the same.

The URL is just one of those blocked by the bog standard default Pi-Hole config, I could unblock it to test I guess but its blocked on my entire network and no other devices checks anywhere near this amount of times and further still those devices only check when they are actually on and the netflix app is open, so it is very specific to the youview implementation.

I'm not concerned, this is a curiosity post and I accept most people will not know as they are not seeing their traffic in details.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

DarrenDev — Thu, 30 May 2024 14:49:34 GMT

You've said yourself that you never use the app, so why block its traffic? It's not using any bandwidth you'd notice, it's not reporting anything you care about (you said yourself - you don't use it), and it's not interfering with your experience.
Logs are an essential way to monitor the health of apps, infrastructure, user experience, etc. I've fixed many bugs in the last 20+ years by monitoring logs, without the user ever having to report it - often before they even noticed it was broken.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Thu, 30 May 2024 15:04:27 GMT

I think you've misinterpreted the post.

I havent blocked the traffic, Pi-hole is a cheap and easy way to setup your own DNS server, one of its main purposes is there to help avoid tracking and block ads, so you can browse the internet without any pop ups or imbedded ads or any ads that are targeted based on your activity. It is network wide, it is there for all my devices, Im not overly worried about it but it was a fun thing to setup. In addition if also allows you to have local DNS records so you can use that for your LAN which is nice.

When I set it up I just followed a guide and added the default settings, you dont see what is being blocked or not, its just a repository of blocked URLs 1000's upon 1000's deep that some nice folks maintain.

So to answer the original question, a more paranoid user might be worried that netflix having never been opened is trying to upload logs even whilst the box is off, I am curious and I say again, i've not specifically blocked it, I just noticed it in the activity as the top blocked URL in my LAN and its going on all the time, I thought it was a interesting discussion.

I support your theory in that logs are important, I work in IT, I need them, I was wondering why Netflix was doing this considering the app is closed and not even in use ever, maybe you dont find that curious like I do....but believe me I dont care.

Ive since done a little more googling, seems Netflix is generally a bad offender for this.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

DarrenDev — Thu, 30 May 2024 15:17:43 GMT

Ah, fair enough. Bad that pi-hole sees this as a necessary site to block by default. I hope users of it don't ever need to get help with blocked services.
It really frustrates me that so many users say no when asked about sending diagnostics to help improve the service. It makes the product better, and makes the job easier for people like me when trying to work out why things are going wrong.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Thu, 30 May 2024 16:09:32 GMT

It’s not so much the Pi-Hole, it’s the community of volunteers who maintain the URL lists have decided that this is just one of the many URL’s to place onto one of the most widely used lists.

As far as I know this is not a diagnostics URL but more one to track your activity within the app to target you with other content, stuff like that is usually blocked, there are plenty of other Netflix URLS which safely pass through the filter, the community have spent years honing into what to block and what not to so that everything still works but you are still protected from tracking, like it stops the Alexa’s uploading stuff also, if you have a house full of smart devices it’s pretty interesting to see the Pi-Hole logs.

My sole curiosity around this on the tv box however was just why is Netflix trying to contact logs at all considering the app isn’t open or even logged into.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

majika — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:01:00 GMT

I guess logs.netflix.com is part of how netflix (and their partners) gain insight into network performance, trace, logging for their fully managed observability platform, event driven / push pull feedback .. I'm thinking Grafana and Prometheus, Loki on their backends with complete network overview and deep endpoint insight.

IMHO, when things go wrong is when the fun starts. Can you blame users today after what we learned with mass surveillance and traffic interception etc.. I have the exact same issue as the OP. On my DNS server the Top blocked domain is "logs.netflix.com" and that is by a massive margin when compared to other services trying to call home, Samsung is another culprit #2 in my Top blocked domains list however netflix is by orders of magnitude larger at making outbound requests that Samsung which makes one wonder (the same as the OP) why such persistence and why the high call counts, unless that the actual call() are for some other purpose than to simply call to "ping" home..

I don't feel like busing out wireshark and doing traffic inspection on those events maybe its to compliment part of their platforms AV over IP is some way.. Either way, my network is running fine with log.netflix.com blocks.. 😕

For those curious, as a demonstration and if you have the kit laying around, pop a Erro behind a pi-hole / adguard and watch an Amazon Erro's and ZigBee / sidewalk (sidebus) auto feature its crazy what is going on there..

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:08:51 GMT

My main problem with it was that the EETV Pro Box contacts logs.netflix.com every 20 seconds 24/7......even when in standby. On top of that I have never once opened the Netflix app or logged into it on the EETV. We use Apple TV's for apps at home but if I was using the EETV and the entire family was to watch Netflix then the high numbers wouldnt bother me. Well...lets be clear, im not that bothered, was mainly curious and I only knew about it because I have a Pi-Hole DNS server running which has many benefits along with blocking lookups and sharing the information to the wider community who do not run their own DNS might be interesting to that community, it turned out not really.

But the point is that, never opened the app, never logged into it and its there running in the background looking up, on an Apple TV for example log look ups only occur when the app is open, same on iOS also. No other apps on the EETV are doing it such as Apple TV app, Prime etc....just Netflix is going crazy and I personally believe that whilst in standby it shouldnt be doing it. I accept that the box maybe never truly is in standby as it needs to wake to record stuff therefore be there to receive planner requests...but apps should be shut off during that time.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:18:52 GMT

@naylor2006

I agree with @ptrduffy; I’ve seen blocked calls go into overdrive when blocked, that just settle down and go calm again when unblocked.

Can you try unblocking this call, and then monitoring its frequency when you allow it to be successful?

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:37:41 GMT

Yeah but mate, thats not my point (I forgive you because I like you and youre not the first the miss the point here), I dont care it goes into overdrive because its blocked, so I dont need to test whether it settles down. I'm not complaining and im not overly concerned about devices tracking what we do.

I have never opened the app or logged into it and it is the only app on the EETV to behave this way and this happens in standby or when the box is on. logs.netflix.com is blocked over my entire LAN and my wife uses netflix a ton on an Apple TV which never exhibits this behaviour. logs.netflix.com is part of a default blocking list you get from the most basic Pi-Hole setup, my Pi-Hole DNS server is there for my entire LAN, everything goes through it.

My opinion is that if the app is not open or even signed into and further still, the parent devices is off/standby, then Netflix shouldnt be able to call home, like it cant on tvOS, iOS etc, in addition, Prime, Apple TV+ and so on do not on the EETV.

I'm not looking for a fix though, Netflix tracking what we watch to show us shows that we might like in relation to our taste is not something I fall out with, I am not also worried about what it is trying to track, there is nothing going on that I would be concerned about, I just dont think it should be going this crazy all day every day.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:23:49 GMT

@naylor2006

I don’t think I’ve misunderstood anything. Look at a Windows device, even Linux, see what’s running, processes and services, both associated with apps that have been autostarted, and even just enabling processes for apps that might start, or services that might be called on.

So it looks like Netflix does the same on EETV - so we first ask what exactly - a Box Pro? Box Mini? Apple box? If you have any or all of these, and turn them off, do the calls stop? (i.e. what device(s) are doing it?)

So we have a situation where there’s an initial access - on startup of the box, I suspect, and not predicated on whether the Netflix app is actually started or not - and that might be an end of it, except your PiHole has blocked it, so it keeps trying.

Thus your problem devolves into two parts - why is there a Netflix call when you haven’t actually started Netflix at the user level? - and does the blocking of this call provoke the constant repetitions?

it may be that no other code on the EETV boxes does this (though I bet this isn’t the case, it’s just that PiHole isn’t blocking it) but it’s something that’s true of hundreds of Windows processes, any one of which may exhibit the same frustrated behaviour if PiHole blocks it on a Windows device.

So maybe we should ask EETV why the first call goes out, which is a fair question for which there may be a fair answer; but my first question remains that if we give EETV the benefit of the doubt on the first call, and stop the blocking (hopefully nothing more complex that commenting out a line in a text file), does the constant repetition stop?

You need to decide if your beef is the initial call, something it’s fair to ask EETV about, or the constant repetition, something I have suggested a possible remedy for.

Or is there a third issue here?

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 09:59:13 GMT

At this point I'm probably just going to ask the mods to delete the post.

No, you've still not gathered what im getting at and I dont think it serves any further benefit to going around again.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:30:57 GMT

@naylor2006

Try me again. I’m not thick (though I am a little under the weather at the moment) and what you are getting at still escapes me.

Or maybe somebody who can see it can try explaining it to me?

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:57:38 GMT

I dont think youre thick at all, never had, but maybe you desire to solve problems is clouding the point I am making. Or alternatively its my fault.

I'm not looking for a fix, in fact there is no need to fix anything, this is a comparison.

My house has Windows, Linux, iOS, tvOS, it is possible to sample logs which are live and constant from any device at anytime. None of these devices can access logs.netflix.com because all report into my DNS server that run which blocks pretty much all tracking. I should add I mostly use the Pi-Hole for local DNS which is super helpful, the blocking I just setup the default lists you import from github or whatever. Its useful when looking at flight and hotel prices which will not suddenly increase each time you look.

So, none of these devices can access logs.netflix.com, iOS and tvOS is where Netflix is watched, the latter 99% of the time. On iOS and tvOS the Netflix app is logged in of course, Apple TV's will remain in standby when not used and iOS, well its a phone so we dont really need to worry about that, its always on. Point is, regardless of state, standby or on or watching Netflix the activity towards logs.netflix.com is blocked and hits to this are very low anyway and none whatso ever when the Apple TV is off.

On the contrary on the EETV Pro, Netflix app as never even been opened, not once in its life, so it is not logged in and shouldnt be running what so ever yet whether the box is in standby or not it tries to reach logs.netflix.com every 20 seconds, all day every day.

I dont need to unblock it to see if it reduces because that spoils the comparison, and the comparison is against other devices which are also blocked from the same url which have also never reached that URL in their life.

Above all of that, my opinion is that an app never opened or logged into (especially in standby) shouldnt be trying to reach its logging server MORE frequently than the same app installed on other platforms in exactly the same environment. Prime activity and Apple TV + activity are all pretty much the same on all devices, I am pointing to that Netflix and its unique behavior on the EETV Pro box.

I dont need a fix, its blocked, nor does it concern me it is trying to log stuff, I thought it might just be some useful information to the community that the EETV box is doesnt this.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:32:59 GMT

@naylor2006

I’m all for ‘further information’ posts, to make this Community as valuable a resource as possible.

The further information I would like to see added to this thread at the moment is whether those repeated calls stop, or drop in frequency, if they are no longer blocked.

I’m just a packrat for this stuff…. 😛

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:34:33 GMT

Maybe ill whitelist them just for you to and test.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:46:44 GMT

@naylor2006

You are a gentleman, sir.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

naylor2006 — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:54:53 GMT

ive whitelisted it, ill report back tomorrow.

Re: logs.netflix.com contacted every 20 seconds by EETV Box Pro

gomezz — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:15:46 GMT

So in summary users should be aware that the Netflix app checks in (or tries to) when an EETV Box Pro (and presumably all models of EETV box) is connected to the internet.

Should users be worried by this? Probably not
Do other apps on the box do similar? Probably
Should users be worried by that? Probably not

I guess that allows to Netflix to get an idea of how many devices have its app installed but which are never used which may guide its approach to marketing its service? Just why don't these people want to use our service?