OK, so calling all network Gurus...

Having issues with a local ISP traffic shaping.... On Apple TV, with 30MB+ connection, HD movies take 3-6 hours to stream.... Change the DNS server on the ATV config screen to Google servers and all is well, starts right away. Now having same issue with Netflix enabled equipment (DVD players, tvs, etc..) but no config screen for DNS on those devices.
Would simply changing the DNS on the ROUTER suffice?
If no, is there a DNS forward service or some such to get around it? (Device DVD sends a DNS request to Netflix server, router intercepts and sends request to selected DNS...)?

Thanks in advance..

DNS simply resolves the domain name to an IP address. Traffic shaping normally happens within an ISP network, and often on the access link. Changing DNS won't impact the access link.

Now, if google dns servers resolve to a different netlix IP server (say east vs. west) than your ISP DNS servers, and one offers a better path or performance, it might have an impact.

To me it sounds more like a netflix server farm or routing path issue. You could do a traceroute using your ISP dns vs. google DNS and see if the path and final destination ip are different.

The devices are pulling addresses (including DNS) from DHCP. Can you change the DNS on the DHCP server?

I have done that on the apple TV. A google search mentioned that Google mirrors almost everything on the net so when the ISP sees the dns request, it assumes a simple google search instead of a streaming service...yada yada. Seemed to work though.
I haven't tried to change the DNS on the router yet. Just wondering if that would work or if there was any validity to what I've read/tried...

If the devices are getting their target DNS servers dynamically, and presumably so if they have no setup for such, then it's coming from the router via DHCP (or whoever is serving up DHCP leases, which is usually the router.) So, if the router allows you to set up that info for the DHCP leases it hands out, those devices should get them. I assume they wouldn't be so silly as to hard code a DNS server into the device, but I guess more stupider things have been done.

Of course then all PCs and tablets and such will use Google for DNS as well, at least the DHCP driven ones, and Google will now also know every address you access from your house.

I cannot imagine that google dns servers change any originating packet info. That would mean if a business paying for class of service used google dns, their class of service designations would be voided by goggle dns.

In referencing google mirroring you might be talking about how dns is propogated throughout the web. Again, dns servers provide dns resolution.... "what is the ip address for netflix.com? answer: x. x. x. x"

My earlier post references how a lot of servers are replicated at the "edge" of the network and routing to those servers is geographically based upon the originating ip address. A traceroute would show you the exact routing path your request takes. DNS can be geograpically based. Query geographical dns

I'm agreeing with JCBremotes on this one.

I should state, that I have routed my own dns inside my router to the dns of another service provider, but whenever I have incorrect urls, I still reach a search page (and a notice of not being found) for my ISP. I have found this odd, as I have implicitly told my gear to use V dns servers.

That being said, I guess I never liked using google dns for anything. I'd almost always use something else. do you need a good cache of isp dns servers?

If the slowdown is because your ISP is throttling the connection, your cure may be a VPN.

Basically the VPN provider should directly connect to the Tier 1 network, or at least be transit-free. This ensures that the unencrypted packets from the VPN provider to the destination, don't get throttled. The communications between the VPN provider and your computer are protected from sniffing by the ISP, as they are encapsulated in a tunneled connection between the VPN provider, and your computer. Therefore the ISP doesn't know if it should throttle these, so it doesn't. (I did take a couple technical shortcuts in the above description, but they are a bit nit-picky techno geek details, so, if you see them... no need to point them out.)

Lifehacker ran a nice piece a while ago on using a VPN to get around just these type of issues. The link to the article follows...

[Link: lifehacker.com]

So, try a VPN, and if this fixes your issue, enjoy sticking it to your ISP!