Safari (and Firefox) not allowing Netflix website to work

Netflix haven't updated to comply with Safari 5 yet, but in the meantime they offer the following solution:

http://www.tech2crave.com/how-to-re-enable-netflix-in-safari-5/

Possibly the answer given here might help:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11876383#11876383

Hi

a 500 error is produced by the website server when it can't do something, & has no more specific message to give than 'internal error'. So yep, they usually are a problem at the site, not your end... although can be prompted by the way a computer identifies itself to a website.

Of course, netflix may say they've no Apache Tomcat servers, in which case...?


You get this message as soon as you try to reach netflix.com - or just starting a movie?

ok, so let's try to see what the problem is

Look in Applications/Utilities/ for an app named Network Utility & open it up.

Choose the Traceroute tab & paste in netflix.com
you will get a result like the following - paste yours here & maybe it'll show us where things get hung up.

Traceroute has started…
traceroute to netflix.com (208.75.76.17), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
 1 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254) 94.569 ms 38.165 ms 101.685 ms
 2 lo0-plusnet.pte-ag1.plus.net (195.166.128.64) 58.363 ms 112.271 ms 76.528 ms
 3 ge0-0-0-403.pte-gw2.plus.net (84.92.4.2) 117.815 ms 103.226 ms 180.848 ms
 4 tge1-4.fr3.lon.llnw.net (195.66.224.133) 84.593 ms 54.973 ms 50.877 ms
 5 tge7-2.fr3.lga.llnw.net (69.28.171.125) 149.288 ms 126.720 ms 111.057 ms
 6 tge13-1.fr3.iad.llnw.net (69.28.189.30) 173.229 ms 132.891 ms 123.247 ms
 7 netflix.tge4-2.fr3.iad.llnw.net (69.28.157.14) 133.302 ms 124.706 ms 122.990 ms
 8 xe-1-1-0.jnrt-edge02.iad1.netflix.com (69.53.244.254) 141.544 ms 137.479 ms 148.532 ms
 9 xe-0-0-0-100.jnrt-edge02.sv1.netflix.com (69.53.230.217) 205.336 ms 196.395 ms 206.386 ms
10 xe-2-2-0-955.jnrt-edge02.prod1.netflix.com (69.53.225.30) 198.953 ms 217.830 ms 225.265 ms
11 te1-8.csrt-agg02.prod1.netflix.com (69.53.225.10) 190.333 ms 209.058 ms 207.096 ms
12 www.dc1.netflix.com (208.75.76.17) 195.322 ms 183.465 ms 201.967 ms

Hi julieeebear

that all shows you reaching netflix servers w/o a problem, suggesting it's an issue their end; a little searching shows you wouldn't be the first to have that.

You've tried two browsers, Safari & Firefox, which would normally rule out any settings on your mac - I do think it's likely netflix - either a general issue or their servers responding incorrectly to some specific of your connection/isp/location.

You've no internet filtering/safety/firewall/anti virus software ? (sometimes such things can cause problems) - you tested briefly in a New User Account ?

You've a macbook pro, can you test on a different network somewhere?
reset your modem/router (sometimes this gets a new ip address, which sorts things out)
other computers on your modem/router work ok at netflix?


You can try another 'user agent' via Safari-Develop-User Agent. Use an IE one, say - and if you've no 'develop' menu showing, enable it via Safari-Preferences-Advanced-Show develop menu.


Lots to try, sorry 🙂

You can try

with Safari preferences, advanced, check Show Develop menu
in the Develop drop down, select User Agent, select Internet Explorer

Firefox also has User Agent, or try Camino.

For me at comcast/fancast TV/movies website Safari hangs on authentication, so I use Camino.

I have the same issue which started at the same time as yours. We actually have 7 computers in this house. Netflix works on all of them in all browsers except the computer which is running windows 7 in which case it does not work in Safari or Firefox on that computer. However I can get it to work in Google Chrome. Like you we changed nothing and all our updates are current.

So although I have no definitive answer as to why we are suddenly getting an apache tomcat error message, maybe try Google Chrome and get your beloved Netflix back.

I would go into complete withdrawal without my Netflix!

Clear your cache then either clear cookies or go into preferences and view cookies. Then delete all cookies for netflix. Close the preferences and go back to netflix.com. Relogin and you should be fine.

I had the problem and this worked for me.

I can confirm that this procedure worked for me as well. Deleted all netflix cookies, cleared the cache and restarted my mbp. Success! Finally got it to work. Interestingly enough, it was not working on Firefox either and now it is working as well. I'm sure its just a coincidence but weird none the less.