Remote-access Guide

how do i configure plex for remote access

by Prof. Leon Mertz Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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To do so:
  1. Open Plex Web App and make sure you're signed in to your Plex account on the server under Settings > Server > General.
  2. Go to Settings > Server > Remote Access.
  3. If needed, toggle the Show Advanced button to ensure the appropriate options are visible.
  4. Enable the Manually specify public port checkbox.
Jan 12, 2022

How to enable remote access on Plex Media Server?

Remote Access

  • Quick Guide. If Remote Access is currently disabled, then use the Enable Remote Access button to trigger your server to try to configure a connection.
  • Normal Settings. The information displayed by default will depend on the current state of the Plex Media Server. ...
  • Advanced Settings. ...

How to access Your Plex library from a remote computer?

  • Set a static IP address on your Plex server
  • Enable remote access in the Plex web console
  • Take note of the IP address and port (32400) that the Plex server uses
  • Enable forwarding on your router to the appropriate IP address and port
  • Access your Plex server through the correct public IP address and port number

Do I need a VPN for Plex remote access?

· 4y You shouldn't need a VPN to share via Plex, assuming you are sending the content over SSL which is the vast majority of use cases. Just to speak generally, if you were to send data to someone over the VPN it would be the people on the other end receiving the data in an unencrypted format.

How do you install Plex?

  • After Samsung Apps loads, you’ll be presented with a list of apps and a search screen. ...
  • Enter Plex in the provided search menu.
  • Select the Plex application, and install it. ...
  • Next, you’ll need to connect your Plex Media Server to your Samsung Smart TV. ...
  • Select Preferences from the Plex main menu. ...
  • Next, simply enter the IP address of your Plex Media Server. ...

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How do I access Plex server from another computer?

To open the Plex Web App from a different device than the server computer while still on the same network: Open a browser window. Type http://server.local.ip.address:32400/web into the address bar (e.g “http://192.168.1.5:32400/web”) The browser will connect to the server and load Plex Web App.

How do I give someone access to my Plex server?

Enter the username or email address of the person you want to share your library with, and click on the user when it pops up. In the next window, choose which libraries you share with others. To share all of them, select your server and click Save. Or select only the libraries you want to share, then click Save.

How do I access Plex without port forwarding?

Click on the “CIDR Address” box, choose a Label name for the Resource, enter the private IP address of Plex (it's listed under Plex Settings > Remote Access and is likely 10. x.x.x or 192.168. x.x ), choose 32400 for the Port Restriction, and click “Add Resource”. Congrats!

Is Plex remote access free?

All of our non-mobile, public apps are free (with the exception of Plex Labs apps). These include Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Plex HTPC, Roku, Smart TVs, Windows & macOS computers and game consoles (PlayStation and Xbox).

What is remote access Plex?

Enable access to your Plex Media Server from outside your local network so that you can reach it when away from home or for sharing content with family or close, personal friends. You can do this under Settings > Server > Remote Access in Plex Web App.

How many people can you share your Plex account with?

Up to 15 members can be in a Plex Home. For Plex Pass users that includes a combination of both Managed Users as well as regular Plex accounts that are invited.

How secure is Plex remote?

Plex has teamed up with Let's Encrypt to provide our users with high-quality secure certificates for your media servers, at no cost to you. There's no need to set up VPNs and no need to create and install your own certs. You can safely and securely connect to your media no matter where you are.

What is my Plex IP address?

Find out the local IP address of the device on which the app is running. You will typically be able to find this in the device's system settings. In your Plex Web App, go to Settings > Server > Network .

Does Plex need a static IP?

A Public Static IP is not needed, largely because the AT&T "dynamic" address changes so infrequently that Plex will have no trouble tracking you down.

What is the difference between Plex and Plex premium?

Plex Pass. Plex is available both as a free service and a premium tier it calls Plex Pass. While free tier doesn't bill you monthly, there's a $5-per-platform activation fee if you want to use the Plex Android and iOS apps. The Premium tier costs $5 per month, $40 per year or $120 for a lifetime pass.

Can multiple people use Plex?

Plex Home allows you to set up a group of users that all use Plex together. For instance, there might be a family of users (parents and children) that all use Plex on various devices connected to the same Plex Media Server in their house. The Plex Home feature is intended for people that physically live together.

How do I share my Plex Pass?

2:4510:09How to share your Plex Media Server with family and friends - step by stepYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI cover a lot of things guys that will help you get your plex media server up and running so log inMoreI cover a lot of things guys that will help you get your plex media server up and running so log in to our main account so what you need to do once you get into main account you want to go to your

Can you share Plex live TV?

You can share "Live TV" with members of your Plex Home, including managed users.

Is sharing Plex legal?

Through its evolution, Plex has remained legal in every country in which it does business, has attracted millions and millions of users worldwide, and is a leading global media streaming service.

How to set up static IP address on Plex?

You’ll need to identify your Plex Media Server computer on the network and then look for an option in your router to create a “static IP”, “static lease”, or “DHCP reservation” to permanently associate the Plex Media Center with a given IP address. Below you can see an example of what adding a static IP address looks like, via our DD-WRT router.

How to check if Plex is disabled?

While logged into your Plex Media Server’s web control panel, select the Settings icon from the upper right toolbar. Within the Settings menu select, the “Server” tab.

How to port forward on Plex?

First, let’s turn on the manual port mode in Plex. To do so navigate to Settings > Server > Remote Access (as we did in the previous section of the tutorial).

What does the control panel indicate on Plex?

In addition to telling you that the server is accessible, the control panel will also indicate the internal IP address and port number of the Plex Media Server on your local network as well as external, or public, IP address and port number.

Can you use Plex Media Server on a TV?

If you primarily use Plex Media Server for watching content on your local network (like streaming your favorite shows to your HDTV or smartphone), you may not have given much though to the benefits of remote access. RELATED: How to Set Up Plex (and Watch Your Movies on Any Device)

Can you watch Plex on your phone?

One of the greatest things about the Plex Media Server platform, however, is the ease with which you can access your media from anywhere. With remote access enabled and properly configured, you can watch your favorite TV shows anywhere you have internet access: on your phone while you’re sitting in a waiting room, on your laptop while you’re vacationing, or even on a smart TV at a friend’s house.

Can you disable remote access on Plex?

During the initial setup of the Plex Media Server, the setup wizard prompts you to enable or disable remote access. While the default state is enabled, you may have opted at the time to disable remote access, or perhaps you inadvertently disabled it while messing around with the system settings later on. Regardless, it’s easy enough to check the status of remote access and enable it if it is currently disabled.

How to set up remote access on Plex?

Now that you've locked in your Plex server's IP address and set up port forwarding, you can configure your remote access settings on your Plex server using the following instructions: Click "Settings" in the Manage section. The Settings screen appears. Click "Server" in the upper right corner of the Settings screen.

How to reserve IP address for Plex?

Here are the instructions for how to reserve an IP address for your Plex server in a Netgear router: Open your Web browser and navigate to routerlogin.com. This is the portal for your Netgear router. Click the "Advanced" tab on the home page, and then click "Setup" beneath WPS Wizard on the left side of the screen.

How to set up a 32400 port?

Click "Server" in the upper right corner of the Settings screen. Click "Remote Access" on the left side of the screen. Click the orange "Enable Remote Access" button on the right side of the screen. Click to place a check mark to the left of Manually Specify Public Port, and then enter "32400.". Click the orange " Retry" button to the right ...

Can you use Plex Media Server from home?

Remote access is disabled by default, and if the feature doesn't turn on when you initially enable it, you'll need to configure some settings on your router before you can access content on your Plex Media Server from outside of your home network.

Can you remotely access Plex Media Server?

Remote access is disabled by default, and if the feature doesn't turn on when you initially enable it, you'll need to configure some settings on your router before you can access content on your Plex Media Server from outside of your home network.

What is Plex

When we talk about Plex we refer to an application that we can install on our devices. Its mission is to allow us to centralize multimedia files in one place. For example movies and series and be able to watch them from another device.

How to configure Plex to enter from the Internet

This function will allow us to connect to our Plex server from anywhere , simply by having access to the Internet. We will not have to pay anything additional and it is an option that undoubtedly expands the possibilities of only limiting ourselves to having access from the local network.

Why access Plex remotely

We have explained how we can access Plex remotely and view all the content. However, you may be wondering what this feature is really for or how it improves to, for example, storing videos directly in a memory.

Plex remote access not working?

Plex offers a remote access feature that relies on port forwarding, but the configuration may not always work or there may be other common issues like Double-NAT, resulting in an error like the screenshot below.

Prerequisites

The rest of this guide assumes that you have some components already installed. If you’ve already installed Plex, WSL, and Docker on your Windows PC, skip ahead to “Sign up for Twingate” below. If not, please following these instructions first.

Sign up for Twingate

Twingate Starter is a new free plan that is designed for home and personal use. If you don’t have an account already, please click here and follow the simple steps to sign up for a Starter account and begin the initial setup.

Add a Connector

After completing the steps above, you should now have a Starter account with a Remote Network set up. The next step is to deploy a Twingate Connector, which is a piece of software that allows for secure access to your remote network and the devices connected to it.

Add a Resource

You’ve now set up a Connector on your Windows PC, which enables remote access to Plex, or other services that you’re running on your computer (called a “Resource” in Twingate).

Download the Twingate client

All that’s left to do now is to install Twingate on your devices (we support Windows, Mac, Linux and have apps for iOS and Android) and access your Plex Media Server from anywhere. As an example, let’s walk through setting things up on iOS.

Sharing is Caring

Do you want to share access with a family member? You can easily do this from the Twingate web UI. Just go to the Team tab and click “Invite User” to send an email invitation. The recipient would simply follow the same steps to download the Twingate client, join your network, and get access to Plex, or any other resource you set up!

What version of Plex Media Server is needed for secure connections?

Secure connections require Plex Media Server version 0.9.12.3 or newer. So, make sure you’re running a current version of the server.

How Do I Know Connections Are Secure?

Basically, in a default Plex setup, if you don’t see any information indicating otherwise, then the connection to the server is secure. When a secure connection to a server is not available, the app will typically indicate either that the connection is insecure or that a connection cannot be made (because it would be insecure and that isn’t allowed in the app).

How to work around DNS rebinding?

In some cases, it may be possible to work around DNS rebinding protection by enabling Remote Access for your server. When enabled, this allows connections to be made via your public/WAN address. In most cases, your router will automatically keep such connections within your LAN, though this isn’t universal across all routers.

What happens if your server doesn't support secure connections?

If any of your associated servers don’t support secure connections, those insecure servers will not be accessible in the app. You can instead try loading the local/bundled web app that comes with the server install.

What does it mean when a secure connection is not available?

When a secure connection to a server is not available, the app will typically indicate either that the connection is insecure or that a connection cannot be made (because it would be insecure and that isn’t allowed in the app). When a secure connection is not available, it’s typically clearly indicated, such as in the web app:

Is Plex server secure?

Basically, in a default Plex setup, if you don’t see any information indicating otherwise, then the connection to the server is secure. When a secure connection to a server is not available, the app will typically indicate either that the connection is insecure or that a connection cannot be made (because it would be insecure and that isn’t allowed in the app).

How to force HTTPS connection?

You can, of course, attempt to force an HTTPS connection simply by using https:// in the URL. If you do so, since the server’s certificate isn’t for “localhost” (for example), your browser will almost certainly warn you that there isn’t a valid certificate for that connection.

How to access Plex server remotely?

If you are using a mobile device you will then also need to download the Plex app from the app store. You will need to determine your Plex server’s ip (Click Start, Run, and type in CMD. Once the CMD Prompt pops up type in ipconfig ...

How to connect to plex server?

Log in to your plex control panel by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop. Click the wrench to open Settings. Click Server. Click Connect. Click Advanced. Check the box next to manually specify port. Type in 32400. Save by clicking update.

How to find a Plex server IP?

You will need to determine your Plex server’s ip (Click Start, Run, and type in CMD. Once the CMD Prompt pops up type in ipconfig and hit enter. Your Client IP should show up.) It should be something like 192.168.1.x X will likely be any number between 2 and 10 unless your network has a varied config. Lets call this ip IP1.

How to add port number to TCP?

Select TCP or UDP and type in the port number and click Add

Can you use Plex Media Center to access media?

If you are using Plex Media Center to run your household media then you may already be using it to access your media from anywhere. However, if you have not yet done that and need to know how, then read on and we will walk you right through it. You can always sign up for the premium PlexPass service and pay a monthly fee to access your files ...

Can you use Plex on Roku?

In our household we use Plex for almost all of our movie and tv watching. Using Chromecast and Roku devices we can access the Plex Server from any tv in the house so that we can pull up a video with the click of a button. When we are out of the home we can also watch anything anywhere anytime.

Where is the server selection menu in Plex?

While logged into your Plex Media Server control panel or using any Plex Media Server app (like Plex for iOS), you just click on the server selection menu, seen below and located in the upper left corner of the web control panel , and pick from the other available servers.

How to add friends on Plex?

To get started log into your Plex account and look for the profile icon in the upper right corner. Click on it and select “Users”. On the left hand side of the resulting menu, select “Friends”.

What happens when someone shares a Plex library?

When someone shares a library with you, you receive both an email notification as well as a notification within your Plex dashboard. Let’s look at two scenarios, one where the Plex library shared with you is your only library and one where the Plex library shared with you exists alongside your own library.

What happens if you accept a Plex invite?

Once the invitation is accepted, if you return to the main Plex screen you’ll see that J’s library has defaulted to our library and his previously empty dashboard is populated with media from our server.

How to invite someone to plex?

In the invitation box that pops up, enter the email address your friend used to register for Plex. If they have not yet registered for Plex, you can send it to their primary email address (they’ll be prompted to create a Plex account when they accept your invitation via email). Click “Next” once you’ve entered their email.

Can you use Plex Media Server outside of home?

Advertisement. Second, you need to ensure your Plex Media Server is accessible outside your home network. While its practically impossible to set up Plex so you can’t access it within your home network, sometimes you need to do a little troubleshooting to ensure you can access it when you’re away from home.

Can you switch between Plex servers?

Although switching between the two servers is great if you’re in the mood for some aimless browsing, it’s not even a necessary step. The Plex search function will scan both your own library and all the libraries shared with you. If we search for the term “war”, for example, you can see that the first search result is located on our server but the next three results are located on our friend’s server:

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