Remote-access Guide

how to setup plex remote access

by Eloy Reinger Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How do I setup Plex server for remote access?

To do so:Open Plex Web App and make sure you're signed in to your Plex account on the server under Settings > Server > General.Go to Settings > Server > Remote Access.If needed, toggle the Show Advanced button to ensure the appropriate options are visible.Enable the Manually specify public port checkbox.More items...•

How do I add remote users to Plex?

Creating Managed AccountsSelect the Add User option.Enter the admin's account PIN (if it has one)Choose a name and rating profile.Select which libraries to share, if you have a Plex Media Server.Admins that have a Plex Pass can select Download and Live TV & DVR options.

Is Plex remote access free?

Our mobile apps (Android and iOS) can be used for free, but have limitations. Until the mobile app is unlocked (through an in-app purchase or a Plex Pass subscription), video and music streamed from a Plex Media Server has a 1 minute limit, and photos will be watermarked.

How do I give a guest access to my Plex server?

It can be useful if you want to let someone who comes over use Plex without affecting your regular account(s)....Create the Plex HomeCreate a Managed User.Invite Plex User (the option to invite regular user Plex accounts is available only to Plex Pass subscribers)Enable the “Guest” account.

How many users can access Plex at the same time?

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.

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.

Is remote access Plex safe?

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.

Does Plex have to be on the same network?

The Plex Media Server generally assumes you will have an active internet connection when using it. While most things will still work fine if you temporarily don't have a connection, some things do require an active connection. These include: Adding new library content (retrieving metadata, art, etc.)

How do I access my media server remotely?

0:3911:14PLEX Part 5: Accessing Your Media Remotely - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd what you want to do is check this area here that says remote access and if you've got this greenMoreAnd what you want to do is check this area here that says remote access and if you've got this green checkmark you're fully accessible outside your network you're in great shape. Ok.

Can I share my Plex library?

3:0810:09How to share your Plex Media Server with family and friends - step by stepYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you want to share with another person that has Plex so you can't share your media with. AnyoneMoreIf you want to share with another person that has Plex so you can't share your media with. Anyone all you need to do is put in their email address and she'll be able to pick what content you're gonna

Can you share Plex live TV?

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

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.

Is Plex server private?

Plex retains personal information you provide to create your account for as long as you maintain an account with us. Personal information used to provide the services to you will be kept long enough to provide you with the service, including in archives and logs used to maintain and develop the service.

Does Plex work with VPN?

Does Plex Work with a VPN? Yes, Plex can be used with VPNs. However, you shouldn't settle for any provider as not all of them support Plex. PureVPN, on the other hand, is fully compatible with the media center and empowers you to enjoy a private, throttle-free, and limitless streaming experience!

How does a Plex server work?

An Introduction. Plex gives you one place to find and access all the media that matters to you. From personal media on your own server, to free and on-demand Movies & Shows, live TV, podcasts, and web shows, to streaming music, you can enjoy it all in one app, on any device.

What happens if you don't set up a static IP address?

If you don’t do this every time your router assigns a new internal address to the media server it will break your port forwarding rule. If you need more information on setting up a static IP address you can search for documentation for your specific router and read up on static IP addresses here.

What happens when you double up a NAT system?

When a NAT system is doubled up with another NAT system, however, it can create issues for apps (like the Plex Media Server) that rely on UPnP to create automatic port forwarding rules. This occurs commonly when you have a router/modem combo supplied by your ISP and your own router plugged into that unit.

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 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 it mean when a server says "Not available outside network"?

If your server is currently not configured for remote access, it will say “Not available outside your network” as seen above. Click the large orange button that reads “Enable Remote Access”.

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.

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.

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!

Finding a workaround

A friend of mine recently ran into this issue when he tried to set up remote access for his Plex Media Server. He happens to be a Dual-Stack/DS Lite customer, so he only had IPv6 to work with. We found some solutions that rely on third parties to proxy incoming connections.

Adding DynDNS-like behavior

We wanted to avoid having to manually change the config over and over again. So, we mimicked DynDNS’s behavior in order to automate the config update. I wrote a DynDNS-like bash script that we set up to run every 5 minutes.

How to connect to Plex from outside?

In order to have a direct connection from outside your network to Plex you may need to forward a port in your router. After you forward a port in your router, you will then need to specify the port forward in Plex.

What is the default port for plex?

Make sure the number is correct. The default Plex port is 32400. Click the Apply button.

Where is the wrench on plex?

Next, click on the wrench which you will find on the navigation bar at the top of the screen. This will take you to the Plex settings menu.

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.

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”.

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.

Do you need a Plex account to share a media center?

Finally, each friend you share your media center with needs a free Plex account. Note, they do not need their own Plex Media Server. If they have their own Plex Media Server and can turn right around and share their server with you, that’s great. If they don’t have a Plex Media Server, no big deal: their primary libraries will simply default to the libraries you share with them. They can sign up for their free account here.

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.

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