Remote-access Guide

plex remote access not working with ethernet connection

by Hassie Hirthe Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Step 1: Open Plex from your browser and sign in with your account. Then navigate to Settings > Server > Remote Access. Step 2: Select Show Advanced option and check Manually Specify Public Port.

Set the Plex Media Server to use the Port
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.
Jan 12, 2022

Full Answer

How to configure Plex server port for remote access?

Now you can set your Plex server to use the port. Step 1: Open Plex from your browser and sign in with your account. Then navigate to Settings > Server > Remote Access. Step 2: Select Show Advanced option and check Manually Specify Public Port. Then enter the WAN/External Port which you set up. Step 3: Click APPLY to save the settings.

Why is my Plex remote access not working?

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. Using port forwarding also exposes an open port to your home network that can potentially be exploited.

Why can’t I connect to Plex Media Server through a firewall?

Like mentioned before in the causes, advanced firewalls are notorious for blocking connection streams which are sent by Plex media server and are necessary in order for it to work properly. These advanced firewalls include pfsense or similar products.

How does Plex handle connection data?

The Plex system automatically handles all the connection data as long as you are logged into the same Plex account on your media server and all your client devices. If you’re having issues, however, don’t worry–in the next section we’ll look at the most common issues and how to solve them.

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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!

Does Plex work on LAN?

Although using Plex Media Server as a DLNA server doesn't give you the full Plex experience, it does give you access to all your media. Any DLNA-capable media player or client on your local network will automatically detect your Plex server and you'll be able to access your media.

Does Plex require UPnP?

Plex Media Server generally works, by the magic of UPnP, right out of the box.

Does Plex use TCP or UDP?

The most important port to make sure your firewall allows is the main TCP port the Plex Media Server uses for communication: TCP: 32400 (access to the Plex Media Server) [required]

Can you use Plex without WIFI?

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 Plex on my local network?

On the Same Local Network 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.

Should I enable DLNA on Plex?

DLNA server timeline reporting Allow playback via DLNA to report timeline activity. This means that the Plex Media Server will track the current progress through the item. This should typically be enabled.

Does Plex require a static IP address?

You stated, that you can only access the Plex system from the Wi-Fi network in the office. Without Static IPs, you can't access it unless you change the Plex servers Wi-Fi network to the BGW, since it is on the TPLink mesh network.

Why is Plex not reachable?

Verify that your Server is listed on your Devices page. Disable any VPN on your computer or router. Disable any proxies being used on your computer or router. Make sure you aren't requiring secure connections on the server while using an app that doesn't support them (see below)

Can I use Plex without Server?

1:216:08No Server? No Problem with Plex! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut this growing video on-demand service from Plex allows you to instantly watch movies and TV showsMoreBut this growing video on-demand service from Plex allows you to instantly watch movies and TV shows and none of that content needs to be hosted on your own Hardware.

Do you need a static IP for Plex?

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.

Does Plex use internet bandwidth?

Meter Your Bandwidth Hosting a Plex server can be taxing on your internet service. When you stream a movie from your computer at home to your phone, it eats up data. If you have a data cap, as an increasing number of home internet users do(Opens in a new window), you could hit that limit quickly.

Is there a better alternative to Plex?

The best alternative is Emby, which is free. Other great apps like Plex are Jellyfin, Stremio, Universal Media Server and Serviio. Plex alternatives are mainly Media Servers but may also be Media Centers or Music Streaming Services.

Why is Plex not working?

There are many instances where several bugs are induced into the Plex application which causes it not to work as expected. Software all around us get updates every once in a while and sometimes these updates are not compatible with Plex. Hence its engineers roll out an update targeting this issue solely.

Why is Plex server error?

This usually occurs because Plex is a heavy application with numerous parameters going on simultaneously. If any one of these gets into an error state or load a bad configuration, it might be unusable.

Why does Plex Media Server buffer?

This scenario usually occurs when your internet connection is not sound which forces the server to use less bandwidth in order to provide access to the media.

What is plex media?

Plex is a client-server media stream and software suite. It has a Plex Media Server desktop application which is available on Windows, Ubuntu, and macOS. This applications allows you to organize different media files in your computer and allows players over the internet to access them if given the correct credentials.

How to find my router's IPv4 address?

Find and note down your router’s External IPv4 address/WAN. You can easily find this in the status page present in your router settings.

What happens if you don't have a stable internet connection?

The same scenario also applies to the requesting computer; if you do not have a stable internet connection, you will not be able to request and stream media efficiently. First, you should check the number of devices running on your network (both the server and requesting computer).

Does a plex router need NAT?

If these are not enabled or have different configurations set than required, Plex Remote Access will not work.

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 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.

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.

Why is Plex Remote Access not working?

In some cases, these firewalls could also block connection to Plex server and cause Plex Remote Access not working.

How to check if plex is enabled?

Step 1: Launch your browser and input the IP address related to your router in the address bar, such as 192.168.8.1. Step 2: Go to your router settings.

How to set up a Plex server?

Step 1: Open Plex from your browser and sign in with your account. Then navigate to Settings > Server > Remote Access. Step 2: Select Show Advanced option and check Manually Specify Public Port. Then enter the WAN/External Port which you set up. Step 3: Click APPLY to save the settings.

What is plex application?

Plex is an application with numerous parameters being used at the same time. If any one of them gets into an error state or is misconfigured, you might encounter problems when you use the program. You can try performing a power cycling for both the server and target computer.

Ive spent the whole week figuring out Plex, sorting everything into meaningful genre libraries, building collections and and handpicking beautiful covers from posterdb. Now that Im finally done, I cant stop staring at it. Im not even watching anything atm, just scrolling. Its just so beautiful

I even changed all the sorting titles, so that the best stuff is up top. Every library is basically my personal movie ranking of the genre. As a movie and tv show freak this is a dream come true.

Plex Rookie Mistake: Pay attention to bitrates and your internet upload speed

Been running Plex for a little while now from my home in Chicago. Upgraded my modem, router, internet speed (going to comeback to this one soon), and even built a dedicated server/HTPC. I’ll say I’m more of a “quality over quantity” person as I like to have a lot of 4K content.

Shaw in Canada thinks plex is suspicious

For questions and comments about the Plex Media Server. The Plex Media Server is smart software that makes playing Movies, TV Shows and other media on your computer simple.

Squid

Do you have a modem with a built in router in front of your main router? If you do then you have disable its built in router function on it for plex to be able to communicate to the outside world

Helmonder

I have plex installed. seems like there is a connection to the internet (I can sign in under 'server' - 'general', I can download subtitles , art, etc no problem) but i can't get remote access to work. under 'server' - 'remote access' it says "not available outside your network".

CHBMB

Unraid-->AppleAirPortExtreme (Bridge Mode)--> D-Link DSR-500 (router, UPnP enabled) --> Netgear (Modem - Bridge mode) (don't remember exact model - its what the provider supplied me with).

CHBMB

It seems that router firmware update fixed the issue! (though the previous FW was from 2014 so not that old...)

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!

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