Remote-access Guide

plex remote access setup

by Travis O'Hara I Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How do I set up remote access for Plex?

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...•

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 my friend access to Plex?

From inside the Manage Library Access settings, use the Grant Library Access button to open the invite wizard.Username or Email. ... Select the Server. ... Set Restrictions and Inviting to Home (Plex Pass required) ... Pending Access.

How do I setup port forwarding for Plex?

Here's the process:Opt for a unique port number for each of your Plex Media Servers.Keep in mind that you must use a different WAN/external port for each server connection you wish to have. ... Now forward that selected 'unique external port number' to LAN/internal port 32400.

How do I access my Plex server from anywhere?

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 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.

Does everyone need Plex Pass to watch together?

Does Watch Together require a Plex Pass subscription? Our Watch Together feature is currently free for all users when streaming from our free, ad-supported “Movies & TV” streaming service and for personal media from a Plex Media Server during the initial preview period.

How do I use a guest account on Plex?

0:472:43How to Add Plex Guest User Account - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clip4 click the grey enable guest button toward the top part of the screen if you don't have a pinMore4 click the grey enable guest button toward the top part of the screen if you don't have a pin associated with your account you'll be prompted to create one enter a four-digit pin.

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.

What port do I need to open for Plex?

TCP: 32400The 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]

How do I access Plex without port forwarding?

Type in the Twingate Network URL that you chose when you signed up and tap “Join Network”. You'll be automatically asked to log in using the same account you used to sign up. After signing in, you'll land on the home screen, where you should already see your Plex Resource listed.

Is Plex remote access secure?

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.

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.

How do I use a guest account on Plex?

0:472:43How to Add Plex Guest User Account - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clip4 click the grey enable guest button toward the top part of the screen if you don't have a pinMore4 click the grey enable guest button toward the top part of the screen if you don't have a pin associated with your account you'll be prompted to create one enter a four-digit pin.

What does plex premium give you?

For example, Plex Pass subscribers get Premium Photos and Music options, including auto-tagging and automatic lyrics, support for Live TV via an antenna and tuner, and offline mobile syncing. Plex Pass also features multiuser support, a Timeline organizational view, and early access to new Plex features.

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.

How to check if Plex is remote?

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. Then, from the left hand navigation pane, select “Remote ...

Does Plex Media Server work?

Plex Media Server generally works, by the magic of UPnP, right out of the box. But in those rare instances it doesn’t, it’s just a matter of applying a few simple tweaks to get your media server back online. READ NEXT.

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)

Does Plex automatically 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.

What is the default port for Plex?

The Plex default port is always 32400 in fact, so while your IP will vary, the port should also say 32400. Then, you need to log in to your router admin page again, and find the section on port forwarding ( instructions for Linksys and Netgear ). It's going to ask for at least five pieces of information:

What is plex software?

Plex is a client/server software system, meaning you need the server software installed somewhere AND the client software to access your Plex library. This can be on your desktop PC (even the same one you'll be watching the content on), or something more dedicated like a network attached storage device . You have a Plex account, and you're signed ...

What does plex ask router to do?

It asks the router to open a port and forward any incoming traffic on that port, to a specified port on your Plex server. Then, when a Plex request comes in from the internet, the router knows exactly where to send that data packet on your internal network.

What is uPnP/NAT-PMP?

uPnP/NAT-PMP are router features that enable Plex to negotiate directly with your router, without you needing to manually configure port numbers or anything complicated like that. Plex tells your router that it's here on the internal network, and it would like to make itself available to the outside internet.

How to enable remote access on a server?

Make sure you select whoever your admin user is, since you'll need to adjust some settings. Then click on the Settings icon in the top right (the one with the spanner and screwdriver crossed). Select the Server tab, then Remote Access from the menu on the left. You should see a button to Enable Remote Access; click that.

Can plex servers be accessed by the outside world?

They can't be accessed by the outside world. These may also change every time your router restarts. Every single device on your network will have its own internal IP address. So the first bit of information you need to know is the private internal IP address of your Plex server.

Is a Plex Pass worth it?

Note: Because of the fantastic features it offers, a Plex Pass is well worth the money. However, you don't need a Plex Pass to remotely access your media content . The remote access feature is available to everyone, for free.

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

Prerequisites

The rest of this guide assumes that you have some components already installed. 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 device. This Connector enables remote access for any device or service on your home network (called a “Resource” in Twingate). For now, we’re just interested in enabling access to Plex, so we need to add it as a Resource.

Download the Twingate client

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

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!

How to connect to Plex while using VPN?

Integrated kill-switch. To connect to your Plex server while PrivateVPN is activated, connect to a VPN server and note the port number that appears in the client under the disconnect button. Then, enter the port number into your Plex program.

What is plex streaming?

Plex is a free streaming service that allows customers to access live TV. The service offers access to over 130 channels and over 20,000 movies and television shows from MGM, Lionsgate, Crackle, Warner Brothers, and more for free. Plex also offers the option to upgrade to Plex ultimate to watch and record local television shows, sports, ...

What is the best VPN for Plex?

Here are some of the best VPNs for streaming Plex safely. 1. ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is arguably the best VPN service for Plex on the market in 2021.

How many servers does Plex have?

Once installed, the VPN for Plex boasts one of the largest networks of servers on the market, with more than 7000 servers across over 90 countries around the world. This means that you’ll have endless choices when you need to connect to an overseas server to gain access to geo-restricted or censored streaming content.

What is private internet access?

Private Internet Access is a reliable option for Plex customers. PIA delivers port forwarding support, allowing you to remotely connect to your Plex server and stream your favorite content no matter where you are.

What payment options does VPN use?

The VPN offers a decent range of payment options, including credit cards, gift cards, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies. If you are looking to remain completely anonymous online, we would recommend paying with a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin.

Which is better Plex or PrivateVPN?

PrivateVPN is one of the best Plex VPNs thanks to its support for port forwarding, which means that you can connect to your Plex server while enjoying the protection of a VPN.

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”.

Does Plex scan your library?

The Plex search function will scan both your own library and all the libraries shared with you.

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 share a Plex server with a Plex 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.

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