Another GDM connection problem after PMS update, but weird

[Kabeyun]

OK, some weirdness happening after a PMS update the other day.  Don't know what pastern is, so I put the settings.cfg and the PlexConnect.log files into text files and attached them here.  I also attached the PlexConnect terminal output, which may be more useful, as it has a section starting "Exception happened during processing of request..." as well as multiple instances of the dreaded "GDM: No servers discovered."

 

Updated to PMS v0.9.11.7

Last PlexConnect GitHub pull: December 6, 2014 aroung 8:30 PM EST

PMS and PC installed on a Mac Mini (late 2012, quad i7) running Mac OS 10.10.2

PC serves to three ATV3s (see below for firmware) connected to home network via ethernet cabling

 

The issue:

Everything was working completely fine.  Maybe a coincidence, but since updating PMS (and not changing a single thing anywhere) I've hit connectivity problems.  The ATV in the bedroom works fine, the ATV in the living room connects to the internet (e.g. Netflix works fine) and enters Plex from Trailers as it should but then no servers are found, and the ATV in the guest room has no connectivity at all.  After I found the auto-discover failure in the living room, the bedroom failed once, but spontaneously worked when I went back to it later, and has been working since.

 

Things I've verified/tried:

ATV DNS addresses correctly manually set

Mac Mini firewall set to allow PMS (and Plex DLNA) to accept incoming connections

Restarted PlexConnect

All 3 ATVs have the same profile installed for Trailers app Plex Connect hijack

Quit and relaunched PMS

Plex still works fine; I can stream content to remote devices friends with whom I'm sharing my library

 

Regarding ATV firmware:

I thought they were all running current firmware, but it turns out that for some reason my ATVs can't find to the Apple firmware update server when connected via ethernet cable, and apparently haven't for a long while.  Thinking this could possibly have something to do with it, I pulled the cable, connected via WiFi, and successfully updated to 7.0.3.  New look, but behavior unchanged.  Profile still installed.  So currently running ATV FW 6.0.2 in the bedroom (working fine), 5.3 in the guest room (no connectivity at all), and 7.0.3 in the living room (internet OK, PlexConnect hijack OK, but no Plex server discovery).

 

Again, I changed absolutely nothing except updating PMS.  I will say that during the update (which I did from the Media Manager) the "Installing" button got stuck showing "Instaling" after update was complete, but quitting/relaunching PMS and the Media Manager cleared that, and the current version check out up to date.

 

I hope someone smart takes the time to read through this.  Here are the attached files:

PlexConnect terminal output.rtf (17.5 KB)

PlexConnect log.rtf (2.11 KB)

Settings cfg.rtf (730 Bytes)

 

Much obliged.

[mschlotz]

Have you tried taking all the searching out of the equation?  i.e. setting everything to dedicated ip's (mini and the atv's)

Here is my current setting.cfg:

enable_plexgdm = False

ip_pms = 192.168.1.131 < iMac running both PMS & PC

port_pms = 32400

enable_dnsserver = True

port_dnsserver = 53

ip_dnsmaster = 192.168.1.1

prevent_atv_update = True

enable_plexconnect_autodetect = False

ip_plexconnect = 192.168.1.131

hosttointercept = trailers.apple.com

port_webserver = 80

enable_webserver_ssl = True

port_ssl = 443

certfile = ./assets/certificates/trailers.pem

loglevel = Normal

logpath = .

[baa]

>> terminal output / traceback:

That's kind of normal once you restart PlexConnect (e.g. shutdown/restart the host) and leave aTV in trailers.

Reason for that: PlexConnect looses its memory of connected aTVs and PMSs... and now an "unknown" aTV is looking for an "unknown" PMS. That can't really work out. :-D

The rest of your logs show - at least at random times - finding a "myPlex" PMS. Is this your own... or a shared one?

As you have access to PlexConnect (seeing the navigation bar and stuff), aTV and PlexConnect communicate fine. The issue is with your PMS - did you set up a PlexHome? You should update PlexConnect to get that feature, too.

Does it have "require authentication"? Did you remove/sign in your PMS to myPlex? You might want to try signing off/back in you aTV as well.

[Kabeyun]

>> terminal output / traceback:

That's kind of normal once you restart PlexConnect (e.g. shutdown/restart the host) and leave aTV in trailers.

Reason for that: PlexConnect looses its memory of connected aTVs and PMSs... and now an "unknown" aTV is looking for an "unknown" PMS. That can't really work out. :-D

Riiiight.  Is it good practice to exit Trailers when done, or doesn't it really matter?

The rest of your logs show - at least at random times - finding a "myPlex" PMS. Is this your own... or a shared one?

My own.

As you have access to PlexConnect (seeing the navigation bar and stuff), aTV and PlexConnect communicate fine. The issue is with your PMS - did you set up a PlexHome? You should update PlexConnect to get that feature, too.

I looked at PlexHome but I'm not sure I see the benefit.  One day when we need fine tuned parental controls, maybe.

Does it have "require authentication"? Did you remove/sign in your PMS to myPlex? You might want to try signing off/back in you aTV as well.

You sir are not a Star but a Sage.  Don't know why 2 of the 3 ATVs suddenly required Plex server authentication, but logging in fixed it.  Sort of......

When first setting up PlexConnect, and not knowing much of anything about networking, I didn't realize that PlexConnect must be working properly for an ATV to see the internet at all, not just the PMS content; a working PlecConnect is also the internet gateway for the ATVs it serves.  I suppose this is why the ATVs that weren't logged in to Plex also couldn't use any other apps.

Still have a snag though.  When left alone for long enough, the ATVs seem to lose their connection.  Entering Apple Movies, or Netflix, or any app gives an error message that it couldn't connect.  This can be fixed by shutting down and restarting PlexConnect.  Interestingly (?) it can also be fixed by backing out and re-selecting the app a few times.  This seems to "nag" PlexConnect into cooperating and forwarding properly again.

By the way, what's a ***restrain request"?

And finally, a thousand thanks to folks in these forums and particularly to you, Baa, who seem to be motivated predominantly by pride and altruism.  Thanks for taking responsibility for helping us reap the benefits of your labor.

[bakman1]

Still have a snag though.  When left alone for long enough, the ATVs seem to lose their connection.  Entering Apple Movies, or Netflix, or any app gives an error message that it couldn't connect.  This can be fixed by shutting down and restarting PlexConnect.  Interestingly (?) it can also be fixed by backing out and re-selecting the app a few times.  This seems to "nag" PlexConnect into cooperating and forwarding properly again.

isn't this your macmini that falls asleep and thus your internet is gone for plexconnect too.

[Kabeyun]

Good thought, but no.  Mac Mini set to never sleep, done specifically because it serves media both to us and to friends via shared libraries.

Still acting erratic, and it's a little frustrating.  On one occasion a movie simply stopped and no content would play.  On another, No Apple TV connected apps would work.  On a third, no cover art in the Apple movies app would load, although the movies would play.  On a fourth, the Apple TV would stop accepting clicks from the remote control (as though it were thinking about something) but after about one minute all the inputs would rapidly "catch up" (up, down, left, left... etc.).

All issues fixed with I shut down and restart PlexConnect.  This leads me to believe that something's going on with PC's conduit to the internet (is that forwarding?) and not it's other function of hijacking an Apple TV app, which it seems to be doing reliably at this point.

And again, in the Terminal window I'm seeing the occasional "***restrain request" where I usually see "***forwarding request" and I think these instances occur around when the Apple TVs are acting temporarily goofy.

Any ideas on this.  O Baa?

EDIT: ADDITIONAL INFO

OK, just to see what would happen, I shut down and restarted PlexConnect again.  Now, Terminal output is stuck at :

19:00:30 DNSServer: ***forward request

19:00:30 DNSServer: -> DNS response from higher level

19:00:34 DNSServer: DNS request received!

19:00:34 DNSServer: Source: ('10.0.1.59', 63545)

19:00:34 DNSServer: Domain: appldnld.apple.com

19:00:34 DNSServer: ***restrain request

19:00:34 DNSServer: -> DNS response: 10.0.1.29

^C19:00:40 PlexConnect: Shutting down.

19:00:41 WebServer: Shutting down (HTTP).

19:00:41 WebServer: Shutting down (HTTPS).

19:00:44 DNSServer: Shutting down.

19:00:44 PlexConnect: shutdown

Office-Mini:PlexConnect kabeyun$ sudo ./PlexConnect.py

Password:

19:00:55 PlexConnect: ***

19:00:55 PlexConnect: PlexConnect

I included the prior output just to show a forwarding request and then one of those restrain requests.

It's still stuck, and the internet, from the same access point, is working fine.  What the heck??  Man, I hate networking with a vengeance.

EDIT 2:

It happened again: watching a movie locally, and the TV just goes blank.  Menu out of Trailers and apps work, but the connection is very slow.  Artwork still doesn't load, both in ATV native apps and in the PlexConnect UI.  Movie restarted OK.  Can't figure this out.  Help!

[moody_blue]

I would modify Settings.cfg to find PMS using direct IP instead of GDM. Some routers block the "zero service" traffic, and this includes GDM. These are the parameters to modify in your existing Settings.cfg file

enable_plexgdm = False

ip_pms = fixed ip address of the PMS machine

[baa]

>>By the way, what's a ***restrain request"?

This is aTV "calling home" (i.e. Apple) to check if updates are available. Communication will be prevented by re-routing the request to aTV itself (127.0.0.1). Since nobody answers, aTV won't go for an update...