I recently set up a brand new Nvidia Shield Pro, fully updated with the latest software, to run Plex as a server. Unfortunately, I’m encountering an issue when trying to access it through my web browser on my computer.
Specifically, when I attempt to connect to my Shield Android TV via app.plex.tv, I receive the following error message: “app.plex.tv is unable to connect to ‘SHIELD Android TV’ securely.” This issue has persisted despite several hours of troubleshooting.
From what I’ve gathered, it seems that the problem might be related to the server certificate needing a reset by Plex. I’m reaching out to the community for guidance on how to contact Plex support for assistance with this matter, or if anyone has encountered and resolved a similar issue.
Any advice or direction you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Your certificate is perfectly valid. The issue most likely lies with your router/gateway.
It probably contains a security mechanism named “DNS rebinding protection”. It prevents devices on your local network from accessing your Plex server by its automatically assigned domain name.
Unless your router provides you an ability to define an exception from this protection for the domain plex.direct, you will not be able to use secure connection within your local network. (detailed information: https://support.plex.tv/articles/206225077-how-to-use-secure-server-connections/ )
Never, ever set your server to require secure connections. It will effectively disable you from accessing the server, unless you have a working remote access and can try to contact it from outside your home network.
The only cure from this condition on the Shield would be to wipe Plex completely from it and start over.
Thank you for your prompt response and for confirming the validity of my certificate. I appreciate your insights regarding the DNS rebinding protection in routers. Unfortunately, I’m using a BT router, which doesn’t allow for changes to the DNS rebinding protection settings.
I wanted to clarify that I didn’t manually set my server to require secure connections; it seems to have been configured this way by default. I’ve already attempted to reset Plex on the Shield by wiping it completely and starting over, but this didn’t resolve the issue.
I’m concerned about the limitations this presents for using Plex within my home network. It’s quite disappointing that despite following standard setup procedures, I’m unable to get Plex to work properly on my network. If there are no workable solutions, I may have to consider alternative software that doesn’t encounter these issues.
However, I’m still hopeful for a resolution. If anyone has suggestions or has successfully navigated a similar issue with a BT router, I would be very grateful for your advice. I’m open to trying any other troubleshooting steps that might help in resolving this issue.
No, the default is “preferred”. Which means it is using secure connections if possible, but will allow clients to fall back to unsecure connections.
Do they allow you to set an alternative DNS server address? If they do, try the 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare). After setting it, reboot the router first, and after a few minutes the other devices in your network, including the Plex server.
Let the server sit for 1 hour before trying anything.
Thank you for your continued support and suggestions. I understand now that the default setting for Plex is to prefer secure connections, but allows for fallback to unsecured connections if necessary.
Given this understanding, I’m interested in exploring the option of using an unsecured connection for Plex within my home network. However, before proceeding, I would greatly appreciate your insights into the potential risks associated with this approach. Specifically, I’m curious about:
Security Risks: Are there any significant security concerns I should be aware of when using Plex over an unsecured connection, particularly within a home network environment?
Data Privacy: Does using an unsecured connection affect the privacy of the data being streamed or stored on my Plex server?
Network Stability and Performance: Are there any implications for network stability or performance when opting for an unsecured connection?
Assuming that using an unsecured connection poses no significant risks in the areas of security, privacy, and network performance, could you please guide me on how to disable the secure connection feature in Plex? I would appreciate step-by-step instructions to ensure I execute this change correctly.
Unfortunately, regarding the DNS server settings, my BT router does not allow setting an alternative DNS server address, so I’m unable to use the 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) workaround.
Your expertise and guidance in this matter are invaluable, and I’m eager to learn more about the best path forward given my router’s limitations.
None. Unless your home network is already infiltrated by attackers who are just waiting to turn your media consumption habits against you
Only if someone is considering that it’s a worthwhile effort to sniff on the data connection between your Plex players and the plex server.
None. A network connection is a network connection. Secured or not. It might just be that unsecure connections can be a bit faster, but very minutely so.
Unfortunately, there is no one-step guide to achieve this. Many Plex clients will nowadays use secure connection by default.
Some Plex clien types allow you to enable unsecure connections or even prefer them.
Take a look into the settings of each of your Plex clients to see if you can set them to use unsecure connections – at least inside your home network.
Thank you for your detailed responses which have greatly helped in clarifying the implications of using an unsecured connection in my home network. It’s reassuring to know that the risks are minimal in my context.
Following your advice, I am now looking to adjust the settings on my Plex web client. I access the Plex server hosted on my Nvidia Shield Pro using Google Chrome on my iMac, through the URL https://app.plex.tv/. My current version of the Plex web client is 4.120.1.
I understand from your previous message that the settings to enable unsecured connections might vary across different Plex client types. Could you please guide me on where I can find and adjust these settings specifically for the Plex web client accessed through Google Chrome? Are there specific options or menus within the web client interface where I can set it to use unsecure connections, at least within my home network?
Your step-by-step guidance would be incredibly helpful to ensure I navigate to and configure these settings correctly.
Thank you once again for your time and assistance.
Unfortunately, the web app belongs to the client types which don’t have such a setting. It is running inside of a web browser, which in this day and age, have their own policies regarding encryption and [crucially] the mixing of encrypted and unencrypted content within the same webpage/web app.
Such a settings does exist in Plex for Desktop, Plex HTPC, and Plex for Android.
I’ve now installed Plex for Desktop on my Mac, switching from accessing the Plex server on my Nvidia Shield Pro via Google Chrome. This change allowed me to access the files on the Plex server seamlessly, without needing to adjust any settings in Plex for Desktop. Everything is functioning smoothly.
I wanted to extend my gratitude for your guidance throughout this process. Your insights were instrumental in resolving the issue. Thank you for your assistance.
