Can no longer play my media

Plex Media Server
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1

Server Version#: Version 1.29.1.6316
Player Version#: multiple, have tried Roku and chrome
Long time Plex user, moved to Unraid within the past couple months. I have never run into the issue I am having currently. I can play one or two files from both Roku and chrome on windows, but the majority of playback requests do not get beyond 33% and fail playback. Will attach logs
Plex Media Server Logs_2022-10-20_12-29-53.zip (716.0 KB)

2

The symptoms you are describing is almost always related to some kid of access problems.
Since you just recently changed your setup I would check network speeds between your devices. Also if your clients are wireless it could be that sometime is interfering with your wireless signal. (BTW: Signal strength is generally useless as a guide to the quality of the signal) You might try moving your clients just a bit (inches) as just about any setup has dead spots and your Roku might be sitting in one.

If it looks like it is a wireless issue you can also try setting your router’s wireless channel, if using the 2.4 ghz band, to channel 1 or 11 as they are quite interference immune. If you are using 5 ghz then it is less likely that interference is a problem but 5 ghz has less range so a slight relocation of the router or the clients is still something to try.

Also if you are not using 5 ghz and your clients are moderately close to your router then switching to 5 ghz could well make your connection more reliable.

One last thing it is generally bad practice to have your server connected wirelessly. Clients can be wireless but servers should NEVER be.

3

Server and Rokus are hard connected. Plex has worked flawlessly for a month or two. The only major change was a password reset which triggered a “server claim” issue that I completed today. A couple TV episodes work, others don’t. Movies don’t appear to even begin. I would assume the issue is in the logs, but I have no idea how to read them…

4

I had a similar sounding issue. I had been running plex on an android tv device for years on the same wifi setup. It worked flawlessly and even with large 50Gb 4k movies. Then about a year ago i got less and less things to play, then eventually just about nothing. i posted a few times about the issue thinking it was maybe my device updating or unsuported codecs. …The plex Sever was always on Ethernet and no issues with plex to other devices

…Well I hard wired the house with ethernet cable and it solved ALL my plex probelms. Even though it was a day on my back under the house I so wish I’d done it sooner.

I have no Idea how a wifi connection can just get worse with the same devices in the same position in the same house but it did.

I’m not saying this IS your issue, but ethernet cable is the easiest solution by far

5

Just in case someone runs into the same problem… I deleted all of the container files, xml template file, etc and started over with a fresh container image. From what I could see in the logs (what do you need to do to get someone to translate and/or is there a plex log reader??), there was a process that was failing. Once the brand new instance came up, everything is back to normal.

6

Ive seen wireless cards degrade and exhibit this exact issue (ongoing issue with our legacy fleet of devices)

7

There are a rather huge number of way a wireless connection can fail without anything actually being bad.

  1. You could have another device that is suddenly spewing out noise in the wireless bands.
  2. Your “environmental shape” could have been altered by something being adder/removed/moved. It is not just the transmitter and receiver that affect the shape of the signal.
  3. Something or someone is actively blocking your signal.
    There are a number of other things that cause wireless problems that are too numerous to list.

If you are using the 2.4ghz band switch to using the 5ghz. 5ghz is a MUCH cleaner band. If you cannot switch bands and must use 2.4ghz then you can try using a different channel. Channels 1 and 11 are pretty interference free.

I could list potential issues that can cause wireless problems but that would use up all the bits this site has allocated for the month.

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  1. although this is possible, we have no new devices for years and I’m in the country so a stronger signal from elsewhere is unlikely.

  2. Everything in the immediate enviromemnt has not changed in years. devices, furniture, walls in the same position etc.

  3. I actually thought of this as i have some anti wifi freaks nearby, but I cant detect any strong interfering signal, nearby only by country standards (still not close enough) and the ability to interferer is not there.

I’ve always been running with 5g for close wifi and 2.4 for more distant bul;;dings.

Anyway. Ethernet cable is still the simplest sultion. And changing the wifi device also helped.

This was difficult as my internet comes from 4g only and the wifi router/4g modem device is the only one approved to work for my provider. so separating router from modem comes with difficulties but i think ive done it

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