Can only stream (local and remote) libraries from my mobile phone

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 1.29.2.6364
Player Version#: 4.95.2

Hey all,
I’ve exhausted all channels/forums/experience that I’ve found, but I can’t figure this one out. My PMS is running on a 2009 Mac Pro (running Ubuntu 22.04.1, 16GB RAM, Intel Xeon W3520 @ 2.67GHz, AMD RX580).

It’s run on there for at least two years, the most recent drastic change to the setup I can think of is that my router died, but swapped it with an Archer C5400x, and it’s able to connect remotely, although unable to ping to plex.tv (it can ping to app.plex.tv, though)

My server appears to have a remote connection, my internet connection is working on the server, but on my local PS4, local desktop browsers (even on the server desktop itself), no video in any of my libraries plays. The only place where I can stream my content locally or remotely is through the plex app on my Pixel 6 pro.

I think I’m out of my depth on this one, but a few of my hunches were…

a network issue (which I tried to rule out)

a new transcoding issue (I had a temporary transcode directory at /dev/shm) and tried to read some of the console/log) -

General server config confusion — sometimes when I restart the PMS it’ll duplicate and I have to re-link and/or reclaim the server

The warning/error messages that popped up the most consistently were…

[CERT] TLS connection from [::ffff:192.168.2.126]:51235 came in with unrecognized plex.direct SNI name ‘192-168-2-120.a0456c5058904a568b9a37a9b1b51743.plex.direct’; using installed plex.direct cert

and

Caught exception trying to stream file: /dev/shm/Transcode/Sessions/plex-transcode-ar0prx0ibqavvlpc6nynbnzl-595d4686-2a9a-4f76-a98c-0402cca60da2/init-stream0.m4s: write: Broken pipe

So I’m all ears and willing to tool around and see what’s up and would love anyone’s help/suggestions and can post more info if needed (here’s a link to the logs (the upload kept failing))

Thanks again

2

Your new router is performing “DNS rebinding protection”. You need to tell it to exempt one domain from that protection.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/206225077-how-to-use-secure-server-connections/

1 Like
3

Hey, thank you again for the update — here’s the current situation

I started from scratch, and both errors are gone — connection from [::ffff:192.168.2.126]:51235 came in with unrecognized plex.direct SNI name ‘192-168-2-120.a0456c5058904a568b9a37a9b1b51743.plex.direct’; using installed plex.direct cert — No more

right now my PMS is also operating as a router (dnsmasq set rebind-domain-ok=/plex.direct/plex.tv/)

I disabled remote access for the time being just to focus on local streaming — It’s effectively the same problem outlined above. I can’t play any local media from my computer, my PMS itself in a browser window, but can play and even chromecast local media from my phone. The console’s not showing any warning or error messages, it just fails to load and deliver content everywhere but the phone. I can upload logs again if necessary.

Thank you again though

4

If I may add here?

  1. You previously installed PMS having downloaded it from plex.tv/downloads.

  2. After you deleted that, instead of using that same DEB file again, you got a snap package installed.

  3. This gave you a duplicate hostname (as far as the clients can tell) but with different ID numbers – which means the players won’t be able to find things

  4. The error you describe (unrecognized SNI) is when the player is trying to open the server using one plex.direct certificate (the original install) but now talking to the SNAP package installation to which the SNAP package instance says “NO!”

Possible outcomes here:

  1. Restart the player apps so they download a fresh list of the server(s)
  2. additionally, if so desired, uninstall & purge the snap package in favor of the DEB file native app. You will still need to restart the player apps after resolving what to do with the server
2 Likes
5

Thanks for the updated info and suggestions!
I uninstalled + purged the snap version of plex, installed from the .deb package, removed all players from authorized devices and logged back in.

It still works on the phone, works on the plex desktop app on my mac, won’t play on any of my browsers after logging out and back in (my next hunch is to clear cookies/cache next)

I now see an error message when trying to use chromecast (h4 but using content that previously worked), and the PS4 app (after reinstalling) still fails to load any content. Still all ears for any and all recs and suggestions

6

Hey so after a week of work and life I gave this another thorough try. Bit the bullet and actually got a dedicated router, successfully port forwarded and able to play remotely…only from my android app. Any error messages listed in the logs in my earlier posts are completely gone, and I deleted any old/inactive servers, and logged out and back in of all players (web players and apps).

I’m able to see my library locally and remotely, but can only play them through the Plex desktop app or the app on android. The PS app and every web player I’ve tried will not play any content. Any other suggestions/ideas I could play around with?

7

Can you get me a fresh set of DEBUG logs (server logs) when you try and play from something which fails?

1 Like
8

Plex Media Server Logs_2022-12-14_21-58-17.zip (2.2 MB)

Here you go… trying to play from the one ending in .2.113 (PMS is .2.120)

9

According to your logs,

  1. There is no Quick Sync Video hardware acceleration (I confirmed with Intel)
    Intel Xeon Processor W3520 8M Cache 2.66 GHz 4.80 GTs Intel QPI Product Specifications

  2. It’s not very fast ( A NAS CPU is faster )
    PassMark - Intel Xeon W3520 @ 2.67GHz - Price performance comparison

  3. The player disconnects because whatever it’s playing to either gave up waiting or you did

Dec 14, 2022 21:20:16.386 [0x7faa83e5ab38] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.2.120:48416] 200 GET /:/prefs (18 live) TLS GZIP 17ms 8777 bytes (pipelined: 1)
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:16.393 [0x7faa7fc84b38] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.2.113:50064 (Subnet)] GET /myplex/account (19 live) #3b9 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (sstraub92) (Firefox)
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:16.394 [0x7faa8405db38] DEBUG - Completed: [192.168.2.113:50064] 200 GET /myplex/account (19 live) TLS GZIP 4ms 3789 bytes (pipelined: 1)
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:22.744 [0x7faa8405db38] DEBUG - WebSocket: client initiated close
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:22.744 [0x7faa8405db38] DEBUG - NotificationStream: Removing because of close
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:22.744 [0x7faa83e5ab38] DEBUG - handleStreamRead code 2: End of file
Dec 14, 2022 21:20:22.744 [0x7faa83e5ab38] DEBUG - Completed after connection close: [192.168.2.113:50041] -3 GET /:/websockets/notifications?filters=log (18 live) TLS GZIP 66243ms 19099 bytes

so what happened here?

10

Specifically at 21:20? I most likely stopped it - I only get a “something went wrong” error and plex gives up on its own when I do it on the PS app. And yes, the PMS is old, but functional for about the last two years with the same content library. But sure, I’d look for any excuse to setup a NAS

11

Do you still have PMS 1.28.1 / 1.28.2 SPK files around?
(If not, I will PM you a link)

If so.

  1. Uninstall 1.30.1 beta with the Uninstall Only – KEEP
  2. Manual install the lower version SPK.
  3. Retest
1 Like
12

Thanks! Send those PMS 1.28.1/2 files my way, please, and i’ll update you tomorrow

13

Alright, after downgrading to 1.28 and letting the database update etc. Unfortunately, the same problems persist: I have the updated logs attached
Plex Media Server Logs_2022-12-15_12-46-41.zip (2.8 MB)

14

Hey all,
for the sake of clarity (and for anyone in the future who stumbles upon this thread) — here’s what I most recently did after the post above.

Reinstalled PMS (it’s currently running the latest version (1.30.1.6497)
Combed through my router and firewall settings thoroughly (checking for DNS rebind and the right ports forwarded)

I’m able to access the PMS locally and remotely — the key difference between when it fully worked to now is I can no longer play any files (large and small, TV or movie) with the .mkv container (except on my phone). This might just be a new problem unrelated to above, or it may just be a continuation of an old computer struggling to transcode (video is direct play but for web player and ps4 app it remuxes audio)

So right now it seems my options are to

  1. convert any and all mkv to a container/format that the PMS likes at the moment (and doesn’t stress the computer with transcoding) (it’s a LOT of content that used to work, so probably not this)

  2. Upgrade my setup to a newer system that can hardware accelerate (and consume less power, but that’s unrelated to any problems here)(just not 100% the hardware is the key issue, because it worked before, and I’d hate to shell out unnecessary $ and still have to further diagnose)

  3. something I’m completely missing but open to trying

But also thank you for the help so far (and your patience!)

15

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.