Can't connect securely via app.plex.tv when on the same network as Plex server

Plex Media Server Remote Access
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1

Server Version#: 1.19.1.2645
Player Version#: 4.31.2

I know there’s a million topics on this and I’ve read at least 20 but the circumstances are different for my issue so far.

Notes

  • My remote secure access is working fine when I am away from home
  • My local access works fine via the server IP address (insecure but no warnings)
  • Only problem is when I try to access app.plex.tv at home, the server is red and gives an error

Error
“Unable to connect to [Plex Server] securely”

It will not give me any option to connect to it INSECURELY either.

My server setting is set to “Secure Preferred” but I want to figure out with Secure will not work on my home network.

2

Secure connections not working in the local network is virtually always an issue related to DNS.
Set your DNS server to that of Google (preferably in the settings of your router or wherever your DNS resolver operates) 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4

Tell the DNS resolver to not block the domain plex.direct from re-assigning local hosts: https://support.plex.tv/articles/206225077-how-to-use-secure-server-connections#toc-4

3

Are you using a linksys router?

4

Using Google DNS worked! But I’d like to understand why exactly.

I found an answer here that worked :
https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/comments/c3z5l6/psa_plex_secure_on_lan_while_using_unbound/

Basically for anyone using Pihole with Unbound as the upstream resolver. Or just anyone that uses Unbound DNS as their resolver, you need to add this line in the unbound config file :

private-domain: plex.direct

My unbound config file was at /etc/unbound/unbound.conf on my pihole box.

That fixed it!

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