Can't connect to Plex server over wifi from laptop

General Discussions
1

I have set up Plex media server, and also created three SMB file shares. I can access all the music and videos using the Plex app on my Win10 laptop over my local network wifi connection, but I I can’t connect to the file shares. Windows returns “Error 0x80070035 The network path was not found,” and says “Windows cannot access \[server_name]\Files” which is the name of the file share. Desktop computer (Win10, ethernet) and Android phone (wifi, using Plex app) work fine. I have been able to reach server previously from laptop, but not now. If I point the laptop’s browser to the server’s IP address I can reach the web admin page. I can’t see my saved network files in Windows explorer, even though they are all visible on a desktop that is hardwired into the router.

(Previously posted to Plex Media Server Beta Releases-don’t ask me why)

2

Are you running Plex server as a system service?

3

Neither Task Manager/Services tab nor computer management applet even list it, much less show it as a running service.

4

OK, then I assume you are running in regular fashion in the ‘user space’.

How are your network shares accessed?
Did you create a user account of the same name on your file server(s) like the one you are using on the Plex server machine?
And gave both an identical password?
Because saving the network credentials for file shares is not working reliably in my experience.

I’d also disable the ‘Homegroups’ in Windows. Go with the old ‘Username and Password’ file sharing.

5

It’s not on the desktop connected to the router via ethernet, either. I just checked. that computer can both run Plex [app] and connect to the SMB shares on the OMV server.

6

@wdrlaw-plex said:
It’s not on the desktop connected to the router via ethernet, either. I just checked. that computer can both run Plex [app] and connect to the SMB shares on the OMV server.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean by this. What is ‘it’?

7

Oops-we are “async.”

  1. I found the shares using Windows Explorer “Network,” then pinned them to Quick Access.
  2. No. I set permissions to “only guest.”
  3. I do not have homegroups.

“It” is Plex server as a service.

Thanks for your help. And your patience.

8

  1. pinning doesn’t do anything, except giving you quicker access when you are in file explorer

  2. you absolutely should create a user on your file server with the same username and password. The fact that it only has ‘read’ privileges on these shares doesn’t matter.

9
  1. Yes, I get that. But to create the link I had to type in the name of the share, which included the \server_name***
  2. the same credentials as the user account on the laptop? or cred that the laptop user uses to log into the OMV server?

Again, thx.

10

Thank you, Otto. Creating user/pass in the OMV web admin allowed me to connect. Joy!