Can't see Plex Server on TCL Roku TV via ethernet

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
,
1

Server Version#:V1.13.5.291
Player Version#:5.3.10

Hi all - My setup - QNAP with Plex Server running on it. TCL Roku TV with Plex app on it. QNAP is connected directly to the router with ethernet, TV, until now, was on the wireless network that the QNAP is connected to. Everything was fine.

Because of latency issues between my router and my TCL Roku TV I’d like to be able to use ethernet between the Roku TV and my network. My QNAP is already connected to my router via ethernet, so I thought that connecting the TV in a similar fashion would alleviate latency/buffering problems.

Not so. When the TV is connected with ethernet to the router the Plex app on the TV can’t see my server, even though they are both connected to the same router. I’ve told the Roku that I want to use a wired connection.

I figured this would be possible but now I’m not sure. Can you not connect the Plex app on the TV directly to the same router that the QNAP is connected to? For speed issues this seems perfect, but I can’t make the app see my server. Ideas?

Thanks in advance.

2

It’s important to clarify two pieces of equipment. I apologize if I am overstating the obvious and already known.

  1. The router (usually the modem/router from the ISP)
  2. An ethernet switch you plug all your devices into.

ISP routers often do strange things.
The one thing you can count on, which is of paramount importance, is your LAN must be “flat” (All on the same subnet).

The easiest way to do this is by using a switch.

the block diagram looks like this

 ISP Modem/Router   &   WiFi AP
    |  
 Ethernet Switch (usually 8 - 16 ports)
    |
 +-------------+--------------+
 |             |              |
 QNAP        Computer      Roku/Television

Everything shown is hardwired with exception of the WiFI. This diagram assumes WiFi is provided in the modem/router.

3

Thanks ChuckPA. The router is my Asus RT-AC66U_B1, so I figured there wouldn’t be any weirdness between the various devices. I have a cable modem, but it only plugs into my Asus, nothing else is plugged into the cable modem.

Hmm…interesting idea though. I think I have a switch sitting around, I’ll try that and report back. Thanks for the idea.

4

Well, now that I think about it, if I’ve got this setup -

 ISP Modem
    |  
 Asus Router
    |  
 Ethernet Switch
    |
 +-------------+--------------+
 |                    |                        |
 QNAP        Computer      Roku/Television

Does that seem like an extra step in there that doesn’t need to be there?

5

that should work fine.

if it was working on wifi, and not working on ethernet, have you tried putting it back on wifi (just to see if it starts working again) ?

I have a tcl roku tv and it works on both wifi or ethernet, on my network.

6

Yep, after the Plex couldn’t connect I switched the TV’s connection back to wireless and it worked fine again. Just not getting the secret that would let it all work together over ethernet…

7

Two routers, when BOTH are routing, is problematic UNLESS you have manually done the port forwarding and are using the innermost for your LAN with Plex apps and server

8

weird.

Usually, if something gets blocked, its wifi (cause the router is set to wifi isolation or something similar).

from a PC (or the plex server if you have console access), you could try PING to the ips of both the tv and the plex server to make sure they can see each other ip.

if they can’t ping each other, then you definitely have some kind of network issue.

9

I just don’t get why I can’t do this -

Cable modem
   |
Asus router
__|______________
    |                          |
QNAP                  TV

Seems like that would be simplest. :-\

10

Double NAT. (unless that cable modem is TRULY in RFC-1483 transparent passthrough mode

No remote access will ever work unless you do it entirely by hand.

11

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