Can't Start Plex Media Server on Netgear 516

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

Server Version#: plexmediaserver_1.19.4.2935-79e214ead_amd64.deb
Player Version#:

I am unable to start the plea Media Server on my Netgear NAS 516. It was working fine for years, and about two weeks ago, I was unable to connect through the Plex app. Now, when I try and launch Plex Media Server from the NAS Admin page, it is unable to connect. The web app shows that the server is unavailable and I am unable to access any server settings. What do I do?

2

Are you trying to access your server through the hosted version of Plex Web (http://app.plex.tv/desktop) or through the version hosted locally on your Plex Media Server (http://[Netgear 516 IP address]:32400/web)? Can you still connect to your server via the local IP address?

3

I’ve tried to access it both ways. I can generally connect to the server via local IP address. When I try to turn on the Plex Media Server from the Admin page of the server, I get an error that the app failed to initialize, and on a separate page that opens in safari, that “Safari can’t open the page http://[IP address]:3200/web.” Through app.plex.tv, Plex cannot connect to the server and the server settings are inaccessible. Please help!

4

Quick/easy fix… just bookmark the Plex URL through the NAS IP address.
If you want to open Plex through the hosted web app you probably need to look into your remote access settings. From what you describe it sounds like the hosted version of Plex Web cannot access your server (which could e.g. be because the server is not accessible from outside your home network).

5

I can’t access the server from within the NAS Admin page, from the desktop, my phone or iPad. Plex apps say “Server Unavaible.” on the NAS it says that it can’t even start the Plex Media server, so I don’t see how bookmarking anything can help. Willing to try anything. How to I "bookmark the Plex URL through the NAS IP?

6

I might have misinterpreted your reply above

I can generally connect to the server via local IP address.

I thought you can open http://[NAS IP address]:32400/web and see your Plex Media Server.

7

You asked if I could still connect to the server via the local IP address. I can access the NAS from Finder so I have access to the NAS. I can’t get the Plex Media Server to initialize on my NAS and therefore it is not running when the Plex app tries to find it

8

I know that Plex is free, but at this rate of tech support, holographic servers will be out before I get Plex Media Server started. I’d greatly appreciate a little help here. Let’s try again. PMS will not initialize on my Netgear 516 NAS, where it worked flawlessly before that. In other words, IT WONT START. Therefore, I am unable to access any media through the Plex web app at all, and there is no place to check the server settings either. I have signed in, signed out, rebooted the NAS, etc. NOTHING gets PMS to start up. I am afraid to remove it because I have so many album covers, rights and custom info for my huge bootleg collection and don’t want to lose all of that.

9

Maybe you can provide your Plex Media Server logs so we can check if there’s any useful information…
Considering your Plex server isn’t running or you cannot access it, you’ll need to manually pull those files. For that, you’ll need to identify the exact location of the Plex Data folder on your NAS.

If you have the files… just create a ZIP file of the logs folder and upload that here.

10

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I am now traveling until Sunday (which is why I was desperately trying to get it working) and won’t have access to logs until then, I don’t think

11

I am back at the house. How do I get to the plexmediaserver directory on my Netgear 516?

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I assume, that Netgear is running on their ReadyNAS platform? In that case, according to this support article, your PMS data directory should be located here

ReadyNAS

/apps/plexmediaserver/MediaLibrary/Plex Media Server/
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Yes, I know that from another page. Perhaps I wasn’t clear. How to I navigate to that location on the Netgear NAS?

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I don’t have such a device at hand.
If the ReadyNAS front-end doesn’t allow you to access that folder (on some platforms that could be done by giving your user permissions to certain folders), you might be able connect through SSH. That usually needs to be enabled on the NAS; if you’re on a Mac/Linux system, this should bring a SSH client – on Windows you might need to install PuTTY

15

I can get in through SSH, but ‘I do not know the proper commands to get me to the correct folder. That is the problem. So if you have the commands that I can input to get to the proper folder, I can attempt to get the logs for you.

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cd /apps/plexmediaserver/MediaLibrary/Plex\ Media\ Server/
zip -R TARGET.zip ./Logs

Where TARGET.zip should be a zip-file placed in a folder of your ReadyNAS you can subsequently download those logs from

17

Thanks. Got to the correct folder. But I am confused about your instruction on the “target.zip.” You say “Where TARGET.zip should be a zip-file placed in a folder of your ReadyNAS you can subsequently download those logs from.” How do I do that? when I enter the zip -R command, I get a “zip error: Nothing to do. (target.zip)”

18

I’m not sure why, but Plex started working after several reboots of the NAS. Not sure which one did it, but in any event, it is working.

19

I’m having same problem after updating server NAS 422 and PC with latest updates. Can no longer access NAS vis Plex

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I can only tell you what I did. I rebooted the NAS at least 3 times, rebooted my iMac about the same, then I shut down everything, the NAS, my router, my ethernet switch, the cable modem and my iMac. Then I powered up in this order (1) the modem, (2) the router, (3) the NAS, (4) the switch and (5) the iMac. Then I accessed the NAS admin page and started up the Plex Server and it worked and is still working.