Server Version#: 1.24.0.4930
Player Version#: 4.59.2
Hi!
In my Plex account I configured two profiles: one admin with no restrictions and a profile for my kids, that I manually add content to via labels.
That is working fine on our Plex for our Android TV Box, with the Android smartphone app and also with the desktop client. But it doesn‘t work with the WebUI. When I navigate via the browser to the webUI instance (using the local home network address of the server) both profiles are listed as intended, but when I use the profile for my kids all content is available, so the restrictions are completely ignored.
Is there anything I need to configure specifically for the WebUI to work? Or is this a known issue?
In addition to that (not sure if I need to open a new topic for that, as it is a similar issue):
When I navigate to the WebUI and DON‘T log in to my Plex account at all, then no profile selection appears and simply all content is available, although I haven‘t enabled a guest profile (at least in the server configs it is giving me the option to enable the guest profile, so I assume that it isn‘t enabled yet).
Anything I can do about that, so that it shows me the same profile selection?
Ah, thanks, I didn‘t caught that setting!
However when I activate it, does that mean that I absolutely need to be online to even use Plex? I‘m asking because when I‘m offline at least the Web UI behaves as if it isn‘t using my Plex account.
And if so: is there any way to have a completely local/offline solution for profile handling? So that a non-authenticated WebUI gets shown the different available profiles, which may or may not have a PIN.
Authentication occurs via plex.tv, so Internet access is required.
I am not aware of a way to do so.
Switching between users in a Plex Home uses Fast User Switching, which requires Internet access.
Plex is designed to be used with an Internet connection. When it is not available, not all features are available (and some clients may be completely cut off).
That‘s a bummer and feels a little strange, because I don‘t see any reason why the local profile handling can‘t be done using the media server and one of the main reasons for me using Plex is to have something available when Netflix, etc. are not accessible. Without being able to manage restrictions in finer way, it really loses a lot of potential for me.
Might be a stretch to ask that here, but do you know about any other media server tool, that is as awesome as Plex, but also comes with this local profile feature?
And by chance: do you know the reason why the restrictions in Plex Web aren‘t working (when I‘m online and connected to my account)?
I do not. I have not dug that far into the details of Emby, Kodi, etc.
I can’t recreate that on my system.
Here’s what I tested. Is this the approach you are taking?
I created a managed user “kids” and gave it access to movies with the label “Family.” The user has access to just the one library and has no other restrictions.
I labeled three movies with “Family.”
When I switch to “kids,” I only see the three movies.
When I use my admin user, I see all the movies.
This happens whether I use the local Plex web (to server IP address) or the hosted version (app.plex.tv).
In Settings → Network, I’ve no custom access URLs or networks permitted w/o authorization.
I’m running PMS v1.24.5.5173 on a Synology DS918+. However, that shouldn’t matter. 1.24.0.4930 was released in August. I did not see anything in the release notes for more current versions pertaining to managed users. Nothing in the Plex Web release notes either.
Thanks for trying it out! I think I found the reason for it: I mixed it up. I tried the restrictions when I was testing the offline/online behaviour. The thing is: when I disconnected my device from the web and used the WebUI I was getting listed the profile selection, but this time only with the “kids” profile (I assume it was the case, because I was using that before, when the device was online), which was basically exactly what I was looking for. However when I used that profile, nothing was restricted. And this brings us to this thread.
Long story short: The reason why the kids profile was showing restricted content was that the device was offline.
Thanks for joining the thread!
Yes, I answered that question:
Overall to me it looks like that, unfortunately, I need to look for alternatives, because of these limitations in regards to restriction/permission handling. That‘s too bad, because I really, really like Plex (have used it for years and wouldn‘t have bought the Plex Pass).
OK, got you: this feature was enabled by default, I haven‘t touched it. But as my local IP range uses 192.168.0.XYZ, it was activated for all devices (thus I was able to access the lib from all of them without any restriction, when the device was offline).
Problem is, that even when I enable it for some devices only, it wouldn‘t fit my requirements, as they wouldn‘t be able to access any media when offline.
Because if I get it right profiles are not stored on the media server, but instead on the Plex server (linked to the user account). So if I‘m offline, only the “main” profile can be accessed (or maybe the one that was used the last time?) and I assume that this only works when this device‘s IP is included in “List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth”.
Update (for anybody else that is looking for a solution): I tried out Emby and although I like Plex‘s different clients better (in terms of UI) and the pin input on the FireTV is just awful, in terms of profile handling, restrictions, lib management, etc. it does everything I can ask for.
