Different PCs Using Same Machine ID

General Discussions
1

It would appear that my device ID is not always being changed across PCs.

The below image shows two different PCs (red and blue) that are at 2 different locations and used the same machine ID. This even persisted across a separate browser type on the same red PC. This causes things like a stream on these two different PCs to show as one on Plex and it keeps flopping back and forth.

Is this a known issue? Is there anything else I can provide for better troubleshooting? Is there a better place to ask this?

2

~~Did you [“clone”](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201370363-Move-an-Install-to-Another-System ““clone””) your server from the first to the second machine? Or copied it from a backup?

If so, it is normal that they share the machine ID. And of course this is a situation which should be avoided.
Disable remote access,
Sign Out your server from plex.tv
then erase the following key-value pairs from the advanced server configuration

AnonymousMachineIdentifier
MachineIdentifier
ProcessedMachineIdentifier
PlexOnlineToken

Caution: the above actions will delete all shares (and probably all managed users), so think twice which of your 2 machines you are ‘treating’ this way.~~

edit disregard

3

@OttoKerner These are device/player machineIdentifier not the server’s machineIdentifier

4

@JonnyWong16 said:
@OttoKerner These are device/player machineIdentifier not the server’s machineIdentifier

well spotted. 8-}

5

@drivard100 said:
It would appear that my device ID is not always being changed across PCs.
http://i.imgur.com/m4dvqsQ.png

Where do these numbers/informations come from?

6

@OttoKerner said:

@drivard100 said:
It would appear that my device ID is not always being changed across PCs.
http://i.imgur.com/m4dvqsQ.png

Where do these numbers/informations come from?

PlexPy database (logged from the /status/sessions endpoint when streaming something). I’m trying to work with OP on a new feature for PlexPy but ran into this problem where the machineIdentifier is not unique for each device. The devices on my own server each have a unique ID.

7

Sorry, no idea about client IDs.
What about DrZoidberg? He should be at the source for proper information.

8

Tagging. @drzoidberg33

9

@drzoidberg33

Any light you can shed on this situation?

10

This issue still needs a solution. Multiple android boxes are reporting the same machine identifier. How is this identifier generated / how can we resolve this?

11

Which manufacturer(s)?


The ball is in the manufacturer’s court to create a unique ID for each device. Some don’t do that, so their devices all have the same ID.