Having problems with remote playback even with my new FF Broadband?

Server Version#:4.147.1
Player Version#:18.6.2
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>

I’m having problems playing video remotely on my phone over 4G connection, works fine at home of LAN connection.

I have some screenshots of my NASb CPU usage? Over LAN it is about 20% usable but over 4Gn remote this usage shoots up to 100% and video stutters with spinning wheel, despite

I’m connected with a 500MB FF broadband connection.

Can someone give me Transcoder settings to use here as I’m not sure what values I should to using here as to not bog down my CPU?

I’m running a Netgear NAS 314 quite old device. is it time to upgrade this to a newer model as software has changed a lot since I got this? It used to work fine, but not any more :frowning:

During playback, click on the marked icon.

Then take another screenshot please.

Please do also paste the Plex media info of the video in question.

If you have server debug logging activated, you can also take a look into the Plex Media Server.log. Lines around the string MDE: should explain what is happening and why transcoding was activated
(transcoding is the most likely culprit)

Those images indicate an indirect connection. In other words, your remote access isn’t working so the connection is going through Plex’s relay service. I don’t think these connections show up in the graphs. Get your remote access working and the issue should get better.

The remote access shows a green tick but it does keep droping out and I have to refresh the connection? which is odd?

So whys it changed to Direct Play rather than Transcoding it? very odd?

What’s the required bandwidth values for the file? If it’s less than 1 mbps, it won’t transcode.

How would I find out what the bandwidth is? is that why some videos play fine, as there not transcoded and others buffer and send my CPU to 100%? I am considering upgrading my NAS as this Neatgear 314 is now end of life, and since upgrading the NAS firmware, it’s taken away the ability to do any further upgrades on my Plex APP, and also it’s now stopped me from turning on the SSH tool, which is a bit below the belt, so to speak!! Thank,s Netgear!!

View the xml from the get info in the 3 dot menu using plex web.

@Pauls_ReadyNAS

You’re running into two issues: (a) Remote Access problems, and (b) limited transcoding abilities of the NAS.

When remote access is not working correctly, connections are made using Plex Relay. The stream is tunneled through a server at Plex and is limited to 2 Mbps (1 Mbps w/o a Plex Pass). Such connections are displayed as “Indirect” in the Plex Dashboard.

If the media bandwidth exceeds that limit, then Plex Media Server will try to transcode the video to a lower bitrate. Your NAS has very limited transcoding capabilities. At best it can transcode 480p and some 720p video. Trying to transcode 1080p video in real time is beyond its capabilities.

You should work on stabilizing remote access first, as its instability is causing your remote streaming issues (indirect connections). Once stabilized, you can then look into options for updating transcoding capabilities.

Regarding remote access

You mentioned that remote access drops out.

Does this happen always after a few minutes or occasionally, after some period of time?

If after a couple of minutes, then remote access is never working. When remote access is enabled, Plex “optimistically” shows it enabled while it is still trying to enable the process. If it fails, usually after a minute or two, it returns to “Not available” status. If it succeeds, then it continues to display “Fully accessible…”

If it drops irregularly, after some period of time (hours, days, etc.), then something is impeding Plex Media Server’s connection with hosts at plex.tv. This could be due to several reasons. It could be a configuration problem, the whole Internet connection drops, or something else.

Suggest you start by reviewing the configuration of the port forward statement in your router and make sure it still matches the internal IP address of your Plex Media Server.

Also, here are two support documents that can help troubleshoot remote access problems:


Regarding Transcoding...

As you mention, your Netgear NAS is a bit long in the tooth. It has an Intel Atom CPU that does not support hardware accelerated (GPU based) transcoding. That is why it struggles to transcode video.

The good news is you’ve many options and you’ve a Plex Pass, so you can take advantage of hardware transcoding.

If the NAS still works well for storage, one option is to run Plex Media Server on a separate system and keep the NAS for media storage.

Many people take this approach, running Plex on a Linux or Windows based PC with media on the NAS. The Intel N100/N150 based mini-PCs are popular as they are relatively low cost, draw little power, and with a Plex Pass, can transcode 4K media if needed.

You could also replace the Netgear NAS with a more recent model that supports hardware transcoding. Be aware that many consumer grade NAS still have limited transcoding abilities, especially those with ARM or AMD CPUs. If you go this route, you’ll need to do some research before purchasing a replacement for the Netgear NAS.

Look at the Plex Media Info.

The bitrate displayed in the Media column is the average bitrate for the file.

If you look at the XML Info, you will see lines with “Required Bandwidths.” Those are peak values for the media file. If they exceed the remote access streaming limit (2 Mbps for Indirect), then Plex Media Server will transcode the file to get below the limit.

Thanks for you help, I am considering upgrading my whole NAS for a TERRAMASTER F4-424 Pro NAS Storage - 4Bay Core i3-N305 8-Core 8-Thread CPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 2.5GbE Port x 2, this model seems to have good reviews for running Plex media server, so my question is can I set this system up in parallel with my existing Netgear 314 NAS and run the two systems until I’m happy setting up new libraries before I decommission and retire my old system?

Yes. You can have multiple servers on your account.

I’ve a mini-PC with a N100 CPU, the four core version of the N305. I haven’t stress tested it, but it can transcode 4K HDR video just fine. The N305 should work well for running Plex.