Server Version#: Version 1.18.5.2309
Player Version#:
I have a Synology DS1821. I have configured an OpenVPN connection through PIA using a self-made config file that works just fine through DSM 6.2.4.
At this point, REMOTE ACCESS in PLEX shows my VPN for my public address, however, the connection is not accessible because I haven’t routed PLEX DNS over WAN Routes.
When I attempt to route, Plex is fully accessible outside my network, however, it now lists my IP address (and no longer VPN) for my public address.
I have all ports properly routed including Plex on 32400 and a separate VPN port with an external port of 32322, which I manually specify as my public port in Plex.
I want to have Plex accessible outside my network but running through my VPN. I successfully had this setup for years, until a few weeks ago.
Thanks for your response.
In order for Plex to work through a VPN in Synology, you must static route the Plex domain DNS’s.
By doing so, it allows for Plex to be “fully accessible outside your network.”
My issue is, this alone used to be enough for Plex to recognize my Public address as my VPN IP. For some reason, last month, that changed and now it only recognizes my actual IP.
You were right in the sense that it was a recipe for inconsistency, but only about 2x per year. Im hoping by writing the DNS domains directly into the config, it eliminates the need to keep up with Plexs’ changing IP’s
I guess the question is, in Plex when it lists your Public IP, is that the IP that the remote clients are connecting to?
If that is the case, then I can only assume that Plex is not connecting through VPN at all.
If that is not the case, and the remote client is connecting to an IP address:port that belongs to the VPN provider, then I should be ok because that would mean my IP is only going out to the VPN provider?
If a Plex client with address 198.18.17.16 connects to you, you won’t have a “via the VPN” route for 198.18.17.16. Response packets from Plex will take the default route via the LAN/WAN router, where they won’t match a firewall table entry, and they’ll be dropped.
It’s important for ALL Plex traffic, or none of it, to be routed through the VPN.
I’m not a Syno expert, but I doubt it’s possible to route “all Plex traffic, but just Plex traffic” through the VPN.
I guess the question is, in Plex when it lists your Public IP, is that the IP that the remote clients are connecting to?
If that is the case, then I can only assume that Plex is not connecting through VPN at all.
If that is not the case, and the remote client is connecting to an IP address:port that belongs to the VPN provider, then I should be ok because that would mean my IP is only going out to the VPN provider?
Im just confused as to why this worked for me for about 2 years, before it now doesnt.
That’s the address that the Plex Cloud detects when connections come FROM the Plex server.
Most of the time that’s also the IP address that clients can connect to for Remote Access. So it’s a clever way for Plex to figure out what address to publish for Remote Access.
Trying to add selective routing makes this hard.
It’s easy enough to publish the address you want clients to connect to, and they’ll connect to it.
But with the VPN and selective routing, you need to be able to send packets back to them over the VPN too.
And there’s no way to do that. What IP addresses will remote clients have, that should route through the VPN?
I believe this is what I am doing, as my Synology is my standalone server constantly running through a VPN. Plex Server is also running through the Synology.
You are way more advanced in this stuff than I am, so forgive me if I am incorrect.
