I currently run PMS on a Windows Server 2016 box.
It runs on port 21
I am forwarding connections on 21 to the static IP of the server.
Yet remote connections have become to come up as “indirect”.
I can telnet from remote machines to my home IP on 21 just fine. Looking for help in troubleshooting this issue, or a proper contact method to reach plex directly since I’m a paying customer and having zero support options is hot ■■■■■■■ garbage.
If you have telnet enabled for port 21, you can’t also use that for Plex. Choose another port.
edit:
Nevermind, thank you that gave me something to think about. I didn’t mean I was running telnet on 21, but what I didn’t think to check was to make sure nothing else was running on 21, and indeed… something else was running on 21.
Thank you!
Edit again:
Bah - that wasn’t it. I forgot Plex still runs locally on 32400, and port forwarding is sending public 21 inbound connections to local server 32400. I’ll need to keep digging.
Just out of curiosity, anyone have any luck with opening vpns ports for plex. it says its only running indirect connections, but seems to run better than ever with the exception of the first two crashes on beta Version 1.15.1.710. does not like music streams about 10-12 tracks in
Did you check with a site like canyouseeme.org to see if port 21 is open? Some ISP’s block certain common ports like 21, 80, 88, 8080, etc. Your router may also reserve some ports for known services like 21 for ftp. I would suggest using a port after 10,000 just to be sure there are no conflicts.
Thank you for the suggestion - I have the FTP port reconfigured on the router for that reason. Ultimately my config has no changed, what has changed is Plex.
What I need at this point is additional technical detail that Plex doesn’t appear to provide, and with no actual support resource I guess I’m out of luck?
Plex itself reports “Fully accessible” in one place, and indirect only in another. All of my testing indicates the port is not blocked anywhere. So basically what I need is a technical explanation of what Plex is doing to determine whether I can connect directly or not, so I can troubleshoot THAT problem.
To put it another way - my network is good, my ports are good, Plex is not good, but the only troubleshooting information available to me is the word “Indirect”.
Canyouseeme reports success on 21.
To be clear, I’m specifically trying to use a common port because:
Plex clients use random outbound ports. If your company blocks outgoing ports and only allows certain ones, Plex isn’t going to work right.
That holds true for the web version as well?
There is no way to configure that behavior?
I believe so. If you enable logging for the Web client, try connecting to your server, then save and send me that log, I can see if those connections are being blocked.
Is this “Debug logging” under web client, or is that enabled somewhere else?
Set it to enabled. Then after, click on the “here”. This brings up the logs in another web tab. Save that to a text file and send the text file.
Thank you for your help!
PlexWebDebug.txt (14 KB)
That indicates you are using a direct connection and not indirect.
Woof, so GUI bug at worst? I can live with that, and appreciate confirming!
Oh, I take it back. It is using an indirect connection. Sorry. There wasn’t much in your log and I looked at the wrong thing.
Can you get me a new log?
See attached!
PlexWebDebug_forrealthough.txt (80.5 KB)
Did you refresh the web page? I’m not seeing the info I was expecting.
I had previously and given the growth of the log, had figured it would, apologies.
Log attached.
Plexlog3.txt (84.8 KB)
No problem. Just do the exact steps and provide me that new log.
I edited instead of replying, bad form on my part - see above please 
