Managed Users lose access when "Remote Access" is disabled (even on LAN)

Plex Media Server Remote Access
1

Server Version#:4.146.0
Player Version#: 2026.5.0 (971050077)
Hi everyone,

I’m facing a persistent issue where my Managed Users (Home Users) cannot access the server at all, while the Admin account works fine. This happens both remotely (via Tailscale) and locally on the same LAN.

My Setup:

  • Server: Plex Media Server on Linux Mint (ThinkPad T430).

  • Remote Access: Manually Disabled in settings (I prefer using a VPN/Tailscale).

  • Plex Relay: Disabled (to avoid 1Mbps bandwidth throttling).

  • Clients: Various mobile devices and laptops.

The Issue:

  • Admin Account: Can connect perfectly fine, both locally and via Tailscale IP.

  • Managed Users: They receive “Server offline” or “No access” messages. This happens even when the device is on the same local network as the server.

It seems like Managed Users are being forced to authenticate through Plex.tv, and since “Remote Access” is disabled, Plex.tv tells the client the server is unreachable, ignoring the local/VPN path.

What I have already configured:

  1. LAN Networks: Set to 192.168.x.x/24,100.64.0.0/255.192.0.0 to treat local and Tailscale traffic as local.

  2. List of IP addresses allowed without auth: I added the local and Tailscale IP ranges here.

  3. Secure Connections: Set to “Preferred”.

  4. Custom server access URLs: Populated with the local IP and Tailscale IP.

Observations: If I re-enable “Remote Access” (the green light), Managed Users can connect again. But I want to keep it disabled for security/topology reasons and rely on Tailscale. It appears Managed Users are “locked out” of direct/local paths if the central Plex heartbeat for Remote Access is off.

Has anyone successfully run a “No Remote Access” server with Managed Users? How do you force the app to recognize the server locally for non-admin profiles?

Thanks for any insights!

2

Managed Users are irrelevant if you put entries in List of IP addresses allowed without auth: because they become the admin and skip the login process.

Did you verify that your server is claimed?
Terminal window enter: curl http://127.0.0.1:32400/identity and look for claimed=1

3

If your Plex Web version is 4.146.0, I believe your actual server version is 1.41.7.x which falls in the range of the restriction for managed and shared accounts due to the security issue. You can see the version under the second general section in the settings. You should update your server if that’s the case.

4

Thank you very much for the support. I have installed the latest version of the Plex server, and now everything is working perfectly.