As the title states I just wanted to make potential new customers aware you have to have active internet connection at all times to use. Which defeats paying for this software.
This is why I will actively tell anyone I know not to pay for this software.
Accounts, the server , sharing, remote access, and most players are free so you don’t have to pay unless you want extra optional features.
Network/internet requirements are laid out here and not a secret https://support.plex.tv/articles/200484903-internet-and-network-requirements/
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While it is true an internet connection is needed to have the most seamless experience with plex, there are a few no internet howto’s on the forum that might help you.
Here is one of them.
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They were not laid out when I started using plex or when I bought the home pass or whatever it is. Plus if you look up posts about this many people have stated that with your updates you make it harder to use offline everytime. So dont give me that corporate answer bs.
Which the link you provided says most functionality will work when your internet isn’t available. I was trying to watch a movie on the same computer that the server on which also has the movies stored on it. With that type of reply you expect me to change my mind?
Even the post that plex pass posted isnt accurate. Some of the things I didnt try typing into my url because I was not lucky enough to find that post while trying to scroll on my phone.
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That article was created on Sep 27, 2013 long before your account existed or Plex Pass existed.
My main reason for posting it above was so others who may see this forum topic can get information. I’m not trying to change your mind.
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@NewPlaza
So I read the HowTo guide on using Plex without internet, but per that, it means that every device on the local network would need to have to have a static IP address assigned to any and all devices that might use Plex so that you can enter it into the field where it says “IP address/netmask” that can be used without authentication.
So, assuming that I have a family of four, and each person has a desktop, a laptop, a smartphone, a tablet, and a HTPC that runs their TV in the various and respective rooms. That means that I will have to ensure that any and all of those devices have a static IP address assigned to them so that this would be able to work, right?
This is the key takeaway that I am gathering from the HowTo guide.
And since I can’t always know or tell what device which person is going to be on when they want to be able to access PMS, therefore; I have to be able to set it up so that they can get to PMS without the internet for ALL devices.
In essence, that total defeats the entire purpose of running DHCP within my local network and this would be driven entirely by this requirement to be able to enter the specific IP address for each device that wants to be able to get to PMS if/when the internet is down.
Please correct me if I have misread or misunderstood this key takeaway from having read the HowTo.
Your help in making sure that I read and understood that HowTo correctly is greatly appreciated.
You can just enter an IP range into that spot, such as the entire internal block of IP’s that your router hands out. You don’t need to change any client IP’s.
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Oh, okay. That makes it a lot easier than. Thank you.
What would be the proper syntax then if I have two different ranges that I want to include in that field?
Suppose that I have class D IPv4 addresses .10 to .20 and then .50 to .100? How would I include both of those ranges in that field? (Assume /24 subnet mask.)
Thank you.
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See Network
Example: 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0,192.168.2.0/255.255.255.0
Note there is no space after the comma separating the ranges.
/24, etc also supported.
See also:
This helps! Thank you!
My main reason for posting is to also inform people. Like I said even the article that Plex Pass linked to is not correct anymore. When I first joined there where more work arounds and it was said, but I never confirmed, as long as you had logged in initially then if you lost internet you would be fine for a while. Looking through the many posts on this topic people keep saying that with every update the work arounds get harder and harder. Even though your company might not directly state that this platform can be used offline that is what is said by users when telling someone new about it. Which is why I made this post to potentially let new people know that you must have internet to use. I just got back on to the forums to try and test some of the other workarounds in the article link.
I haven’t tried PURPOSELY disconnecting my internet to see if PMS will still work, but it is definitely true that you do need to have an internet connection at least when you set up PMS on a new/clean install, the first time.
After that - I haven’t tested it. (As long as you’ve given the IP ranges in that network settings as mentioned above.)
I’ll have to pull the power plug from my modem to see if PMS still works without it AFTER first login/setup.
J_M_O: Hey Bill. Don’t pay for Plex! You need to be connected to the Internet for it work!
Bill: What the hell is a Plex?
J_M_O: Hey Mary. Don’t pay for Plex!..
LOL - You must be fun at parties.
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Atleast people will be informed. Lol
I see no issue here. I also tell my friends not to pay for plex. There is no real advantage if you don’t host a server.
The issue is the reason why OP is on a crusade. It’s like telling people not to buy a car because it needs gas to go.
I think that it’s more like telling people that they need to make sure that they have to have the sun/moonroof closed in the car for the car to go. Or at least completely closed for you to be able to open the door to get into the car.
Once you have the sun/moonroof closed, and you can open the door to get in, what you do with the sunroof is your business, but you still need to have the sun/moonroof closed just to be able to get in.
If your sun/moonroof is open, then you can’t get into the car to be able to do ANYTHING in the car.
I agree with the OP that this issue isn’t disclosed prior to the point of sale, so that consumers can make INFORMED decisions about what does and doesn’t work (including all of its flaws and limitations).
And I can see how this can be a bigger issue because if your internet is down and you want to try and administer your system using a device that hasn’t connected to it previously or you don’t have that network thing set up a priori, this will render the system not functional or at least it won’t let you do what you need to with it as a media server on your LAN.
If you find out the whole sun/moonroof thing AFTER you bought your car, you might be a little pissed that the car salesperson didn’t tell you that BEFORE you bought the car.
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I do agree that plex makes the assumption that their user base knows it won’t work without internet. I mean, plex talks alot about metadata and additional stuff like PlexPass features but that just leads people to think that could live without the bells and whistles.
Let’s take this page for example.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200288286-what-is-plex/
It makes no comment of needing internet. Though it is assumed.
And what about the diagram they use?
Nowhere does it have “the internet” depicted.
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Don’t get me wrong.
I’ve been using it for a little while and definitely the people who are here on the forums are VERY helpful in regards to helping you get up and running quickly.
So, to that end, it’s great.
I think that this just falls into the category of “I wished I had known before I started” bin.
But it’s here now.
And like 99.9999% of the time, this probably WON’T be an issue since many people (except, I guess the 30-ish % of people in rural America that don’t have reliable, cost-effective, high speed, broadband internet), but knowing this also meant that I knew that I needed to set up all of my systems and devices while still had internet access so that I can ensure that if and/or when my internet goes down, we’d still be able to use PMS.
Again, having said that, we are starting to get used to using PMS a bit more, and we seem to like it. And depending on how much or how well wife likes it (she’s generally NOT a particularly tech savvy person, but if there is something that is making tech useful to her, then I’d gladly pay for a PlexPass even though I won’t use ANY of the features that PlexPass actually offers as a way of supporting the Plex developers.)
Like I said though, I’ve yet to run the test where I yank the power cord from my modem to see how well PMS works without the internet, but that test might be coming soon.
Thanks.
Thank you for the link. I was able to get both of my computers to connect to plex server without internet connection today. Will work on getting my android to play videos this weekend.
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