Often, but not always, when I start Plex on my TV with my Roku, I get the following message when I try to go to my local downloaded movies: “Mini is unavailable. Please verify that the server is running and has a network connection…” Pressing “Retry Connection” does not work.
I know that the server is running because I can run downloaded movies on Plex on my Mac Mini, which is the server. Inexplicably, Plex may later come back on my Roku, and it works just fine. How do I get the server to work on my TV with the Roku all the time? Very frustrating!
If we use a Mac Mini or Studio as a server, a couple of issues face a default install
All Macs have a pretty short time to sleep once the monitor is off.
External USB or TB storage doesn’t stay mounted.
Before yesterday I’ve only run my Plex Media Server on Linux. So I’m not 100% sure about the two solutions, but in your Apple Settings > Energy Saver > Prevent Mac From Sleeping you can fix the first one and maybe more on that Pane. The goal is to keep it always on.
The latter problem I recently read about here, maybe an App store autofs sort of thing was the answer. I know a few people have posted the app name on these forums, but I forget it.
Thank you. I’ll take a look at my settings. But there are times when I went to the Mac to try the server there and it was working, but when I went back to the Roku, the TV still showed the server not connected. How could the server be connected on the Mac but not on the Roku, especially when it was working before in both places?
okay if it’s not sleeping, we would need to understand your network and start casting a net over a wide range.
Describe your network in gory detail, models of hardware etc, versions of operating systems, and software.
Your question of how could it work at one point then not then come back, big question. The issue can be wireless signal loss, hardware overheating, failing hardware, misconfiguration of the network, software failings, user error.
An example of a nasty issue, many WiFi 6 routers had a bad chipset in 2020, giving intermittent connection to certain devices.
I have a simple connection via a TrendNet switch from my Mac Mini to the Roku. No wireless. The switch is connected to an Orbi router. I go from the Mini and Orbi to the switch and from the switch to the Roku. All the connections are tight.
I am on MacOS Monterey version 12.4. Does this help?
What model Roku exactly? Is it on the list? If so then we should move on to Roku Logs.
Let us know if you have questions. Once you get the client log(s), hopefully that article says to right click and “compress” them into a zip, then drag and drop that zip file into your compose window here.
Great. Not sure if you intend to sanitize your personal information out of the log before uploading, but I do with mine. I use a text editor and Find & Replace my email, username, external IP, computer names, anything after token= that looks your real code.
It happened again, but I could find no setting on the Roku Ultra for settings>advanced>logging. Thus, I could not save the log. However, I noticed that when I looked at the Mac Mini that it had inexplicably logged me out. Once I logged back in on the Mac Mini and restarted the Plex server, my shows came back. Strange.
It looks like the problem has something to do with the Plex server shutting down on the Mac unexpectedly. Thoughts?
So it’s logging you out and not sleeping? No ideas on that except is it headless? If there’s a monitor, are you turning it off? Maybe you just need a dummy HDMI plug from Amazon?
Yes, it appears that the Mac is logging me out. And yes, I turn the monitor off but I have the switch on that says to prevent the Mac from sleeping when the display is off.
