Mysterious problem accessing libraries on Android TV and iOS – but (kind of) not on MacOS

Plex Media Server
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1

Server Version#: 1.20.3.3483
Player Version#: Plex Web 4.45.0, Android TV Plex 8.7.2.20952, iOS Plex 7.8.1
Plex Media Server Logs_2020-10-26_13-19-35.zip (2.4 MB)
PlexDebugInfo-dehory-7.8.1-21949 (2020-10-26 10.49.56 -0700).zip (166.1 KB)

I have been using Plex for 4 years without any problems. However, a recent PMS change seems to have made access to my libraries very buggy, and despite extensive troubleshooting, I can’t figure out how to fix it.

On my usual client (Nebula Capsule II running Android TV 9.5.18), I keep getting “Error Loading Content” on startup. If I go to “Movies” or “TV Shows” in the sidebar, it will connect to the library. However, it will then show the “error navigating to the specified item” message if I open an item. If I clear the app data, and log into the app again, then everything starts working normally, but stops after the app quits (similar to the problem described here).

On my iPhone (iOS 14.1), I cannot connect my libraries through the Plex app or MobileSafari. I have tried logging out of the app and logging back in, and also deleting the app and reinstalling. If I open https://app.plex.tv, I can log into my account but not my libraries. The Plex app has the local network setting enabled. http://192.168.1.10:32400/web/index.html does not load at all. I have no problem accessing the Synology NAS at http://192.168.1.10:5001.

Mysteriously, on my MacBook Pro, I can view my libraries on http://192.168.1.10:32400/web/index.html without any issue. I do not need to log in. However, Plex Web at https://app.plex.tv/desktop does not show my libraries.

I have manually set “192.168.1.0/24” in the list of authorised IP addresses. My MacBook Pro and iPhone are both on 192.168.1.x. Local network discovery (GDM) and Relay are enabled in PMS. Secure connections is preferred. Restarting the server doesn’t help.

I have not made any recent changes to my router or LAN settings. Jumbo Frames is disabled.

I tried entirely deleting my PMS installation and starting a new installation/database. This made no difference.

Out of desperation, I tried installing the earlier version of PMS (1.18.5.2309) in Synology’s Package Center. Bizarrely, Plex Web at https://app.plex.tv/desktop then starts to work on my MacBook Pro – and movie/TV files are opening OK on the Android TV Plex app (although I’m still getting “Error Loading Content” on startup)… However, I still cannot get iOS Plex app or MobileSafari browser access to the server.

What on earth could be going on??

3

Thanks for the quick reply.

Before I try those steps, would you recommend that I update back up to 1.20.3.3483, or stay on the downgraded 1.18.5.2309 that seems to be working slightly better?

5

Unfortunately, your suggested steps didn’t make any difference. (I suspected they might not because I’d already tried wiping my Plex install and creating a totally new one, which creates a new Preferences.xml in the process.)

However, they did prompt me to do some more digging in the settings, which seems to have narrowed down the issue – some kind of misconfiguration with secure connections.

After setting Advanced > Allow insecure connections to Always on the Android TV, and setting Network > Secure connections to Disabled in Plex Web (https://app.plex.tv/desktop), those clients are able load the libraries.

(I cannot figure out how to do the equivalent on the iOS app – neither of these settings help me access PMS on the app or in MobileSafari. And as I said before, I don’t have any problem accessing 192.168.1.10:5001 to get into my NAS, but cannot connect to 192.168.1.10:32400. It seems like PMS is blocking my iPhone…)

After a couple of hours, the Android TV and Plex Web lose access to the libraries until I toggle those settings again. The Android TV still shows Advanced > Allow insecure connections as Always, but if I turn it to Never and then back to Always, it is then able to connect to the server.

Any suggestions on how to fix this permanently? I have attached the latest logs which should reflect the clients’ disconnection and reconnection from PMS.

Plex Media Server Logs_2020-10-26_19-51-13.zip (2.8 MB)

7

That seems like it might have fixed the problem with the Android TV app and Plex Web…but my iPhone still cannot see any of the libraries. I have tried logging out and back in, and the Plex server shows online.

What else could I try?

9

Yes, they are. I have attached the logs from my iPhone right after logging out and logging back in (server shows online in the app).

PlexDebugInfo-dehory-7.8.1-21949 (2020-10-27 16.55.33 -0700).zip (288.7 KB)

11

Wow, thanks!

It was a firewall setting problem in DSM – I’d restricted the allowed IPs to a certain pool of designated ones, and with the new MAC address randomization feature in iOS 14, my iPhone was no longer assigned a fixed IP. I opened up the firewall rule to include all IPs in the subnet, and iOS Plex started working again.

One more strange bug that I’m noticing with all my troubleshooting: every time I load the local Plex Web client at 192.168.1.10:32400, it forgets my pinned sources and just shows a blank home screen. When I click “More”, it shows the Plex Server libraries. However, when I pin them, next time I load the client, it is blank again.

This just started happening in the last couple of days as I was tweaking various settings. I’ve tried going to Plex Web—General settings and resetting the customization. However, this does not help.

Any suggestions?

13

The browser isn’t deleting cookies when closed, and I’m actually not closing the browser between instances of the client forgetting the settings.

15

It just happened when I left the original tab open, and opened a second one. The original tab shows the home screen with the pinned libraries. The second tab shows a blank home screen.

17

Chrome, just in a normal tab

The strange thing is that app.plex.tv doesn’t have this issue – only 192.168.1.10.

19

That worked!

20

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