Good evening all. I've been using PlexConnect for sometime now and have only recently begun experiencing this issue. I used to run pms from my Mac laptop, but move it to a dedicated Windows desktop a couple of months ago. The process was riddled with issues, but all eventually worked out and I had no problems until a couple weeks back. Currently, with my DNS server set to the IP of my PMS, I can access my flex server, but can no longer access almost any other app/channel. If I change my DNS to my routers IP or any other DNS (8.8.8.8 or 208.67.222.222, for example) I regain use of those channels, but obviously lose access to Plex. I've tried all three DNS servers (router IP and the two I just mentioned) in the .cfg file, and each has worked for a day or two, but the odd behavior always returns. Here are my specs:
ATV3 - 7.0(6897.5)
ATV DNS - 192.168.20.99
PMS/PlexConnect Device IP - 192.168.20.99
Desktop PC - Windows 7 HP SP1
PMS 0.9.1101
Note - for some reason, the forum won't allow me to upload to .cfg file. Here are it's contents:
The DNS was set to 8.8.8.8 when this issue originally started. I then tried 208.67.222.222, then my router's IP. In all instances, the same issue would eventually start happening.
What I don't understand in the .cfg is why ip_pms = 192.168.178.10. That isn't something I've altered, as I haven't a clue what that IP is, nor have I ever used that particular scheme.
When I set my ATV's DNS to 10.0.1.9 (iMac running PMS) Plex works perfectly, but netflix or any other app does not work.
When I set my ATV's DNS to automatic, it picks up my Airport Extreme's ip 10.0.1.1 and everything works great except, obviously, plex.
This started happening since about 3 weeks ago or so. Been running flawlessly for more than a year prior to this. Nothing in my setup has changed.
Suggest you start your own thread with all the details in the "READ BEFORE POSTING" pinned thread, specifically the section on How to report a problem. WIthout this we are just guessing.
Any progress on this issue? Same happens to me. Can’t access Netflix, so have to change ATV DNS back to 8.8.8.8. This used to work fine, without having to toggle the DNS back and forth between the IP address of my PMS and 8.8.8.8. It’s only been recently that this has popped up.
Any progress on this issue? Same happens to me. Can't access Netflix, so have to change ATV DNS back to 8.8.8.8. This used to work fine, without having to toggle the DNS back and forth between the IP address of my PMS and 8.8.8.8. It's only been recently that this has popped up.
I was having the same issue. I changed the DNS from 8.8.8.8 to OpenDNS 208.67.222.222 and restarted PlexConnect (I have it running as a service, so I had to stop it and restart it). That seems to have fixed the problem. I think it takes a little while for it to update, but Ill let you know later if it is still working.
I'm going to bring this back up because I'm still having this issue to this day. Moreover, in the last two weeks, I've had two friends that also use plexconnect say they're having the exact same issue. To recap, if I want to use Plex, I have to set the ATV DNS to the IP of the machine running PlexConnect/PMS. Plex then works fine, but I lose all ability to connect to any other app (Netflix, Hulu, FXNow, etc...) that streams via the Internet. To access those, I change my DNS back to automatic and we're good, except I obviously lose access to Plex. I've tried setting various DNS servers within PlexConnect (8.8.8.8, 208.67.222.222, 192.168.20.1 - gateway IP) and all work for an hour or two, then revert to the described behavior. All of my logs and pertinent data are listed in my original post in this thread.
At this point, I'm seriously considering a dedicated device for Plex given the issues over the last 6 weeks. It's become a major nuisance to change network setting depending on what I want to do with my Apple TV. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Sounds like your ISP doesn't like you to use netflix or other apps. Where are you located? Cant you find a good site to find a good DNS to use to get around this and enter that into your edited Settings.cfg and then restart PlexConnect to test?
Using your ISP's, Gateway's or geo-unblocker service DNS server on the ATVPlexConnect is setup by default to use Google's public DNS server to route all DNS enquiries for the other ATV apps, however because this hides your location from the content delivery networks you may find that some of the other applications slow down as content is not served from the nearest location to you.
Alternatively may also wish to change this setting to make use of a DNS geo-unblocking service.
This can be changed to e.g. your ISP DNS server by editing the following line:
ip_dnsmaster = 8.8.8.8
Google this: netflix dns maybe you can find a good DNS to use for your Settings.cfg
>>The DNS was set to 8.8.8.8 when this issue originally started. I then tried 208.67.222.222, then my router's IP. In all instances, the same issue would eventually start happening.
"eventually"... so you are saying at first it works? Any chance your PlexConnect host is going down/falling asleep?
That was my initial thought, but I verified the settings to make sure it wasn't falling offline. I also ran a simple ping test with no timeout directed to the PlexConnect/PMS machine to ensure it's always visible on the network and saw no issues. Finally, I do share my plex library, which is hosted locally on that same machine, with my father. He watches movies all-day-every-day and doesn't have issues, so I don't see it being a sleep or power issue.
I've had this problem intermittently and usually when I do, I have either restarted my aTV, or restarted PlexConnect - fixes the problem till the next time. No idea why it occurs, but have a workaround for when it does
I too have been seeing this issue. Everything worked on all 3 of my Apple tv's (Two gen 2, One gen 3) until about 3 weeks ago. Now I have to set the DNS on the ATV from manual to Auto if I want to use any of the apps that connect to the internet (hbogo, netflix, etc)
Must be something that got pushed to the apple tv's right? They get new apps on there all the time without us updating them so maybe it can be patched silently to a security update without updating the firmware?!?
I have the same issue, having just signed up to Netflix Australia. Netflix *requires* a connection to the router, it seems. Or rather, its own connection to the internet, which it cannot get via the manual IP we have set for PlexConnect/OpenPlex to use. Its one or the other. However, as I have been sitting here I am wondering if activating an internet share on the computer would solve the issue. I should be heading for bed, but before I do, I'll have a look and see how it goes.
Please refrain from using the word PlexConnect/OpenPlex together. OpenPlex is a helper app that assists users to install PlexConnect on OS X that is all. From that point forward PlexConnect is doing all the work to give you plex content on your aTV. It just adds confusion for others. The issue is with your DNS in settings.cfg, your Mac going to sleep, network dropouts (Wifi/Ethernet/ network Equipment), or some other unforeseen issue (aTV rare*). The only issue with PlexConnect's settings could be the DNS in settings.cfg that can be altered to a working DNS which really isn't a issue with plexconnect but your ISP/working DNS address. I highly doubt apple has pushed a silent update to block this from working. The only reason new apps are pushed to your aTV is when a new storeFront is loaded with new apps from apple which are really just http/https webservers serving content or you update your aTV to newer firmware thus loading new features/apps.
@kiteflyer you have a aTV2 that you can jb and have your DNS set to auto on the atv, have a dedicated plexconnect app (great for traveling) and working netflix. Using the old Plex app on older firmwares 4.x-5.0.2 was discontinued for a reason. It caused constant reboots when playing 720/1080 content. The same goes for kodi (xbmc) on aTV2 discontinued, constant reboots. So unless you plan on only watching 480p content I wouldn't bother with the 4.x-5.0.2 Plex App or Kodi. The only thing that saved my aTV2's was PlexConnect since it plays content natively on the aTV2 and doesn't cause reboots like the old Plex App and Kodi/XBMC did since the aTV2 runs out of its limited 256mb of memory which is not anyone but apples fault for building a cheap device with no memory. The aTV3 doesn't have much more @512mb and I have crashed it multiple times (50+) on both aTV3 revisions using the heavier skins (themes). Most people don't know the original aTV3 had a dual core processor with one core closed (why?), the new aTV3 rev A has a single core only (why would you downgrade the core? Power saving why?). Sad to say unless apple steps up the game hardware wise I don't see how the aTV 3 could ever handle any real heavy applications from what I have seen, if it gets a app store it will likely be limited at best and @ that time a aTV4 will likely be out in the wild. Hopefully they will make a real device with some real processing power and memory but my guess (I hope I'm wrong) will be a 1gb dual core with a app store. I just can't believe the AFTV has a quad core with 2GB of memory for $100 US-$. The AFTV stick is still better hardware wise 1GB memory with a dual core processor for a mere $20 US-$ for prime $40 US-$ for non prime compared to the current aTV 2/3 models. Why doesn't apple just release different hardware models of the aTV4 I would buy one with more memory/processing power :)
Please refrain from using the word PlexConnect/OpenPlex together. OpenPlex is a helper app that assists users to install PlexConnect on OS X that is all. From that point forward PlexConnect is doing all the work to give you plex content on your aTV. It just adds confusion for others. The issue is with your DNS in settings.cfg, your Mac going to sleep, network dropouts (Wifi/Ethernet/ network Equipment), or some other unforeseen issue (aTV rare*). The only issue with PlexConnect's settings could be the DNS in settings.cfg that can be altered to a working DNS which really isn't a issue with plexconnect but your ISP/working DNS address. I highly doubt apple has pushed a silent update to block this from working. The only reason new apps are pushed to your aTV is when a new storeFront is loaded with new apps from apple which are really just http/https webservers serving content or you update your aTV to newer firmware thus loading new features/apps.
@kiteflyer you have a aTV2 that you can jb and have your DNS set to auto on the atv, have a dedicated plexconnect app (great for traveling) and working netflix. Using the old Plex app on older firmwares 4.x-5.0.2 was discontinued for a reason. It caused constant reboots when playing 720/1080 content. The same goes for kodi (xbmc) on aTV2 discontinued, constant reboots. So unless you plan on only watching 480p content I wouldn't bother with the 4.x-5.0.2 Plex App or Kodi. The only thing that saved my aTV2's was PlexConnect since it plays content natively on the aTV2 and doesn't cause reboots like the old Plex App and Kodi/XBMC did since the aTV2 runs out of its limited 256mb of memory which is not anyone but apples fault for building a cheap device with no memory. The aTV3 doesn't have much more @512mb and I have crashed it multiple times (50+) on both aTV3 revisions using the heavier skins (themes). Most people don't know the original aTV3 had a dual core processor with one core closed (why?), the new aTV3 rev A has a single core only (why would you downgrade the core? Power saving why?). Sad to say unless apple steps up the game hardware wise I don't see how the aTV 3 could ever handle any real heavy applications from what I have seen, if it gets a app store it will likely be limited at best and @ that time a aTV4 will likely be out in the wild. Hopefully they will make a real device with some real processing power and memory but my guess (I hope I'm wrong) will be a 1gb dual core with a app store. I just can't believe the AFTV has a quad core with 2GB of memory for $100 US-$. The AFTV stick is still better hardware wise 1GB memory with a dual core processor for a mere $20 US-$ for prime $40 US-$ for non prime compared to the current aTV 2/3 models. Why doesn't apple just release different hardware models of the aTV4 I would buy one with more memory/processing power :)
You know, I don't have much of a clue about what you are saying. My reference to Plex connect and openplex was probably more a reflection of my own confusion, don't castigate me for it. Almost everyone else has a better understanding than I do. Who's downgrading cores? Not me, so I'm not sure who you are addressing those remarks to. perhaps a new paragraph would have clarified. I have two AppleTVs, a 2 and a 3. I don't get reboots any longer on the 2, using the Plex app. I don't care that its not supported anymore, it works for me.
Plex Connect is not working since Netflix arrived because plexconnect needs the IP of the plex server (hardly surprising) and Netflix needs to connect direct to the internet and rejects the IP set for plexconnect. So you csan have one or the other but not both. For now, I am choosing to run Plex on my old ATV2, and Netflix on my ATV3. Or both on my Samsung hub. Depending on my mood.
And, just to clarify... I'm so addicted to Netflix and Stan (Australian stream) that Plex has taken a back seat this week, and probably will continue to, for some time to come.
