Opening up the LAN Networks setting ( setting it to 0.0.0.0/0 as sirianthethird suggsted ) fixes the issue. With it blank, users get buffering issues, when it’s wide open, remote users stream without problems. I tried switching it a few times to prove it.
I never switched back to a previous version of PMS.
I did have a “Limit remote stream bitrate” setting previously, but even with it wide open now, users still buffer when LAN Networks is set to blank.
Is there some bug in the newer versions of Plex that’s applying some restrictions to remote users incorrectly? Given there isn’t widespread issue with this, it might be OS or configuration specific?
Good to know! I had a feeling it was related to some kind of bug in their throttling code. I’m curious if anyone else can try now, not discounting your success of course, just looking for a wider sample.
Thank you so much for the suggestion, sirianthe3rd. Putting 0.0.0.0/0 into the LAN Networks field fixed my exact copy of this issue.
Symptoms: Starting a week or so ago, I had buffering on remote clients. Server is located (in-house) on a gigabit link - including gigabit upload. Only changes to system is server updates, which I (used to) do regularly. That is to say, I would update within a day or so of the updates being released. Remote clients (two) on different ISPs saw buffering. ISPs for all three - server and two clients - are different. Throttling/buffering is unlikely to be widespread in this way.
Two days of searching for solutions, looking into how to troubleshoot my server, and considering rebuilding - this solution 100% fixed the problem. Exhaustively tested.
Looks like the update tied this field into how throttling is done. I would expect the bug to be a typo or relative change in this setting being interpreted for local/wan distinction for bandwidth, and being mis-construed as a “keep this minimum” setting instead of “let it go” setting.
Awesome, glad to know it fixed it for you. I had a feeling it was throttling remote only connections, and looking through my connections list on my firewall, it was treating my home connection as a local connection even though it was on a different subnet. I had no issue at home. That’s when I tried adding the “all IPs” to the Local LAN field and sure enough that fixed it. I got lucky in finding it.
I totally read your original post as this being an issue with internal buffering and ran with that. Sorry about that.
Meanwhile the buffering started back up for me on the 1.12.3.4937 build…
Well I decided to do some hardware trouble shooting and it turns out that I had a bad stick of RAM. After pulling that stick the issue stopped. Replaced it and all good.
I didn’t even factor in hardware because the odds of that going bad right when I reloaded the os.
Going to update plex tonight and see how it works.
When you say Local LAN field are you talking about Network -> LAN Networks I have nothing called Local LAN
Also I really wish I could stop my server updating to the current version, I downgrade the current version to previous version, the buffering problem goes away but the server gets automatically updated over night again to the current version. Setting to public does not help
What version doesn’t have the buffering issues? I’m running Plex on a Synology NAS (so not the fastest processor to begin with), and lately some movies are unwatchable. The client just buffers indefinitely.
I can 100% confirm the ONLY thing that fixes this issue, after changing everything several times and testing, is to set the LAN Network to 0.0.0.0/0. No buffering issues at all, BUT I need to restrict (because of bandwidth restraints), and this setting overrides that as it sees all clients as LAN and not WAN. Anyone find any other fixes to this?
I’m still having the issue. At first it started working again all of sudden without making any changes. It had been working a little less than 2 weeks, but now the issue is back again… I don’t understand what is going on
I just tried the 1.13.5.5291 release under Ubuntu 16.04 LTS x64 and within 10 minutes experienced a fatal “buffering” crash which stopped the show on a gigabit wired connection to a Roku Ultra 4660.
Back to Version 1.12.2.4929 which so far is working.
I did have one remote user say they stopped using Plex (server v1.12.3.4973) because the continuous buffering issue made watching anything impossible. This person has a Comcast 75Mbps connection and Roku player, so bandwidth isn’t the issue.
Plex used to work, but as versions incremented the core issue causing this buffering problem continued to get worse.
I’m not sure what’s going on but the problem I have is periodically fixing itself on its own… Sounds weird but it was working for a week and then stopped, haven’t updated the server or anything.
For example, last night it wasn’t working but then today right now it is… I haven’t tried to watch anything or messed with the server since last night, barely even touched my computer today, then I tried playing something and it just worked again on the first try…
I guess knowing your configuration hasn’t changed is a plus.
What version of Plex are you running and on what server platform? What player(s) are you using?
I’m using Server Version 1.12.2.4929 on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS because newer versions have trouble even on my gigabit wired Ethernet with a Roku Ultra models 4660 and 4640x2.
I’m in the middle of testing other remote locations and getting mixed results with Version 1.12.2.4929. I’m trying to narrow problems to Wireless-N, Wireless-A, Wired, Comcast, Frontier, Century-Link, Roku Player & Model, Samsung TV… you get the idea. When you say -it- doesn’t work, then -it- does, a lot more information is needed. BTW, I’m not associated with Plex other than being a customer trying to understand and make -it- work.
So is this problem still in the latest versions of Plex Media Server? Also it seems the LAN network settings are only present when having a PlexPass. Does this mean the whole stream checking is not done on the non plex pass version?
I’m also working with a Synology DS918+ running Plex 1.13.5.5291 under CentOS. I’ve only been able to run it locally on my gigabit network, but it isn’t displaying problems with a newer Plex server, Roku Ultra 4660 and 4640 models running Roku SW 8.1.0-build 4145-46. Under Ubuntu 16.04 LTS x64 I run Plex 1.12.2.4929 because the newer Plex is, the more problems I experience under Ubuntu. The newest Plex versions under Ubuntu hit the buffering error problem even when viewing on my local gigabit wired network. So I am relegated to Plex versions released Apr 2018 and before.
I tried an experiment this weekend, taking a Roku Ultra 4660 60 miles away to view a movie through a 60/6 Comcast connection from my 30/30 Frontier FIOS based Plex 1.12.2.4929 server. Every 7.5 minutes the movie would start buffering. If I just continued, the buffering would continue to repeat as if some piece of software was tangled up. If I exited the 1080p Dolby Digital 5.1 4.7Mb/S movie and restarted, it would run for another 7.5 minutes, then interrupt the program with buffering activity again. I repeated this 4 times, got ~7-8 minutes every time. To remove other technical problem possibilities I used wired Ethernet from the Roku Ultra to the service modem. It didn’t seem to matter if I used Wireless-N or a wired 100BaseT full-duplex connection. I also had the same buffering problem on a SD (480p) mp3 2.0 (stereo) program occurring every 11+ minutes. I ran a speed test on their connection and got 60Mb/6Mb down/up with 10mS latency. So speed isn’t an issue unless the issue is “too fast”.
I flawlessly watched the same movie at another friends house 10 miles away on their Samsung SmartTV over Wireless-AC to a Comcast connection. In all 3 of our locations Netflix and YouTube TV work fine in high resolution through Wireless-N, Wireless-AC, and Gigabit wired connections. It is only Plex Server and with some combinations it works, combinations which involve a remote Roku and a Comcast connection do not. But at one location, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS+PMS 1.12.2.4929, playing to Comcast and Samsung SmartTV are a happy combination.
I’ve tried a lot of things and like others in this thread am concluding “it” isn’t working. We need some high level Plex technical help.
Hey I’ve got the same issue on the latest PMS 1.13.8, local streams are fine but anything remote buffers, did you ever find a resolution for this? was is 1.12.2.4929 that seemed to work best under Ubuntu?
I just loaded PMS Version 1.13.8.5395 on my Ubuntu 16.04 LTS x64 server and locally it runs fine, for 2 full length movies over gigabit Ethernet. I haven’t had a chance to do any remote testing, so your news is relevant to my effort, wish it was better news.
Under Ubuntu 16.04 LTS x64 earlier PMS versions seem to experience less problems, but no “Golden” version found yet. The buffering problems I reported in my last message were against PMS 1.12.2.4929. My experience at 3 different sites, problem sites seem to have “Comcast”, and “Roku” in common. The third site is “Comcast” and new “Samsung SmartTV” which worked perfectly using PMS 1.12.2.4929.
I’m just a user here. Plex staff are being very quiet on this one. So I assume either nobody is looking at the issue, or they are but have nothing to add to what’s already been said. This is a persistent and vexing problem documented in many threads on this site. The effect I see is my “remote” friends no longer use Plex because it doesn’t work for them. I’m the only one still using Plex. New features are great, but don’t matter if streaming doesn’t work flawlessly. Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services work flawlessly over the same “problem” connections.
The current workaround is to put a default network (0.0.0.0/0) in the remote networks field under advanced options in the Plex server networking settings. Something about the throttling mechanism in Plex server is broken, and that will basically treat all streams as local. The only bad part is that it’s up to the client to determine throttling, which may or may not be good for your use-case.
Also having issues. I’ve run through everything that I can think of. Lots of buffering reports. No consistent tends on client OS/device. No consistent reports on time of day. All pointing to something with PMS itself. Buffering reports have been coming in for about a month or two. I haven’t tried the 0.0.0.0/0 work around mentioned as I don’t want to open up quality control to users. I currently limit users to 720p/4Mbps and getting buffering reports. Even when they transcode down to 2Mpbs. I’ve tested iOS client and things seem to be stable-ish but lots of reports from tvOS and Roku. No clue what to do at this point.
EDIT: Currently no issues on internal/WAN/LAN at all.
