Server Version#: 1.13.5.5332
Player Version#: 3.65.1
So my PMS defaults to transcoding any and all content to 2Mbps, 720p HD on both local and non local networks. My PMS is on a different subnet than my LAN, so I tried to add all of my local networks to ‘LAN Networks’ in the server settings, but that doesn’t change a thing. I even tried adding the IP of my player directly, but that didn’t help either. I also tried restarting the server between changes.
If PMS is transcoding everything (forced) to 2 Mpbs, this means there is no direct connection to your server from your devices/players.
Do you have a firewall active?
if so, did you open the ports ? They need be open even for local LAN traffic.
If you previously had them open, OS updates can sometimes change them (a Zone update)
If none of this is applicable, Please submit your DEBUG Log files (Settings - Server - Help - Download Logs) after recreating and lettting play for about 30 seconds then stopping playback.
Let me back up please.
PMS defaults to 2Mbps but doesn’t force me to stay on that setting. I can set the quality to Original after starting the stream. I do have pfSense but I’m fairly certain that all of the firewall rules are fine. The thing is my Plex server only has a public IP (no NAT) and any traffic going out to WAN is routed through a VPN by pfSense.
If they are on different subnets and you have no route defined, it will be routed out through plex.tv and forced to “Relay” (2 Mbps maximum)
Thank you for the amazingly quick reply btw. I do have local access to the Plex server through SSH and have default routes set in pfSense to my LAN network. I’ll recreate the issue and attach a debug log.
Here is my debug log. removed
If you open up your own zip file, then look at Plex Media Server.log, you’ll find
PMS struggling to resolve outbound connectivity.
When it gets it, it’s good. then it thinks it has lost it again.
You have a public IP and two subnets running into the server directly.
Aug 26, 2018 01:27:36.081 [0x7fec54830d40] DEBUG - * 1 lo (127.0.0.1) (loopback: 1)
Aug 26, 2018 01:27:36.081 [0x7fec54830d40] DEBUG - * 3 ens192 (10.3.3.30) (loopback: 0)
Aug 26, 2018 01:27:36.081 [0x7fec54830d40] DEBUG - * 4 ens224 (185.XXX.XXX.XXX) (loopback: 0)
Aug 26, 2018 01:28:47.431 [0x7fec447ff700] DEBUG - Request: [10.1.1.120:62747 (WAN)] GET /:/timeline?ratingKey=2778&key=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F2778&playQueueItemID=2953&state=buffering&hasMDE=1&time=4398000&duration=6775000 (10 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (Microservice)
pfSense is a powerful appliance. I resolve everything in it. It outputs to a flat LAN.
The combination of two subnets in home and the third WAN address are making this a routing nightmare at the host level.
Two subnets in the home is problematic by design. Home should be single segment. It’s ok to have a /23 subnet size to allow the math to make sense, e.g. 10.1.1.x and 10.1.2.x.
what flexibility do you have in changing the LAN addressing?
I just removed one of the 3 interfaces as it wasn’t in use. ens192 with the private IP of 10.3.3.30 is my storage interface which is on a separated VLAN only for NFS storage (where Plex gets the Media from). I set Plex to listen only on ens224. Im not really flexible in changing my LAN addressing as it’s a fairly complicated network and I already have a ton of hosts running, although most of those don’t have their own public WAN IP. I’m not entirely sure what you meant by ‘I resolve everything in it. It outputs to a flat LAN.’
Those outbound connectivity problems you were seeing were probably caused by me trying around to see if I could solve the issue by myself somehow.
“Flat” == same subnet. Either by changing addressing or broadening the subnet mask at a critical point (typically one host)
Broadcast packets do not cross subnet boundaries. This is the root cause of 10.1.x.x being seen as WAN. It must go out via Plex.tv and back in first (the WAN activity) because the host is not ON the 10.1.x.x subnet.
PMS and players use broadcast packets to find each other.
When they do, they join the multicast group and streaming is at full bitrate.
An alternative for you is to define an alias address for 10.3.3.30 (which you just removed).
Add back alias IP 10.1.1.30. This places the server directly on the 10.1.1.x LAN (assuming /24 netmask) and now able to find your players because they, on 10.1.1.x subnet, are directly visible by a single SSDP sweep
I haven’t removed 10.3.3.30. I need that for the NFS share. I used to have another interface on 10.2.2.30, while my LAN was on 10.1.1.0/24 and that worked fine for Plex, but I removed that for the sake of not having to define routing rules on the VM itself and because it’s generally best practice not having multiple interfaces on a single VM if you’re defining rules through a firewall anyways.
Is there any way around adding a third interface for local streaming again ?
No. At the core, PMS and players must have a common subnet or running on the device central to each of the necessary subnets if they are to directly communicate with each other.
Think of a layer (common subnet configuration)
Think of a star (server at the center) connected to all the necessary subnets
As long as your players are on a different subnet / don’t share a common subnet with the server, this situation will exist.
Did you make an exception for plex due to DNS rebind protection in pfSense?
Nope and I have no idea how to.
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Services - DNS Resolver - General Settings - Custom Options:
server:
private-domain: "plex.direct"
This is why I keep my LAN flat too. So much easier even with 12 systems and support hardware.
Thanks. Will that help my issue at all ?
I feel like a network separated into multiple VLANS is a lot more organized and more secure if you do it the right way.
Overkill is as bad as not organizing it.
Two types of VLAN. What you’re doing is subnetting. Do it at the MAC layer and you’re better off
At this point though, this has now exceeded the level we can support.
We can help with PMS but we aren’t professional IT support .
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