Plex Media Server cannot access media on Synology NAS DSM 7

[rob_hooi]

Server Version#: 1.25.8.5663-7000
Player Version#:

Yesterday I upgraded by Synology to DSM 7. Since then plex is unable to access my media files that are stored on my NAS. I have updated permissions for the new ‘PlexMediaServer’ account on the ‘PlexMediaServer’ Shared Folder, and on the Shared Folders that hold my media.

Somehow, the server seems unable to access my media files. When logging in to Plex using a browser I get an error message "No soup for you! You don’t have access to this server’ (see attachment).

Anybody who knows what to to?

[ChuckPa]

@rob_hooi

. I have updated permissions for the new ‘PlexMediaServer’ account on the ‘PlexMediaServer’ Shared Folder, and on the Shared Folders that hold my media.

Please do not attempt to set any permissions on the PlexMediaServer shared folder.
DSM maintains the permissions.

Also, Please do not create a PlexMediaServer user account. An “Internal System User” PlexMediaServer already exists.

The PlexMediaServer shared folder is more strict in DSM 7. It cannot be used for anything except the package itself.

I would like you to manually get the log files

1. Stop Plex
2. Open FileStation → PlexMediaServer/AppData/Plex Media Server
3. Right-Click Logs → Compress to Logs.zip
4. Download that ZIP file
5. Attach here so I can see what the problem is.

Setting permissions for your Media:

Synology FAQ - Questions, Answers, and a few How-To's

FAQ 29 - DSM 7 - Give PlexMediaServer access to your media When you migrate to DSM 7, or are installing a server for the first time, folks forget to read the popup at the end of every installation which tells them about how to set permissions. This FAQ shows in detail how to do what those instructions state. When might you need to perform these steps? When upgrading, changing permissions from Plex to PlexMediaServer is overlooked. Installing Plex for the first time, new installation…

[rob_hooi]

Hi ChuckPa,

Thank you for your quick reply. Please find attached the log file as you requested.

Regards
Logs.zip (1023.5 KB)

[ChuckPa]

@rob_hooi

Thank you for the logs.

I see a bunch of problems:

1. Your DSM DNS settings (connectivity to your gateway modem/router) are not correct. This is why you can’t authenticate & log in.

Apr 04, 2022 14:22:47.943 [0x7f6147020b38] WARN - [HttpClient] HTTP error requesting GET http://plex.tv/pms/:/ip (6, Couldn't resolve host name) (Could not resolve host: plex.tv)

2. Your shared folders have not given Plex permission to read them. (DSM 6 used the username Plex. DSM 7 uses the System Internal User PlexMediaServer)

Apr 04, 2022 14:22:52.976 [0x7f6147075b38] ERROR - Couldn't check for the existence of file "/volume1/Music/Public/.grab": boost::filesystem::status: Permission denied: "/volume1/Music/Public/.grab"
Apr 04, 2022 14:22:52.977 [0x7f6147075b38] ERROR - Couldn't check for the existence of file "/volume1/TV Shows/Public/.grab": boost::filesystem::status: Permission denied: "/volume1/TV Shows/Public/.grab"

To fix your media shared folder permissions:

Synology FAQ - Questions, Answers, and a few How-To's

FAQ 29 - DSM 7 - Give PlexMediaServer access to your media When you migrate to DSM 7, or are installing a server for the first time, folks forget to read the popup at the end of every installation which tells them about how to set permissions. This FAQ shows in detail how to do what those instructions state. When might you need to perform these steps? When upgrading, changing permissions from Plex to PlexMediaServer is overlooked. Installing Plex for the first time, new installation…

The installer reminds of this change when installing the package on the final popup “Successful” popup

[sora3087]

I have an extremely similar problem.

Server Version#: 4.78.2 (on Synology)
Player Version#: Plex for LG 5.34.2

I have PMS network preferred to eth0 (192.168.1.2 static) instead of VPN
I set the netmask as 192.168.1.1/24 for both “LAN networks” and unauthenticated IP range
And set 192.168.1.2:32400 as a “Manual server” in the Plex for LG app

If my VPN connection is active on the Synology NAS then the LG apps fail to connect. Phones and web browsers can still access by http://192.168.1.2:32400 and from https://app.plex.tv/desktop

[ChuckPa]

@sora3087

The above is a permissions issue with a DNS issue.

You have a VPN/Networking issue. They are not related.

VPNs on Synology with Plex is , frankly stated, a nightmare.

PMS will easily work with the VPN if you manually configure the routing tables
The problem you’re facing is DSM. DSM 7 doesn’t easily let you do it.

You can manually ‘hack’ (add at the command line) a few routes to make it work but there’s no guarantee DSM will keep them from restart to restart.

There is a race condition which occurs.

1. PMS looks at the WAN IP of your modem router
2. The VPN exit address is somewhere else.

Which do you choose.

A way around this is to have a DDNS update with your VPN exit IP when the VPN starts. You tell PMS to also advertise the DDNS access FQDN. You then have everything external access the FQDN

[sora3087]

@ChuckPa

PMS will easily work with the VPN if you manually configure the routing tables
The problem you’re facing is DSM. DSM 7 doesn’t easily let you do it.

Yea I am on DSM 7 and I suspected this was a routing issue.

Synology provides a “synology.me” DDNS that does update with the proper VPN public IP., but but that doesn’t matter. I assume I need it to use only my ISP public IP and I don’t know how to do that.

[rob_hooi]

Hi ChuckPa,

Thank you for your help.

To start with the issue of the permissions on the Shared Folder:
Both my ‘TV Shows’ and ‘Music’ Shared Folders are setup to give Read/Write access to the account ‘PlexMediaServer’ (see attachments). As you can see in the screenshots, there is also no button to ‘Create’ the new Permission rules. Am I missing something or doing something wrong?

Regarding the DSM DNS settings: when I approach my NAS from outside my network, the Synology Webclient opens and I can login. So I thin my DNS settings are fine. Only thing that changed, is that my DNS hosting was transfered to another provider. This new provider uses different DNS servers, which may not match with what has been registered at plex.tv. If this is the problem: is there a way to solve it?

Kind regards!

[ChuckPa]

@rob_hooi

Permissions.

I have seen where the shared folder permissions are correct however the files inside are not.

When you exit that screen (saving), the next page should have an option to “Apply to this folder, sub-folders, and files”.

Please click that option and then OK it.

Doing so will propagate the permissions of the share down to each file/folder inside.

Let’s see what this does then we’ll look at the next issue.

[ChuckPa]

Here is an easy way to add the permissions for all files in the shared folder.

1. File Station
2. Right-Click on the shared folder
3. → Properties
4. Permissions tab
5. Confirm all the permissions are correct (Create if you need to add something)
6. Check “Apply to this folder , sub-folders, and files”
7. SAVE

It will apply to everything.

This page

[rob_hooi]

Hi ChuckPa,

I just tried the procedure you described above. I see two differences:

• Below the menu bar (‘General’, ‘Permissions’, ‘Advanced Permissions’), I don’t see the buttons (‘Create’, ‘Delete’, ‘Edit’, ‘Advanced Options’).
• The checkbox ‘Apply to this folder, subfolder and files’ is also not shown.

Is there a way to fix his, or another way to propogate the permissions down to folders, subfolders and files?

See the attachment.

[ChuckPa]

@rob_hooi

Thanks for the screenshots.

I think I see where you missed what I’m saying.

1. You clicked TV Shows
2. It looks like you clicked something else after that ??

I did the following:

1. Clicked acl-test
2. Right-Click acl-test → Properties

I tried to screenshot the process.

1. Right-click the shared folder , see “Properties”
   

   

2. Left-click “Properties”. See the properties page open
   

   

3. Look in the lower left corner of the popup. This is where the checkbox is.

4. See also the “Create” button where you can add “PlexMediaServer” to the list if it’s not already showing there.

[rob_hooi]

Hi ChuckPA,

I did everything as you described: left click the Shared Folder (‘TV Shows’ in my case). Then right-click the ‘Shared Folder’ and choose ‘Properties’. Then the window pops up. Click on ‘Permissions’. As you can see in the video the buttons in the top of the screen are missing, as well as the checkbox in de bottom left corner.

Is it possible to set the correct persmissions on the Linux level?

Kind regards
Video.zip (3.7 MB)

[ChuckPa]

@rob_hooi

Thanks. I see what’s happening.

You are looking at Local User . You have user Plex selected.

DSM 7 changed this.

1. System Internal User - Click on “Local User” and change to “System Internal User”
2. Username is “PlexMediaServer”. Delete username “Plex” (Control Panel - Users)

When you have selected “PlexMediaServer” and “Save” that, you return to the previous page.

You should now be able to “Apply to this folder, sub-folders, and files”.

[rob_hooi]

Thank you. I have deleted the ‘Plex’ user, but I am afraid that the buttons and checkbox also don’t show up when ‘System Internal user’ is selected, as you can see in the video I attached.

Video2.zip (5.5 MB)

[rob_hooi]

I do get the buttons and checkbox when I select another Shared Folder like ‘PlexMediaServer’. See attachment. Is there a difference of some kind between my Shared Folders ‘TV Shows’ and ‘PlexMediaServer’?

[ChuckPa]

There is a big difference functionally between the two.

1. Media folders (“TV Shows”, etc) are yours.
2. “PlexMediaServer” is mine. I store all your server data in there (metadata). I did it this way for several reasons:

• DSM 7 default location is to hide the metadata. Makes backup & restore almost impossible. The only way to make easy backup & restore is a Shared Folder.
• We needed to change the username (DSM 7 restriction).
• We needed to change the package name
• We needed to process (migrate) DSM 6 metadata to DSM 7 - Plex → PlexMediaServer

What we ended up with:

1. Package name: PlexMediaServer. (Displays as “Plex Media Server”)
2. Username: PlexMediaServer (DSM 7 imposed - System Internal User)
3. Shared Folder: PlexMediaServer (to keep with the naming theme)
4. Restructed “PlexMediaServer” metadata folder so folks wouldn’t put media in it.

What this gives you:

1. Any and all media you have in the Plex share can stay there. It’s free for you to use or delete as you wish.
2. We have all metadata contained, with no media in it, in its new location after being processed for DSM 7.

[rob_hooi]

Hi ChuckPA,

I understand why there is a difference between both types of Shared Folders and I also think that this is an improvement.

What can I do to fix this issue? Should I create a new ‘TVShows’ Shared Folders (with a slightly different name), and configure the permissions as mentioned? And then move my content to this new Shared Folder?

Or is there another way forward?

Thank you very much for all your help so far! I really appreciate this.

[ChuckPa]

You can create any structure you like.

There are two common philosophies.

1. One master shared folder with sub-folders

Media/
  Movies/
  TV/
  Home Videos/
  Children-TV/
  Children-Movies/
  Animated Movies/      (animated movies the whole family can enjoy)

2. The next method is each of these sub folders is its own shared folder.

Movies/
Television/
Animated Movies/
Home Videos/
Children TV/
Children Movies/

It all depends on how you like to organize your media.

In both cases, you create a library section for each type / classification.
This way, you have control of access (for small children’s sake)

As long as you keep your media files out of PlexMediaServer, everything will work correctly.

[muro78]

I have Synology 220J NAS, I have updated to DSM 7. I have loaded deleted and reload the Plex Media Server. I have done both the manual install and the Beta install that comes with the NAS. The setup wizard does not come up, it just loads the program. I have set the permission as stated above but I still unable to set up the server. When I use the Beta, once loaded it tells me I need to download the Plex Media Server and when I manually install it displays “No Soup for You”.