I have a 2017 iMac and am running Catalina version 10.15.1. I have recently started using Plex with the Plex Media Server (version 1.18.2.2041) on my iMac and the Plex App on my 4th Generation Apple TV. I am having repeated issues with my Plex Media Server connecting to my library. The connection works on the day of upload of the library, but not afterwards. I get an error which reads “iMac is currently unavailable. Verify you have a network connection and that the server is online, or see our troubleshooting tips for further assistance.” I have a network connectoon and my server is online. The troubleshooting link takes me to a page titled “Why can’t the Plex app find or connect to my Plex media Server?”, but this is not my problem. My problem is that my Plex Media Server is not connecting to my library, which is stored on an external hard drive dedicated to my Plex library with a verified connection to my iMac. Regardless, when going through the troubleshooting list, I have verified I have the current version of the Plex Media Server, I am signed into my account, my VPN is disabled, I have not created any proxies (don’t know what they are), I have signed in and out of my Plex account, and then everything else is specifically related to the server connecting to an app and hence is not pertinent to my problem.
As a separate issue, I have also not been able to establish a remote access despite multiple retries. The error message reads “Not available outside your network. Your server is signed into Plex, but is not reachable from outside your network.” The links to “Troubleshooting Remote Access” are double Dutch to me and I have no idea what 95% of this page is asking me to do.
Re: playback locally…
Is there any chance you have unused or offline servers in your Plex server list? If you temporarily remove them, do you still have problems playing back locally?
I have exactly the same issue, running the latest macOS Catalina (10.15.1) on a 2018 MacMini.
I was running Plex Server server 1.18.1.1973 and when I went to upgrade to 1.18.2.2058 “sh*t” hit the fan. I was unable to update my libraries so I deleted everything and went back to 1.18.1.1973 which was working fine, but then it really got bad, I now get the message that my server is unavailable.
I am using a QNAP 16TB NAS, when the mini starts it loads the shared folders no problem. I can access the content via VLC without any problems so there is not a connectivity issue, it is , IMHO, an issue with Plex and Catalina.
I have had a similar issue with Server version 1.18.2.XXXX where the libraries would not up date, so that was the reason for going back to 1.18.1.xxxx after not receiving ANY decent solution to the issue.
Any help will be greatly appreciated as this is so bloody frustrating especially considering TIDAL works like a charm.
Thanks, bmwebb. I may give this a try. To be honest, I have been so frustrated with trying to get Plex work for me that I am putting in my time and effort in trying alternatives to Plex rather than trying to make Plex work for me. I hope everything works out for you!
If you have any luck with another platform, please report back on this thread. I’m hitting the wall myself after years of good Plex experiences, but if it’s not working, it’s not working.
I have checked the guidelines and I believe it is OK to say which alternative I have been having some sucess with at the moment. I will preface this by saying that Plex have been very responsive: I requested a refund on my premium prescription because of my technicial difficulties and this was provided without question within 24 hrs. So five stars from that perspective.
I am liking Emby at the moment. The only thing I do not like about Emby is the need to log in everytime you want to use the Emby app on Apple TV. However, like Plex, there is a downloadable app from the App Store, which is one of the factors that makes Plex and Emby so attractive compared to many of the other available options, at least to me, because these do not have apps and require complicated work arounds to make them work on Apple TV. I have not yet investigated whether Emby works with Infuse; if it does, then this may mean that a log in will not be required everytime I want to stream a movie or TV show.
