Server Version#:PlexMediaServer-1.18.5.2309-f5213a238-armv7hf_neon
Player Version#:Most Current for ROKU
Hi; This has been happening to me since lost November. My current setup is to run Plex Media Server on a Synology NAS (DS218j), with my libraries on the same Syno NAS. I have a Ruku Ultimate connected to one TV and the other TV is a Roku TV.
All devices have been up and running since May 2019, no issues. Since last November (about 4 releases ago?) every time I try to update Plex on my NAS, it will usually work fine. I can open up Plex Media Server on the NAS and can see and play all my libraries. HOWEVER, both the Roku TV and the Roku Ultimate can no longer connect to the NAS. When I open Roku on one of them, it gets to the screen where you can chose Video or Audio or Photos, and just sits there waiting for the server to connect. It never does. In the past, I have removed the new Plex Media Server from the NAS (ie Stop then Uninstall), and manually reinstall the old version (I saved a copy of that version), and everything is back to the way it was, working everywhere.
Up until now, I tried to track down the problem on these forums and other forums before rolling back, but never did find a solution that works for me. This morning I tried to update to the newest version. This time I was not so lucky. This time, as usual, the Roku box and tv could not find the server as per usual, but this time, the Plex Media Server running on the NAS itself, where my libraries are located, could not find the server!
I tried researching again, but could not find an answer that fixed any of the problems. So I rolled back to my old old old version of PMS (1.18.0) and I was still hooped! PMS and the Roku devices are all unable to find the server.
I am officially at a loss as to how to fix this. If anyone could give me some suggestions that I can try, it would be greatly appreciated.
Some questions…
- Are you using the Plex for Roku client or are you accessing your media through DLNA?
- Can you access your server from any other client? From your post I take it, you can directly connect and play from Plex Web… any other clients?
When you say you get to the step “where you can chose Video or Audio or Photos”… are you referring to selecting a library or the type of media?
Just trying to verify you’re not stuck in some age-old version of Plex for Roku which is not yet using the current UI (pinnable libraries in the main navigation). The latest version should be 6.4.10 (released about 10 days ago).
Hi Tom;
Thanks for helping. To answer you questions first.
I run Plex Media Server on the Synology NAS, and run Roku client on one TV and Box connected to the other TV. No DLNA.
I can access the server from my other computers both windows, android and linux (ie file explorer) and if I double click on of the movies, it plays on the computer. It a simple set up…PMS on the NAS, clients access the NAS via the Roku clients running on their end. All on the same home network, no remote access at all.
The step I get stuck on when using the clients is where it asks you what type of media you want to play. This is the first screen that you see when you start the Roku player on the TV or Roku box. You can choose All, or Movies or Photos etc. No mater what type of media I select, the next thing it does is say “waiting for servers” and just sits there. It’s pretty clear that it’s not getting access to my media files. I’m pretty sure the clients can see the server, I just think it is getting denied access or something.
Both the Roku clients show as the most current version, last updated on Jan 15th. They were both working on that version until I tried to upgrade PMS on the NAS today. I don’t think it’s a version problem either since this has been happening to me since November and the Roku devices have updated a few times in that window and still worked. They are both on 9.4.2 Build 4807 now.
I did read on the forum that when PMS v1.18.0 came out, it changed how the userIDs for plex are set up. I followed the guidelines to make those changes to the plex userID in the NAS FileSharing adjusting the permissions as directed in the document, rebooting etc, but it never worked. Each time I had to roll back to an older version of PMS and then everything was good again. Every time I tried to update PMS over the last few releases I get the same thing until today. Both Roku boxes could no find/connect to the servers in the NAS library, but PMS on the NAS was fine.
The problem is that today, when I tried to rollback after giving up on the update once again, my old version 1.18.0 no longer works either.
Let me know if there is anything else you need?
This is the document I’m referring to that tries to guide you through the changes:
Just looking at the file permissions on the NAS for PMS access. Does anyone know what USERID Plex Media Server runs under, or how to check what userid it’s using?
Plex has always run as user plex on Synology.
Thank Chuck. I have that one set up already then. I’m really scraping the bottom of the barrel to figure out why PMS and both Roku’s cannot gain access to the servers.
Can you grab the logs manually?
- Stop PMS
- Use File Station to drill down into the Plex share.
- Make a ZIP of the “Logs” directory (Right-click -> Compress to Logs.zip)
OK, thanks again for trying to help. Here is the log zip. I hope this works properly, I’ve never tried to upload anything here before.
Logs.zip (385.9 KB)
I’m not getting server logs from this “Plex Media Server.log”. This is very odd.
I would like you to:
- Stop Plex
- Uninstall the package
- Remove user Plex (Control Panel - Users)
- Restart DSM
- Reinstall the package. (It will create the user again and set appropriate permissions on the Plex share.
Hi Chuck…well I followed your steps 1 thru 5 and it all went off without any errors or warnings of any kind. When I reinstalled PMS 1.18.5_2309-f5213a238-arm7hf_neon.spk it came up exactly as it did before. It shows me a home screen that has non-library things in it (ie WebShows, News, Podcasts etc). It still has not connected to my library on the same NAS that it’s running on.
Curiously, when I clicked on settings for the new install, it still had the exact same settings that I normally use, and I know that back in May 2019, I had to manually set those up after the initial install. It makes me wonder if I should have deleted something else? Anyway, that was a nice try, but still no dice.
Can you think of anything else?
One thing I did notice, and maybe this is my problem…that spk file I listed above, is 1 of 3 possible Synology NAS PMS downloads. My NAS is a DS218j model. The 3 possible downloads for the ARM type NAS, list several models each, but not my specific DS218j model. Is it possible that I am updating with an incorrect version for my system?
I answered my own question about the versions. I downloaded the other 2 versions and tried them, but the package installer immediately says they are not compatible with my NAS. So I was using the correct version, another red herring chased after to no avail. 
Hi guys. Does anyone have a suggestion of what to try next? I’m basically dead in the water and have resorted to copying the video files to a USB drive and plugging it into my TV.
To recap, Plex Media Server, running on the sam Synology NAS server as the video library, cannot see or perhaps access the library. My 2 Roku systems cannot see the library either, but I think it’s most important to get PMS running properly again on the NAS, and I’ll work on the Roku systems after that. Any and all help will be appreciated.
Please take a bit of a breath? No need to panic at this point. I’ve been very preoccupied with other duties.
Let me catch up ?
Go through these steps please. Make certain user Plex has permission to see each of your media shares.
You have the ARMv7hf_neon.
Hey No worries Chuck, I wasn’t directly saying anything to you in particular, I was just looking for someone in general. I do appreciate everything you’ve suggested so far, and I realize that if I can’t fix this, with actual access to the NAS, it’s going to be 10 times harder for someone on the outside to possibly figure this out!
Thanks Chuck, that was the document I started with before asking for help. I’ll go through it again and make sure I didn’t miss anything the first time 
Follow the steps carefully being certain not to skip any.
