Plex not running without laptop on

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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1

I have a Synology NAS with my Plex server running on it. When accessing movies via my smart tv Plex app, the Plex server only appears active when I open my laptop and access the server. Is there a way I can have the server active at all times?

Thank you in advance.

Server Version#: Version 4.43.4
Player Version#: Version 1.24.5.5173

2

Can you verify you haven’t accidentally created a 2nd server on your laptop and try accessing media from that 2nd server?

3

Yes I believe I didn’t create a second server by accident. I have another TV that is hardwired to my home network and it never has issues connecting to my Plex server.

4

If I may be of assistance here?

  1. I looked at your account

  2. There is no Synology server entry

  3. There is, however, a MacOS entry

VERSION 1.24.5.5173-8DCC73A59 
MACHINE IDENTIFIER --redacted--
CREATED 11 MONTHS AGO 
LAST SEEN ABOUT 22 HOURS AGO 
PUBLISHED YES (--redacted--:32400) 
LOCAL ADDRESSES 192.168.1.54 
PLATFORM MACOSX 
PLATFORM VERSION 12.0.1 
VENDOR APPLE 
DEVICE MAC 
MODEL X86_64 
DELETED NO 
LIBRARIES 4

Is there another account which I should be looking at?

5

Perhaps the Plex server is on the laptop, and only accessing files on the NAS. That’d be my first guess.

6

Yes @NateTheBrewer , that’s the presumption at this point.

We’ll wait for the OP to reply and let us know further.

1 Like
7

I am definitely inexperienced in networking so please bear with me.

I have a Synology DiskStation NAS that is hardwired into my router. When I access my DiskStation IP address, I downloaded the Plex media server on it. I save my movies on my NAS. On my MacBook, I have a Plex app where I can see all my media files. However, in order to see my media files, I must ensure that I connect to my server through the Mac OS first. Does that make sense?

Thank you.

8

@joseph_a_tran_gmail_com

You may have downloaded and installed Plex in Package Center but, from all I can see here, you didn’t complete the setup.

The part you do have working is the part where your Mac is reading the media over the MacOS ← → Synology SMB connection.

How about we finish setting up PMS on your Synology?

  1. Open Synology Package Center and make sure PMS is “Running”.
  2. Switch back to Plex/web
  3. In the upper right corner of Plex/web, under your Avatar, SIGN OUT
  4. Open a new , incognito browser tab
  5. In that tab, open http://ip.addr.of.synology:32400/web
  6. If everything is as I suspect, Plex is waiting there to be setup.
  7. It will open a fresh Plex/web for you,
  8. It will want you to Sign In and click “Got It”
  9. Then, the Setup Wizard will start – This is the setup I speak of
  10. You’ll want to create your sections, just like you did on the Mac, HOWEVER,
  11. you’ll want to Browse to the /volume1 (or whichever volume ) folder contains the media and ADD it to the section. (Same as the Mac – just a different path)
  12. Finish going through the sections.

Let me know if you encounter any problems.

9

I suspect you are right but I am still having difficulties.

I confirm that the PMS is running in my Synology Package Center.

When I open a new, incognito tab and put in my IP address, there is an option that says “Finish Setup”. I clicked that. However, all of my movies were already directed in the correct volume folder on my Synology NAS.

However, the problem still exists. When I access the Plex app on my iPhone, the server only says “online” when my laptop is open. Once I close my laptop, the server immediately says “offline”.

I am running a Unifi gateway and router if that helps at all. Not sure if that has anything to do with my issue.

10

Each time I go through your steps, I still get this message when I log into my Plex account.

Screen Shot 2021-11-27 at 10.41.11 PM
Screen Shot 2021-11-27 at 10.41.11 PM977×512 66.4 KB

11

@joseph_a_tran_gmail_com

That’s Plex WEB (notice the title).

You have not yet setup the server.

I still don’t know where you’re at.

If you have a server on the Mac, this page would have been displayed long ago.
As you add the Synology, it won’t be displayed.

When you open Package Center, then click into Plex (where the “Open” button is),

Does it show you a blue hyperlink with a domain name URL or does it show you a URL which is the IP address of your Synology?

If it’s an IP address, what is that IP address ?

12

In the package center, the hyperlink shows my IP address.

It is: http://192.168.1.63:32400/web

13

Hi @ChuckPa. Do you have anymore insight on my issue? I really appreciate your help. Thank you.

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