Plex on WD EX2 Ultra (OS5) loses MyPlex auth after restart – empty X-Plex-Token, core component err

Plex Media Server
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I’m trying to understand whether this is a known issue or an edge case with Plex on WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra (OS5).

Summary of the problem

Plex Media Server runs, libraries are present, but the UI reports:

“A problem has been detected with a core component”

In the logs, Plex repeatedly fails MyPlex requests with 401 errors, and crucially the outbound requests to plex.tv show:

X-Plex-Token=

(i.e. the token is empty).

This persists across restarts.

What I’ve ruled out

This is not a networking or ISP issue:

  • Internet connectivity is fine (plex.tv reachable, HTTP 200s)

  • DNS works

  • IPv4 / IPv6 works

  • CGNAT / NAT / firewall changes are not the cause

  • LAN router (TP-Link Deco BE25) not involved

  • System clock is correct

  • No permission errors

  • No filesystem corruption (full system scan clean)

Authentication behaviour observed

  • Manual /myplex/claim has worked in the past, but auth does not persist across restarts

  • Plex logs show:

    • certificate refresh

    • device registration

    • server connectivity publishing

  • But MyPlex calls fail because the token is blank

Critical discovery

When inspecting the runtime environment and filesystem:

  • WD launches Plex with

    PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR=/mnt/HD/.../plex_conf

  • However, Plex actually writes and expects MyPlex auth state under:

    /home/root/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server

  • That directory contains:

    • Preferences.xml with PlexOnlineToken

    • Plug-in Support

    • .LocalAdminToken

    • full Plex support structure

When Plex is manually started with:

PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR="/home/root/Library/Application Support"

MyPlex authentication works correctly:

  • Tokens are sent

  • 200 responses from plex.tv

  • Core component error disappears

When Plex is started via the WD GUI (“Run App”), WD forces the other support dir and Plex starts with no auth state, resulting in the empty token / 401 loop.

Conclusion / hypothesis

This looks like a mismatch between WD OS5’s Plex launcher and modern Plex auth expectations:

  • WD OS5 forces Plex to use /mnt/HD/.../plex_conf

  • Plex stores and reloads MyPlex auth from /home/root/Library/Application Support

  • After a restart or re-auth event, Plex cannot load its token → empty X-Plex-Token → 401s

This issue only becomes visible once Plex is forced to re-establish MyPlex state (e.g. connectivity changes, cert refresh, CGNAT workarounds, etc.).

Question

  • Is this a known limitation/bug of Plex on WD OS5?

  • Has anyone found a supported way to align the application support directory Plex actually uses with the one WD forces at launch?

  • Or is the WD Plex package effectively broken for modern MyPlex auth flows?

Any confirmation or insight appreciated — happy to provide logs or exact environment details if useful.

Thanks.

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