It seems that Plex pass isn’t worth it anymore. Its like a pyramid scheme, where they take your money and use it on whatever they feel like, and don’t keep the core service of simply running and accessing your own server remotely.. For the last few years, every time we go on vacation, we can’t access our server when we want to. Obviously, I can’t troubleshoot remotely. I mess with it when I get home, and everything is fine. But when it NEEDS to work, it doesn’t. It’s like a broken fire extinguisher - nifty to point at, but otherwise useless.
Does your remote access setup work for you when you’re testing it while not being on vacation (but obviously outside your home network)?
I’ve experienced some vacation homes offering WiFi and internet access… but only offer some restricted „guest access“ that’ll block any non-standard ports — hence effectively blocking you from accessing your server from their place (while remote access via a mobile connection might work but that’s obviously not helping, unless you have an unlimited data plan).
If it’s generally not working for you… to what exact output / findings did you troubleshoot it?
have had issues when the internet at the hotel is very restricted, but that’s not Plex’s fault, but if i bring my own hotspot normally it works without issues. Also try to download somethings to my ipad for just in case.
Yes, I’ve home through the support article, and endured I have a static (dhcp reservation) for my NAS/server. It’s been the same local IP for years.
I can access it via cellular data (turning off Wi-Fi), and on WiFi networks elsewhere. I know some places setup proxies, but that’s not the issue.
I test at home using cellular data and it works. I go on vacation, and it doesn’t. To be clear, I have a master’s in information technology, and run RHEL web servers for a living.
Then you should be familiar with the concept that there can be interferences to establishing a remote connection in multiple places.
As you’ve established… your home network’s remote setup and the PMS Remote Access configuration seem to be working fine. That’s covering one main side and also leaves your ISP off the hook.
So, with remote access not working for you, while on vacation… that leaves it pretty much with the other endpoint / internet uplink.
Could be their router blocking certain ports / sites, some really bad DNS failing to resolve the Plex infrastructure involved in establishing your connection (“the address book” part) – or even their ISP messing with things.
All in all… why does that invalidate your Plex Pass?
You don’t complain about your car manufacturer if your vacation location has locked their roads, do you?
[edit: no offense… just trying to understand against what you’re actually shooting?!]
The endpoint is the same: a cellular data signal through Verizon. Why would it work in one town, but not another?
The problem, as I’ve read in other posts, appears to be the way that authentication is forced through a browser, and that two way connect is likely the problem.
Honestly, I’m tired of it not working and having to defend Plex to my family. It’s exhausting.
The comparison to a car is inaccurate. A more apt commission, would be is the car stops working entirely, and it can’t be repaired, because the manufacturer is focusing on selling their new line of cars.
Unfortunately, the CFPB isn’t what it used to be.
@tom80H above and beyond for a community member to be this helpful, great effort & good to see the supportive spirit still exists in these forums 
@thompsondc, if I could suggest two more things to consider:
Let us know if the issue is more than you can’t playback files, or you can’t even login or browse content on your Plex Server. Further does a browser work when you login to https://watch.plex.tv/account/sign-in? Both data points might help to find the issue.
The other angle would be to run something like Tailscale, free for less than 100 devices, and very useful in providing connectivity through challenging Wi-Fi networks that have QoS policies or other methods of prioritising only the traffic they want.
As @tom80H mentioned, I also resort to Downloading when I travel, mainly because of these kinds of issues. It’s not ideal, but does the job. However then it brings the issues with Downloads in the new experience to light, whilst Downloads work better than ever before, the management of downloaded files leaves a fair bit to be considered (the Plex team have confirmed enhancements are in the pipeline).
Sorry for the delay in responding. Death in the family and applying to schools.
I can login fine, but my library isn’t available. I don’t want to install and/or using something else to fix something that used to work fine.
I’ve resorted to downloading as well - but ultimately it is a workaround. Really, all that does is segregate my files into the allocated device storage, and give me the Plex UI. If I have to go to that effort, I’d rather just copy the files and play them natively on the devices.
My family has completely dismissed Plex at this point and lobby for streaming services to play the same content we own at home - because the streaming services always work. I apologize for any negative tone that I had before, but it’s just frustrating to keep defending plex to my family, and trying to push them to use it (and advocate against paying for more streaming services)
Cellular towers are not all backfed by the same backbone. The idea Verizon owns and runs it all is a farce I’m sure they are happy to continue in marketing. I once worked for a small rural ISP and we had Verizon cell towers running on our services. When a Verizon customer called 611 the call would come to us instead of actually routing to Verizon’s CS.
This could be an issue were the network your Verizon cell data runs over is not getting back to your home because of a routing issue or it’s on a network that is hostile to that sort of traffic.
I would suggest you should start experimenting. With Tailscale or another mesh VPN type setup, and also with Jellyfin. See if you can come up with a setup (with Plex, without Plex, or otherwise) that works in areas you have had issues before.
The area is Orlando. Specifically when visiting my mom after her cancer treatment. It actually behaved the same both on Verizon’s cellular data and WDW’s in-room wifi. I asssumed that Disney would likely have proxies/blocks for self-streaming, which is why I was focused on the Verizon cellular.
