PLEX Server—Remote Access through IPv6 or Built in VPN to Bypass ISP CGNat and double NAT

[Asem1989]

Sadly most ISP in germany are locking users IPv4 behind CGNat with a very complicated process and a big price tag for a Static IP Address. That means all PLEX Server—Remote Access functionalities are no longer usable or me as a PlexPass user. please provide a workaround perhaps using a VPN Tool or using IPv6 to access the server from outside the network.

I mean WDMyCloud achieved full out-of-network access without any custom network settings. surely there is a way to replicate that with Plex

[pshanew]

@Asem1989

please provide a workaround perhaps using a VPN Tool

This already exists (it’s not a VPN, it’s more of a proxy); it’s called Relay. It does have the caveat that it’s bandwidth limited (2 Mb/s for Plex Pass subscribers, 1 Mb/s for others). It’s not a perfect solution for everyone, but it does allow remote access where it otherwise might not be possible.

@Asem1989

or using IPv6 to access the server from outside the network.

This would be great, and there’s an existing feature suggestion which covers it. There’s a workaround for using IPv6 with a custom server access URL in that thread:

Ipv6 support for myplex

Custom domain and certificate not strictly necessary. You can use the dynamic DNS and certificate already provided by Plex. Plex generates a custom URL for your server in the plex.direct domain. You can copy that URL, modify it to point to your IPv6 address instead of your IPv4 address, and then use the result as your “Custom Server Access URL.” It would look like this: https://ABCD-1234-ABCD-1234-ABCD-1234-ABCD-1234.0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef.plex.direct:32400/web Get your IPv6 addre…

[Asem1989]

Thank you so much for the quick reply!
unfortunately, i was never able to get Relay to work on my server. I am not sure if it is caused by the CGNat by the ISP or a port forwarding issue. I assume it should work right out of the box, but even after resetting everything it still doesn’t work.

regarding the IPv6 support, i have tried your suggestion to use the dynamic DNS and certificate already provided by Plex. Sadly my ISP only provides IPv6 with prefix 64. something not supported by many devices. Is it possible to use the Router IPv6 with port forwarding to reach my Nvidia Shield?
and where do i find the custom URL generated for my server direct domain?

[pshanew]

@Asem1989

Is it possible to use the Router IPv6 with port forwarding to reach my Nvidia Shield?

I don’t think it’s going to be possible with most residential routers. Honestly, it’s not a problem I’ve really ever thought much about. There are ways to gateway IPv6 to IPv4 (socat comes to mind), but you’d need to be able to run them on your router.

@Asem1989

where do i find the custom URL generated for my server direct domain?

The server-specific plex.direct URL is a composite of several of things:

• The URL scheme (https://).
• Your IPv6 IP address delimited by hyphens instead of periods.
• Your certificate UUID.
• “plex.direct”
• The external port to advertise (:32400).

Where you find your certificate UUID is dependent on your server’s host OS:

• Windows - It’s located in the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/Plex, Inc./Plex Media Server/CertificateUUID.
• Linux - It’s located in your server’s Preferences.xml file in the CertificateUUID parameter; the file can be found in the Plex data directory.
• macOS - Run defaults read com.plexapp.plexmediaserver CertificateUUID from the terminal.
• For host types, it will generally be found in the Preferences.xml file, wherever it is stored on that system. The Plex data directory article linked above may help you find it.