We aren’t the first to voice our discontent on this matter:
- Plex.tv authentication required to play media within my own local network is ridiculous - General / General Discussions - Plex Forum
- No Internet = Bypass Plex home and connect to Local Intranet (offline mode) - General / Feature Suggestions - Plex Forum
- [Feature-Request] Built in local authentication server (prevent plex.tv outage) - General / Feature Suggestions - Plex Forum
