I've been using plex for over a month now and I love it, but it's causing me to run up my Internet bill in a very short amount of time and the whole time I thought I was using LAN.
I've been connecting through my PS4 and using my Ip4 address (192.xxx.x.xx:32400/web/index.html) and I thought this is what I was supposed to use to stay over LAN.
Well, I blocked PLEX using the firewall and what do you know, it wouldn't load up my content. How can I access my content only using LAN and NO bandwidth?
Sorry if this has been asked a bunch, I just couldn't find anything when I searched on google that would help me.
I enabled the rule within my laptop (not thru my router) I was able to pull up the page on my PS4 but no content was there.
My PMS server and media are located on my laptop which is connected VIA Wifi to my router.
That's what I thought, and there is no buffering or stuttering so Idk WHY it's causing me to run up my bandwidth.
Enabling a firewall rule on your laptop is not a valid test to determine if internet is being used, as previous poster suggested, unplug your internet connection and see what happens.
Doing this, in conjunction with unplugging your external access will definitively tell you where it's coming from.
You should also check your PS4 to see if it is specifically going to the server via myPlex or directly to the server on your LAN. The Plex clients for my devices have the ability to perform local discovery (which I enable). This keeps them from connecting outside the local loop.
Plex is making fool of its customers. This is the most stupid app of the decade.
It silently uses all your internet bandwidth and never actually uses the local Wifi network.
If you have extra money then please go for it and pay extra internet bills, otherwise just uninstall it and have a safe life.
I am too kissing goodbye to it. Thanks Plex *&^%$#@!@#$% for killing my precious time, energy and money.
This is just false. I've been using plex for years and it never uses internet bandwidth unless it needs to (e.g. remote streaming, metadata downloads).
If it is then if seriously look at what the issue is as your system may be insecure and is being compromised.
There is no way I could stream 1080p over my .30kbps u/s ADSL 1. I suggest you check torrents. Auto updates etc. alternatively go back to your job at servio.
I came to the forum searching for this very issue because I just discovered Plex was using my Internet bandwidth as well. But, I finally figured out why. In my day job, I am a security guy (and I have a professional firewall here at home too, a Fortinet). Well, enforcing the most security is good right? It turns out, if on the server and the Plex app (on Roku at least), if you “require” a secure connection, then it will not connect directly over the LAN. Instead, it will go out to the Plex relay servers and then back in. I can see on the handy new dashboard the connection is to the firewall interface instead of the server address (both on the same LAN). As soon as I change the security on the server to “preferred” and the Roku Plex app to not require encryption over the local network, then the dashboard shows it is connecting directly. I hope this helps someone else.
