Plex / Whole media setup is failing at once - help!

Plex Players Smart TVs
1

My whole media setup, of which Plex is a main component, is failing at once, and I don’t know what to do any more.

Main issue is that Plex servers keep disconnecting mid programme. I think it’s partly a networking issue, but I’ve been hacking around with things trying to fix them, and I may be making it worse.

My setup is as follows:

I’m in the UK and I’ve got a:

  • Samsung UE40ES6900U 40" HD TV bought in 2012
  • Old Windows 10 desktop PC acting as media server, connected via wifi with latest version of Plex Media Server
  • (My main PC also runs a Plex media server)
  • EE home router (everything connected to this)
  • EE TV box - HDMI to TV
  • Manhattan T3-R freeview recorder HDMI to TV - doesn’t appear to support apps
  • (Amazon Fire stick - unused - I don’t have enough power sockets to power it!)
  • 2 x TP Link RE650 wireless extenders

2 things to note:

  • The Plex app on the TV stopped connecting to my Plex account - I understand Plex no longer support the app on the TV - TLS1.0 related?
  • EE will stop supporting their freeview TV box in March 2021.

A few weeks ago I noticed the TV plex app was no longer connecting to my Plex account, but for some reason it kept working for a while, right up to maybe 20 December, where something happened on my network, both wireless extenders seemed to reset at the same time, and the TV would no longer connect to my media server or my main PC plex servers - both of which were working normally, and could see each other. Took me a while, but figured one of the wireless extenders was no longer connecting (so switched it off) and also found out that that the media server could connect directly to the router without it so have left it switched off. (I live in a listed building - the walls are thick, I can’t run cables, and connectivity is rubbish. Tried Powerline, but it seemed to cause problems).

I then found out that the reason Plex was no longer connecting to my account was because the app on the TV was no longer supported. Obviously found out I could hard code the Plex server IP addresses into the TV app and the TV IP in the media servers. This worked for a few days, however suddenly stopped working. Turns out that the DHCP allocated IP addresses on the TV and both media servers had refreshed. Reconfigured everything again. This worked for a few days, then one of the servers dropped out - again, looks like DHCP had refreshed the IP address on that server.

It’s been a loooooooong time since I forgot anything I ever knew about networking (which wasn’t much) but decided to try to give one of the media servers a static IP address. so set a static IP of 192.168.1.200, subnet prefix of 24, and both the gateway and DNS the same as that in ipconfig /all. I did nothing to the V6 address, While that seems to have worked, Plex been quite glitchy connecting to this server, with the server dropping out mid programme on everything we’ve watched since. Sometimes it’ll reconnect straight away, other times I might need to restart the TV. But it’s not sustainable. I tried giving the TV a static IP address tonight, but again every show is failing part way through due to disconnected servers.

The EE TV freeview recorder has the Plex app installed, and that still worked, however EE are discontinuing their service in March.

This is where I go slightly off piste, but ultimately the whole system is no longer working properly so I might as well ask!

We bought a Manhattan T3-R PVR box at Christmas to replace the EE box, but it doesn’t seem to support apps - Plex for example - and has also failed to properly record maybe 40% of the TV shows we’ve set to record since we installed it. That may be down to a poor aerial reception (I think the aerial booster might have been knocked) though watching TV seems fine. I’m not entirely happy with this box, and have till the end of the month to return it.

I don’t really want to replace my TV unless I have to. It’s still a perfectly decent TV and I grudge the idea of having to replace a TV because apps aren’t supported any more - A TV shouldn’t become obsolete like that - I’d be happier if it stopped working or blew up! Also, if I do have to replace my TV, what’s to stop this happening again in 5 years, or 2 years or… I’m pretty sure the obsolescence cycles will become shorter and shorter.

So, questions:

  1. am I having problems because I screwed up setting the static IP address on the media server (and TV) Should I have done something on the router too?
  2. In my original configuration with IPs allocated by DHCP, I thought once something was allocated an IP address it tended to keep the same one. Is that the case? Or actually, is setting static IPs for my fixed devices like the TV and PCs / media servers? or is something else going on here?
  3. if I do need static IP addresses, any downsides on an internal network? Any security considerations? Anything else I need to do?
  4. I’ve been getting “Incoming connection blocked” errors on Avast on my main PC over the last couple of days - Threat name: SMB:BruteForce . Could this be related?
  5. Honestly, do I just need to get a new TV?
  6. Is there an alternative Freeview PVR box I could replace the Manhattan box with that supports apps / I can install Plex on?
  7. In fact, do any TVs have built in PVR, or ability to use an external hard drive as a PVR?
  8. If I can find / release a power socket, does the Fire TV stick give me options? Though I loathe needing another remote control.
  9. Are my wireless extenders likely to be screwing me up as well? My main PC is connecting to the remaining one via ethernet rather than wifi

Really feels like any knowledge I once had about all this stuff is obsolete or half gone! It’s not a nice feeling! [image]

Anyone able to help or got any ideas / thoughts?

2

Anyone? Really not feeling the love for media tech right now…

3

I’d have to guess that most of your issues are due to this. Running PMS on a computer through WiFi is a bad idea. If you can’t wire the computer to your router, you should expect problems.

4

It’s a viable theory, but I guess I’d ask why, when I’ve got an otherwise good, stable connection? I could get it if the signal was poor or unstable, but I don’t have problems elsewhere with my network. and it worked fine up until last month.

and I can’t hard wire :frowning: Distances are too long, walls are too thick and devices just aren’t located in places that would be easy to wire together. I did previously use TP-Link Powerline adapters up to maybe the beginning of 2020, but it seemed to cause problems all of its own

5

WiFi signals are never stable. It may appear so, due to lots of error correction and retries done automatically However, when you are makings lots of connections and sending lots of data, like you do with PMS, it’s not stable enough. Using powerline adapter and WiFi extenders don’t help because they add their own issues. These are fine for hooking up Plex clients, but you really want the server wired.

Could be interference from a neighbor. If they upgraded their own WiFi equipment, it may now be interfering with yours. another reason using WiFi for a server is a bad idea.

6

I’ve done something stupid and ordered a new TV as a workaround ( :slight_smile: ) but urgh. hard wiring is just not an option and there is no way I can move the PC to sit near to the TV (not just space / aesthetics - It’s also a print server for my large format printer in the room its in), and yep, I’ve never had a good long term experience with either powerline or wifi extenders.

7

It would have been cheaper to get a power strip and try the Fire TV.

£5.29 on Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-SurgeStrip-Surge-Protected-Extension/dp/B0002AG0F2/

8

yeh, but less fun! :wink:

I’ve got 2 long power strips and 2 double sockets there already. There’s a lot going on in that corner of the room. Besides, the fire stick is too long to fit in the depression where the HDMI ports are - I tried it, and it was pulling the port out the TV.

9

My Fire Stick came with a short flexible extension for that situation. I also power it from the TV’s USB port.

10

I’m using the TVs USB for something else, and didn’t get an extension :confused: That’s a shame!

I think I’ll wait till the new TV arrives, reset everything back to DHCP / automatic, and hopefully that’ll solve the problem. If it doesn’t, well… back to the drawing board I suspect. Some kind of small, high capacity media server that can go behind the TV maybe? (though that introduces other problems as the router only has a 4 port switch, and I’m using all 4! Argh!)

11

You can get a Gigabit Ethernet switch with 5 ports for about ~$20 at about every corner.

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12

Yeh, I got one when I was using Powerline and I was having router reset issues - I was trying to keep my internal network separate so that I didn’t lose that when the router crashed - not sure it helped. However it’s one more device and one more power socket though (plus one for the media server). My wife hates cables as well. I think the whole setup needs a rethink.

13

Try to find a way to “do it right”. There is no need for the Plex server and the hard drives holding your media to sit behind the TV or anywhere near it – IF you manage to run an Ethernet cable from your TV to your router and from there to the Plex server.
So I’d concentrate on that first.

The pro’s are that almost all of the tech is out of eye and earshot of the missus. The few cables and devices you need near the TV can be hidden away behind it, since WiFI reception is no longer critical with Ethernet available.

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I completely get what you’re saying and do agree - but It’s an old, solid, listed property and the server is on the opposite side of 2 rooms and a wall, and a fireplace - I’m struggling to see any practical way of wiring it :frowning: It’s why Powerline was so appealing - thought it was the best of both worlds, but it seemed to be the cause of the router crashes, and I couldn’t get any support from my ISP or online on that problem either. The problem went away when I moved back to wifi - until now.

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