Problems with "Remote Access"

General Discussions
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I am having a problem that greatly perplexed me last November. At that time, I was setting up PLEX Media Server on a new PC. For reasons entirely unknown to me, as soon as I thought I was operational (and was operational within my LAN), I discovered that remote users could not access my PLEX media server. In PLEX settings, under “Remote Access” I had a message in red “Not available outside your network.”

I just recently set up my PC in a new house and decided to get rid of the old Netgear router in favor of a new Asus ZenWifi router. But I am still using an AT&T fiber modem with a built in router in it. I have my media server PC connected directly to the AT&T modem/router, so I think the problem is a failure to make a successful handshake between my PLEX media server and the AT&T modem/router.

So, I am now having the same problem. My remote user tells me the sound quality is still good, but that the video quality (most video files are 1080) has deteriorated considerably. So I checked on my iPad using cell service rather than my LAN, and yes the video quality is lousy. It is fuzzy, as if it were not a 1080, but maybe a 320 file.

Last November, Jason Nalley contacted me by telephone and with his expertise, we (he) fixed things rather quickly. But now that I have this different AT&T modem/router everything is fouled up again.

The sad news is that I cannot recall much of anything that Jason had me do last time to fix it. I do recall that we made changes in the wifi router, but I have no notes or recollection as to what Jason had me do.

So, now, I am stuck again. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that I am a near complete neophyte when it comes to dealing with network and wifi matters. Such a rube, that I cannot even understand what little directions there are in the PLEX forums about this topic.
I love PLEX and think it works exceptionally well. However, I have run into this problem twice now, and am frustrated that it seems so difficult for me to overcome each time.

Can someone please help? Jason, are you still helping people?

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Is it transcoding?

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Sorry, Darkwolf1515 . . . I do not know what “transcoding” means, or how I would determine whether it is transcoding?

The media server that I am using today is the very same media server I was using prior to late May when I moved. I am using the same AT&T fiber gigabit service, though it is a new account since I moved. The AT&T modem is the same model, though it is a new one that AT&T gave me. My Wifi routers are new–Asus versus the old Netgear–though the media streamer is only going through the Wifi routers when I access PLEX through the LAN, and for that PLEX works perfectly. I do still have the prior AT&T fiber modem, but do not know whether all would return to normal if I swapped the prior one out with the new one. Nor do I know whether the AT&T fiber network would allow that switch, and rather doubt that it would.

So, perhaps there is something going on with transcoding, or not going on. Or perhaps there is a problem with the way the outgoing port is being selected? Here, I am out of my depth.

Please advise. Thank you.

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Best will be if you can open the playback information in the “Now Playing” section of the server dashboard

There you’ll find a number of technical details about how your media is played:

  1. network communication – this will be remote or indirect, where indirect implies your Plex client apps could not directly find your server but had to use a relayed connection (this indirect/relayed connection has a limited bandwidth that could cause the decreased video quality)
  2. playback details for the individual components of your media (e.g. video, audio and subtitle streams) – this will also show if the video is being transcoded, that means your server needs to adjust the content before providing it to the plex client app; reasons for that could be incompatible formats or bandwidth/bitrate limitations (within your connection or established by client or server settings)

Exemplary screenshot of playback information on your server dashboard

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Hello Tom80H,

I have done what you suggested. Here is what shows up. When I play a video through my iPad using the internet and not my LAN, the little box at the top shows iOS, but with the ! sign in a circle.

It shows Now Playing as “Indirect - 460 kbs” then Video 1080p (H264) with the curved arrow beneath pointing to SD (H264) – Transcode

Then beneath that is Audio Unknown (AAC Stereo); followed by the curved arrow pointing to OPUS – Transcode

When I play this same 1080p video file on my iPad using my LAN it shows:

Local 90 Mbps

Video 1080p; curved arrow to “Direct play”

Audio Unknown (AAC); curved arrow to “Direct play”

I still cannot get the settings in “Remote Access” to be stable.

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Ok. The critical information was that the video is streaming “indirectly”. That means we’ll need to troubleshoot your remote access configuration.

As you moved your server…
Can you verify your router has an “IP reservation” (static local IP address) for the machine hosting your Plex Media Server?

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Sorry, Tom. I have no idea how to do what you suggest. Please help. Thank you.

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What router do you have that connects your home network to the internet?

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I have an Arris BGW210 that was provided by AT&T as my fiber modem/router. My media server is directly connected to the router in that unit.

I also have a brand new ASUS ZenWiFi AX Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (XT8) - 2 Pack home network system. I use that for my iPad and will use it for several of my Roku-connected TVs.

But at the moment, both my media PC and desktop work PC are directly connected to the Arris fiber modem that AT&T provided. I have gigaibit service which I purchased through Toast.net.

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Before I moved to a new house, my media PC there was the very same one I am using here. It was connected to an identical Arris BGW210, but not the same one. Although I still have that fiber modem/router, AT&T gives you a new one when you move, cancel an account, and set up a new account.

I have toyed with the idea of disconnecting the new Arris, and connecting the old, but suspect the AT&T network would jackknife if I did that.

When Jason Nalley helped me back in November I recall he set up specific ports. I just cannot recall what he did. He was so kind as to call me to talk me through the process.

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I really don’t like the AT&T homepage… always feels like they’re actively trying to hide their support documentation (but I might also be wrong about this :wink: )

Here’s a link to their BGW 210 related documentation

This support article in particular is about how to configure your router so a server within your home network (e.g. Plex) can be accessed from outside your home network.

From experience, establishing the remote access using a dedicated “port forward” gives you better results if the automatic configuration gives you problems.
I like to think of it to be part of my “in house mailing service”… with a “port forward”, the router gets an instruction to deliver requests addressed to a port to a certain device (and port) within your home network. This way, all requests to <your router> at port <public port> will be passed through to Plex (and allow Plex to respond) with data / your media stream).

The article linked above describes how you can do that on your router.

  • You’ll need to select Custom Service as Plex won’t be a preconfigured service.
  • You’re flexible when it comes to selecting a “Public Port” for this forward – usually Plex recommends using a number in the range of 20000 to 50000… if you feel less adventurous, simply use 32400 or a number close to it.
  • From what I understand, the configuration page will let you select the device hosting * your Plex Media Server. Make sure to specify the “internal port” to 32400.

When you have completed this configuration:

  1. Open Plex Web (e.g. http://app.plex.tv/desktop)
  2. Go to Settings > Remote Access
  3. Maybe you need to click on Show Advanced
  4. Check Manually specify public port and enter the same public port you have specified when creating the port forward on your router.
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Tom,

Thank you for your assistance. All this is not intuitive to one who is no expert in network/modem/router management. But with your help, I was able to fix the problem.

Thank you.

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