Remote Access not allowed?

Plex Media Server Remote Access
1

I am hoping to set up various family members with remote access to my PLEX account.

Until recently, I have only had two people using it remotely, but as they are my son and daughter, I set them on their TVs with the Roku PLEX app. All has worked fine. However, I now wish to provide access to siblings through “Users and Sharing”.

Suddenly, my “Remote Access” under Settings informs me that remote access is not allowed. Here is the image of the error message . . .

image
image931×537 154 KB

(If that image does not come through, here is what the message says:

Not available outside your network.
Your server is signed into Plex, but is not reachable from outside your network.

Tip: It looks like your server may be connected to the internet through multiple routers or other network devices. Try connecting it directly to your primary device, or visit our support site for more information about trouble-shooting this “Double-NAT” scenario.

I have made some changes recently. First, I upgraded my Media Server PC. Second, I created a new PLEX Media Server account for this newly established media server. (The older media server is not longer being used.)

More importantly, only a few days ago I set up a new ISP with Toast.net (who is a reseller of AT&T fiber service). So, with that, I have a new modem.

My setup is this: a Wifi router is connected to the modem, and my media server is directly connected to that modem. This is exact;y the same as how my system was set up before with Comcast internet. The only real difference is that I now have fiber service and the new AT&T fiber capable modem. Everything else is the same . . . except now I am informed by PLEX SETTI\NGS that my “Remote Access” is not functioning.

I had not noticed any problem with “Remote Access” under Settings showing the RED EXCLAMATION POINT, when I set up the new PC as my Media Server./

But now I do.

I tried disabling “Remote Access” then re-enabling it. It seems to work for a second, then goes back to the error message.

Please, help. The only reason I upgraded my Media PC and switched to fiber service was to enable me to provide remote access to my siblings.

Thanks for your advice.

JA Motter

2

Is the Modem ALSO a Router? Does it have it’s own Wifi service and multiple ports on the back of it?

If so, go into your routers configuration and turn on Access Point Mode (some routers have this labeled differently, but a google search of “Turn into Access Point (router Model Number)” should give you direction on how to do it…

3

Yes, I believe my new AT&T fiber-capable modem is all that. For one, it has its own Wifi networks (both 2.4 and 5.0). It also has 4 ports on the back for connecting other devices.

For a test, I disconnected my media server from the Netgear router (that was directly connectedto the AT&T modem) and connected the media server directly to one of the four ports on the back of the AT&T modem. But that did not fix the problem. Perhapsthis means that I will need to set the AT&T modem up as an “access point” as you advised.

But here is another thing. The Netgear router was connected to one of the 4 ports on the back of the AT&T modem . . . and it was working . . . which suggests the 4 ports are already set up as “access point.”

I assume that all the devices I now connect directly to the AT&T modem will still find each other on the “local” network, just as they did when connected to the Netgear router.

Am I right?

4

UPDATE:

I just shut everything down again, this time including the AT&T modem, then rebooted everything–the modem, the two routers, the media pc and my desktop.

Now everything seems to be working. The “Remote Access” is showing up as working. I will test it for an hour or so to be certain that it remains in working status . . l. then I will check with one of my remote users to see if it now works.

Thanks for your support!!!

5

No, not correct… So here’s what’s happening.

Your AT&T Modem/Router combo is Acting as 1 network

Your Netgear is acting as a 2nd Network

This is called Double NAT. This is NOT optimal. Your Netgear should be set as Access Point and not as a router that handles the IP Addressing and security. This will effectively make both devices a single network. You then need to go and configure the AT&T Router for remote access… If you attempt to do it through both firewalls (without turning the netgear into an access point first), it causes a lot of headache and almost always fails.

Yes, if you bypassed your netgear, this would be the outcome. But your netgear probably has better Wifi Range, so setting it up as Access Point is still the best option.

Once you set your netgear as access point, just go and look at the documentation for your modem/router combo for AT&T and look at port forwarding… Use the set port in the Plex server, and forward that port on the AT&T router to your internal IP address, you may also need to put your mac address into the IP Reservation table so that if you have a power outage or something, you don’t lose connection.

6

OK, JasonNalley . . . so in my last message where I reported that things appear to be running correctly, I suggested that I would wait an hour or so to see if all remained “good.”

It has not remained “good” and the “Remote Access Not Allowed” error message has returned. Moreover, I have confirmed that my Plex Media Server is NOT providing access to content to remote users.

So, here is where I am . . .

I have connected my Netgear Wifi Router directly to port 1 on the back of my AT&T fiber optics modem. I have connected my Media Server PC directly into the AT&T modem in port 2. I have connected my desktop PC (which does not really need PLEX access) to port 3 on my AT&T modem.

But I have not made any changes in the settings on either my AT &T modem, or my Netgear Wifi Router. I apologize, but I am not yet clear on what changes you are advising me to make,

Am I to make any changes to the settings on the AT&T modem? (Again, it has its own Wifi network, and 4 ports on the back.) Or, am I to leave the AT&T modem just as it is?

Am I to make any changes to the settings on the Netgear Wifi Router? Am I to set it up as an “Access Point”?

Should I connect my Media Server PC directly to the AT&T modem, or instead to the Netgear Wifi Router that would then be set up as an “Access Point.”

Please advise. I am a bit of a neophyte on all things related to Wifi.

Thank you for your help.

JA Motter

7

No worries, I did internet Tech Support for 20 years before I decided to go back to school and pursue a PhD in Archaeology and a Minor in Geology :slight_smile:

Short answer, you are going to make changes to BOTH your AT&T Modem, as well as your Netgear Router, you are also going to make one slight change to your Plex server.

Long answer:

You need to open plex on the server and go to settings>Remote Access and put a check in the box that says “Manually Specify Public Port”

Then, you need to log into your Netgear Router and go to it’s settings, and change it to an access point, on my Netgear that is found:
image

Once you’ve set it up as Access Point, return to your desktop PC and login to your AT&T Router/Modem. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with much here with visual aids as I am on Google Fiber, but you’re looking for a couple of things…

  1. Port Forwarding
  2. IP Reservation Table

For port forwarding, you want to select your media server (if you don’t know which it is, you need to know its LAN IP or its Mac Address, the LAN IP can be found on the Remote Access Page, it will usually start with 192, BUT you need to get this AFTER you have done the Access Point change, otherwise the IP listed is stale…

Once you have that IP, find it in the list, select that device, and forward port 32400 to that device.

After you’ve done that, go find the IP Reservation table, and select your device, and plug in the last 1-3 numbers in that 192 address, so that it reserves it for that server all the time.

Both of these should be easily searchable on google if you need help:

Port forwarding AT&T Modem (Model Number)

IP Reservation AT&T Modem (Model Number)

That should get you to where you need to be…

8

Hello Jason,

I am not getting it done. My PLEX Media Server is still stuck on “Remote Access Not Allowed.” I need your help because at this point I am totally confounded.

What have I accomplished? I have gone into my Netgear WiFi Router and set it to “Access Point”. (Actually, I have two Netgear WiFI Routers, both identical R7000). I have both Netgear WiFi Routers reset to “Access Point”. Both Netgear WiFi Routers are directly connected to the AT&T Modem/Router.

Also, my Media Server PC is directly connected to the AT&T Modem router . . .it is not connected to either of the Netgear WiFi Routers.

I then set PLEX Remote Access to “Manually Set . . . “ but not knowing what to enter, I left it on 32400, as it was.

I believe I have gone into my AT&T Modem Router . . . but I see nothing at all anywhere that relates to either

  • Port Forwarding

  • IP Reservation Table

It looks as if I am connecting only to the WiFi Router settings, and perhaps not the Modem settings . . . but I am clueless here.

I noticed in this settings that there was a Remote Access tab. It showed the modem was not set to permit “Remote Access,” so I changed that setting to “Allow Remote Access.” Was this the right thing to do or have I fouled something up.

By the way, my AT&T equipment (modem/router) is made by Arris, and it is model# BGW210-700.

I am not sure what to do to enable my PLEX Media Server to enable Remote Access.

Please help, I am totally lost.

JA Motter

770.842.2884

9

Hello Jason,

I am not getting it done. My PLEX Media Server is still stuck on “Remote Access Not Allowed.” I need your help because at this point I am totally confounded.

What have I accomplished? I have gone into my Netgear WiFi Router and set it to “Access Point”. (Actually, I have two Netgear WiFI Routers, both identical R7000). I have both Netgear WiFi Routers reset to “Access Point”. Both Netgear WiFi Routers are directly connected to the AT&T Modem/Router.

Also, my Media Server PC is directly connected to the AT&T Modem router . . .it is not connected to either of the Netgear WiFi Routers.

I then set PLEX Remote Access to “Manually Set . . . “ but not knowing what to enter, I left it on 32400, as it was.

I believe I have gone into my AT&T Modem Router . . . but I see nothing at all anywhere that relates to either

  • Port Forwarding

  • IP Reservation Table

It looks as if I am connecting only to the WiFi Router settings, and perhaps not the Modem settings . . . but I am clueless here.

I noticed in this settings that there was a Remote Access tab. It showed the modem was not set to permit “Remote Access,” so I changed that setting to “Allow Remote Access.” Was this the right thing to do or have I fouled something up.

By the way, my AT&T equipment (modem/router) is made by Arris, and it is model# BGW210-700.

I am not sure what to do to enable my PLEX Media Server to enable Remote Access.

Please help, I am totally lost.

JA Motter

770.842.2884

10

I tried calling you, twice, and sent you a text. But here’s the literature on AT&T’s website about how to port forward that modem:
https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/u-verse-high-speed-internet/KM1215101?isreauth=true

And here’s how to do the IP Reservation Table (They call it Allocation in that modem):
http://screenshots.portforward.com/routers/Arris/BGW210-700_-_ATT/IP_Allocation.htm

11

I’ve been having this exact same problem for about 3-4 months. I’ve posted on Reddit and a few other places with no luck on a fix. Other people responded saying they were having the same issue as well, but no one had any suggestions on how to resolve it.

My setup is Windows 10 running my Plex server. I have a Synology NAS for media storage. I have an Xfinity modem with only 2 ethernet ports on the rear. The way I currently have everything set up is that I have Google Wi-Fi plugged into 1 of the 2 ports on the rear of my modem. I have a unmanaged switch plugged into the other port. From that unmanaged switch, I run ethernet lines to other rooms in my house. I have my NAS plugged into one of the ports on the unmanaged switch. On the Plex Remote Access section, I have the Private and Public IPs both using port 32400. I have made sure to forward that port in both Windows 10 as well as in my Xfinity Modem. I can “Enable remote Access” and the green light will turn on and tell me everything is fine for about 10-15 seconds, then turns Red again and says " Not available outside your network - Your server is signed in to Plex, but is not reachable from outside your network."

Family that lives on the other side of town, can still access my Plex server, but everything is blurry and buffers a lot. On the Dashboard page, it shows “Indirect—725 Kbps” during playback. I changed absolutely nothing on my end. No Windows updates, no NAS changes or anything at the time that this stopped working. There were two Plex updates back to back, about 2 days apart and then suddenly this started happening. This was maybe 4 months ago and I’ve just been dealing with it since, but it’s incredibly frustrating to have paid for a lifetime PlexPass and invested in this to not be able to share with family. It’s pretty much the entire reason I’m using Plex rather than just watching my media locally.

If anyone reading this has any thoughts about what I could do to fix this problem without changing anything else the network throughout the rest of my house, including the Google Wifi, I would very much appreciate any assistance. Thank you for reading.

12

I’m sure you’ve heard this already, or understand this, you did not pay for remote access when you paid for Plex Pass, it has a very specific set of things that you paid for, this just isn’t one of them, so try not to use it in as a factor when discussing this type of issue.

You can’t forward ports in Windows 10, it’s not a firewall in and of itself, and its firewall is not predicated on ports, but rather apps being allowed access or not. Have you checked the Plex app and make sure it’s allowed through the firewall on Private networks? And have you also checked your network type to make sure it’s still listed as a Private network and not a public network?

If both of those are checked, and you’re still having issues, I would try a different port than 32400, maybe try 3031 or maybe 5056 or something random, set that in plex, and then forward it on your modem as well, and see if that works… It could be that Comcast is blocking you on 32400, though it would stand to reason that if that were the case, more users would be complaining here and we’d have heard about it long ago, especially if it’s been going on 4 months…

Also, is your Server on the Wifi or is it also plugged directly into the Unmanaged Switch? And I’ve never used Google Wifi before, but if it’s on the Wifi, is the Google wifi set as Access Point? or does it also have routing capabilities? Do you know?

13

Do you mean Plex app listed in Windows Firewall list? It’s there but it has multiple listings. Plex, Plex DLNA Server, Plex Media Server, Plex Scripting Host, Plex Tuner Service. They are all listed with the green checkmark in both columns, private and public. For the network type, I’m not sure what you mean by that. On my Firewall & Network Protection page it lists 3 networks, Domain Network, Private Network(active) and Public Network.

I have tried changing the ports many many times in the past, I’ve gone lower and higher with the same result.

The NAS is plugged into the unmanaged switch but I don’t run Plex on the NAS. I run Plex from Windows 10.

As for the Google Wifi questions, I don’t know how to see if it’s set as an access point and I don’t know what you mean by routing capabilities. Sorry.

14

That one, needs to have “Private” checked.

That means you’re currently on a “Private Network” which is good

Is the Windows 10 PC on Wifi, or is it also hardwired to the Switch?

Well, MOST wifi solutions are routers that also have a DHCP server built into them. But I am uncertain if Google Wifi is that type or not. If it IS that type, AND your PC with Windows 10 is on Wifi, this could be your problem, you would be in what is known as a Double NAT situation, which is what the Original Poster of this thread is in… and I’ve given him steps to take care of that… He will know more tomorrow. If you’re in double NAT, we need to fix that, but it’s helpful to know ahead of time if that’s the case or not, so we’re not troubleshooting blindly.

15

The Windows PC is hardwired and it’s connected directly into the unmanaged switch.

1 Like
16

So definitely not a Double NAT situation…

Plex server is private… check
Network is private… check
Correct port is forwarded on the router… check*
Not a Double NAT… check

It should be working… Although, I asterisked the Correct port is forwarded because I failed to ask you, are you forwarding the port to your Windows 10 PC or to the Media Server? You need to forward the port to the Windows 10 PC

17

Well, I’m just going into the xfinity modem configuration page and in the Advanced section, it says Port Forwarding. It’s set up “Plex TCP 32400 32400 10.0.0.168”. My computer’s IP address is not that. That 10.0.0.168 is listed on the Plex remote access page under Private. My computer’s IP address is listed next to it as Public. They are both showing port 32400 next to them.

EDIT: on the xfinity modem page, if I attempt to port forward with my computer’s IP address, it gives an error saying the address is out of range.

18

Is your IP Address on the network… If you open command prompt and do ipconfig what does it say your IPV4 address is? Still that 10. number? or is it a 192 number?

19

It says “IPv4 address… 10.0.0.168”

But that’s not my IP address.

20

That is your private IP address (meaning your IP on the network) your public IP Is the other number that shows public in plex…

See, how this works is, your ISP has a DHCP server, it assigns each unique device directly connected to it an IP address, in this instance, that’s your Modem/Router combo, that IP is the public IP address. The Router then takes over DHCP for anything behind it… so any of your devices on your home network all get their own Private IP addresses