Remote Access - Not Available Indicator, Still Fully Works

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 1.43.2.10687
Player Version#: 2026.11.0 (1767)

Plex Remote Access Issue

I’m dealing with an issue where Plex Remote Access frequently drops to “Not available outside your network”, even though my network is correctly configured and external port tests show the port is OPEN.

My Setup

  • Plex Subscription: Lifetime Plex Pass Lifetime

  • ISP: Ziply Fiber

  • Modem: N/A, but can confirm

  • Router: Ubiquiti UCG Fiber

  • Plex Server: Mac Mini M4, Ethernet, IP 192.168.1.XX

  • Public IP: 50.46.134.XXX

  • Port Forwarding:

    • Ziply Fiber → Plex (Mac Mini M4)

    • 32400 → 192.168.1.XX (TCP)

  • Port Status: Consistently OPEN using external sites (PortChecker)

  • VPN adapters: All ProtonVPN/TAP/TUN adapters fully disabled. Mac Mini M4 operates outside of VPN.

What’s Working

  • Modem should be bridged properly. I ran Plex Media Server on a PC with the same setup/port forwarding (minus the device IP address) without any issue just one day prior. Network hardware/setup is exactly the same between PC and Mac.

  • Ziply Fiber is the only router.

  • Port 32400 is open externally

  • Plex Media Server is listening on 32400

  • Network configuration is correct

  • Mac Mini M4 has reserved DHCP IP

  • MacOS firewall is not enabled

  • 4K streaming remote is working, tested with multiple 4K files on iOS via cellular network and off-site wifi, and on a Chromium browser on off-site wifi. This was also tested on multiple Plex user accounts with the same result:

    • Video - Direct Play
    • Audio - Direct Play
    • Subtitles - Direct Play

The Problem

Even with:

  • Correct bridging

  • Open external port

  • Proper forwarding

  • VPN adapters disabled

Plex Remote Access randomly flips between:

  • :green_circle: Fully accessible outside your network
    and

  • :red_circle: Not available outside your network

No settings are being changed when this happens.

Troubleshooting Already Done

  • Confirm that Plex works locally on multiple devices (iOS, Apple TVs, Chromium browsers, etc.)

  • Set up reserved IP for server

  • Confirmed that WAN IP is not running in CGNAT or double NAT (IPs do not start with 10.X, 100.64 through 100.127, or 172.16 through 172.31)

  • Set up reserved IP for server

  • Confirmed preferred LAN interface in Plex

  • Cleared “Custom server access URLs” in Plex

  • Set Secure Connections → Preferred

  • Disabled all VPN/TUN/TAP/virtual NICs

  • Restarted modem → router → server in correct order

  • Reset Plex Remote Access (disable/enable)

  • Verified Plex is listening

  • Verified public IP is correct

  • Verified router is not double NAT

  • Verified port is open externally

What I’m Asking the Community

Given all of the above, does anyone know why the remote status shows not available when in fact it is working perfectly fine?

2

Perhaps you have Plex Relay enabled? Though I wouldn’t expect direct play to work well if that were the case; transcoding would likely be required.

PMS shows remote access as fully accessible during connectivity checks; it’s only after those checks have completed that it shows the real status.

3

Perhaps you have Plex Relay enabled? Though I wouldn’t expect direct play to work well if that were the case; transcoding would likely be required.

PMS shows remote access as fully accessible during connectivity checks; it’s only after those checks have completed that it shows the real status.

Thanks for the quick response. I should have noted that I turned off Plex Relay for the testing as well. I would have expected ~1-2 Mbps of playback bandwidth, not ~40+ Mbps like one would expect with 4K playback.

4

How are you testing remote access? Via secure connections (app.plex.tv or other clients) or via browser using your external IP:Port?

5

How are you testing remote access? Via secure connections (app.plex.tv or other clients) or via browser using your external IP:Port?

I’ll answer this to the best of my ability. I created a test user, added it as a friend, then tested playback on cellular via iOS app. Does that count as external IP port?

6

The availability of remote access is tested by a machine from the outside of your network.
Since you mention Ubiquity devices, I assume that it has a firewall rule in there, which prevents this from working correctly.
You need to tell your firewall the IP address(es), which are used for this testing machine.
They are linked in this article https://support.plex.tv/articles/200931138-troubleshooting-remote-access/ in the section “IP’s being blocked”.

7

The availability of remote access is tested by a machine from the outside of your network.
Since you mention Ubiquity devices, I assume that it has a firewall rule in there, which prevents this from working correctly.
You need to tell your firewall the IP address(es), which are used for this testing machine.
They are linked in this article https://support.plex.tv/articles/200931138-troubleshooting-remote-access/ in the section “IP’s being blocked”.

Thanks!

  1. I created a list from the IPs listed in the article: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/plex-sidekiq-servers-list/sidekiqIPs.txt
  2. I created a firewall rule to accept internet in TCP/UDP from the list of IPs. Remote Access retry failed.
  3. I created a firewall rule to accept internet out TCP/UDP from the list of IPs. Remote Access retry failed.

It was worth the shot. Oddly this was working on the PC running PMS just two days prior.

8

Plex remote access only uses TCP. Don’t allow UDP.

9

In my testing, as long as you take your mobile device off wifi, you will be on an external network, so it should be a good as test as any

10

Understood! For the sake of testing I allowed both settings. As the test failed I removed the firewall rules.

11

I am having the same issue as TheStryder in regards to my plex server on my m1 iMac flip flopping to available and unavailable on my network. Although it flip flops on the plex server settings, the port is fully open and remote streaming does work from outside of the network (confirmed using cellular on mobile and a remote user outside of the home.)

I actually have three server setup (one in a windows 11 htpc, one on a synology has, and one on the iMac). All servers have their own ports forwarded and mapped properly and show as open when checked using port checker. I do not run them all at the same time concurrently; but I use them as backups in case one server or the other is having issues. Both the windows 11 server and synology server do not flip flop and show as accessible consistently.

I have a lifetime plex pass

I use Verizon fios fiber (2 gig plan) and do not have cg-nat. Firewalls are off on the Mac, synology and win11 machine. The issue only seems to occur on the mac plex server.

In addition to this problem; when using the plex client on a m5 pro MacBook Pro, I get this error when trying to play anything on the m1 iMac plex server:

An unknown error occurred (4294967283)

Error code: 4294967283.

This does not occur when using a windows machine or iOS client to access the iMac plex server.

If I use the plex HTPC app for Mac on the m5 MacBook Pro as the client, everything works and that error does not show.

13

@OttoKerner it appears that I have the same certificate errors has others have noted:

In reviewing my PMS log I experience a similar error to others: CERT: incomplete TLS handshake from [::ffff:118.193.68.150]:55758: unsupported protocol (SSL routines)

14

so do we just wait or does someone from plex have to help us out?

15

The general feedback I’ve read is turn off PMS, wait 10 minutes, turn back on.

Mine is now showing fully accessible outside of network. I am asking my PS users to try again. On a separate browser I will try this off network at a later time today.

16

I can access it without an issue even if it says inaccessible. I just have the Mac and Pc clients acting weird and throwing all kind of errors or saying the server isn’t powerful enough or there are too many active screens when none of that should be occurring. It should all direct play as it has for years. However iOS clients direct play perfectly fine and web clients play almost everything perfectly fine save for a couple titles.

17

I’m waiting for one final test (PS5 and PS3) to consider the matter resolved. Using my test login I tested the following:

  • Non-MacOS or iOS device, LTE connection, not the account tied to the PMS, 1080p native playback
  • MacOS device, 5G tether, account tied to the PMS, 4K native playback

@rajopotamus I think you should give the turn off PMS, wait 10 minutes, turn back on method a try. If that doesn’t work, copy/paste the template from my first post and go through your own steps to isolate the problem. It might be different than mine.

EDIT: Successful playback on PS3 so I am considering this resolved (for now).