Ever since I updated to the newest version (1.4.2.3400 on Windows 10), my remote access has been acting up. If I restart Plex Server, it is fine for a while - then it will go back to acting up. If I click on “Retry”, it will spin, and then for a split second, be green, but then shows red (disabled). Anybody else experiencing this issue? Or does anyone know of a solution?
No I am dealing with the same problem I have tried updating it and tried setting it to manual but it only goes green for a bit then back to red. I have made no changes to my router. Would really like it if someone here had answers.
Add me to the list of people having this issue…
And I have other servers published externally with static IP’s… so I know its not a network issue.
And me. It works for a while and then drops again.
Are you guys using UPnP or static addresses with port forwarding. I always advise against UPnP.
I use a static address with port forwarding.
Can you restart PMS and provide me that log package? Then the next time remote access isn’t working, get me that log package too.
I restarted PMS it said that I was fully accessible outside my network in green, and then almost immediately it said not available in red. Attached are the logs.
Looking at your log I see your server’s NIC is found at x.x.x.99, but when it is trying to setup remote access it is using the IP .98. My guess is that something is not setup properly in your network.
The 99 and 98 have nothing to do with each other. I have accessed the server (.99) from my other computer (.98) - which is probably what you are seeing. Everything is set up properly in my network - but I will say that I use PIA VPN and have a scheduled task to run every day, this batch file: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/602919/#Comment_602919
I’m curious to see if the others in the thread that are having problems are also using a VPN service.
I’m not familiar with VPN’s so I don’t know if that makes a difference. Can you temporarily turn off the VPN service and see if remote access works?
Yes it does work.
I use PIA VPN and found that if the VPN is on, the XFlak script can’t “nslookup plex.tv” for some reason.
For a quick work-around. I have to turn off my VPN, run the XFlak script as administrator, then turn the VPN back on. Not ideal, but it works for the time being, until a real solution is found.
I’ll keep this thread updated if I find something.
I don’t know if it is a limitation of PIA or what, but here’s what I did to get around it. I have both PIA Manager and the XFlak script as scheduled tasks. I have them both set to run at user log on. But I delay the PIA Manager for 2 minutes to give time for the XFlak script to run before the VPN gets set. This seems to be working correctly for now.
Might have a better solution for you guys but need some info.
Why are you using a VPN? Are you doing it to run some type of torrent client on your Plex server?
Are you running VPN to hide your Plex Server? Basically, why the use of the VPN on your server?
Carlo
@cayars I have VPN to run a torrent client on my Plex server.
Hello all
I joined to PlexPass recently - last month - and I am running PMS on a jail in FreeNas. Until this last updated, I never had any issue with remote access but now it became “offline” most of the time.
I do not use UpnP and I have static IP assigned - no changes in the configuration at all and have been working fine for more than a year.
Also, I am not using any VPN services at the moment.
Is there any way to get this back to the previous version without losing the DB?
Marcelo
@jrossh21 - I don’t know enough about VPN’s but if you are using a VPN for other reasons, wouldn’t that prevent other incoming connections that don’t also go through the VPN?
I have the same issue, worked for a while then suddenly yesterday it does the same thing as others here when I reset it, green for a split second then suddenly green. Why the sudden problems?
@“MovieFan.Plex” Correct me if I’m wrong; but by default, if you have a VPN enabled, all internet traffic goes through that connection. The only 2 things I use that “server” for is Plex and torrenting. Since I don’t care about any other incoming traffic besides Plex, all I have to worry about is making sure Plex is outside of my VPN. The XFlak script does that by creating “static” routes to use my regular internet connection for anything with the plex.tv domain or IPs.
Since your running PIA go to their website and look up port forwarding and give that a shot.
They will give you a static IP/port that can be forwarded to your Plex server. Make sure to specify 32400 for the port on your side. What ever port they assign to you, take that and update the setting "Manually specify public port " under Server/Remote Access.
This will then allow people outside your network to access your Plex server VIA the dedicated port PIA assigns to you. Your torrent traffic will be safe.
In a nutshell under normal circumstances once you fire up your VPN software it blocks access to your Plex Server as no incoming ports such as 32400 can pass inward via the VPN. It acts like a firewall if you will.
Now with that said. If I were you I’d try to find any other machine to run your torrents on instead of the Plex server. While PIA is one of the faster/more reliable systems it still handicaps your bandwidth and it will fluxuate depending on PIA’s load. As a simple test to see this yourself run a SPEEDTEST.NET test with both the VPN running and with it not running and you’ll get an idea of the “CAP” PIA puts on you.
Alternately run your torrents in a virtual environment where PIA runs even if on your Plex server. Just run PIA in the virtual machine and not on the host.
There is also a way to run PIA on the Plex server so it functions as it does now. You would then need to craw through your log files for external IPs and create ROUTE MAPs for them to go out the network card instead of PIA. This is much more advanced and time consuming but would also work.
You could also “sandbox” your torrent program and setup routes so that traffic goes out the network card as usual (default route) but any traffic from the sandbox goes out the VPN connection.
First step in these latter setups is to understand routing and then you can modify things to get the results you want.
Carlo
