Remote access not working for three weeks . . . need expert advice

Plex Media Server Remote Access
1

Server Version#:(latest server upgrade)
Player Version#:(TV versions)

Prior to three weeks ago I had remote access available to my family members. Then one morning my AT&T fiber network crashed and it was three days before AT&T got the fiber network running again. Speed tests confirm my gigabit service is delivering the speed promised. Ever since then, I have not been able to get my PMS to provide high quality (1080) video signals to any of my remote users. They can get video signals, but they are not 1080 quality, they appear to be less–either 480, or worse, 360.

I use an Arris BGW210-700 modem/router that AT&T provided.

I have tried to make adjustments in my router setup, and it appears to indicate that direct access to my PMS is allowed. However, I cannot get the Plex application sofrware on my media server PC to allow direct access by remote users. Instead, my “remote access” tab in my settings in my Plex app continue to revert to “Not available outside your network” in red text.

Nothing that I have tried thus far has enabled remote users to directly access my PMS, and I am unable to tweak either the router settings or the Plex media server settings to get good connectivity back. I am desperately in need of help.

I am wondering whether I need to make draconian changes.

  1. Should I do a “reset” on the AT&T router? This would like result in a new public address being issued. Would this cause problems?

  2. Should I uninstall my Plex Media Server application totally from my media server PC, then reinstall it? This means all the hard work I have done to set up my many hundreds of audio and video files into libraries in the preferred order. This would be much work, but if it were the only way to get Plex remote access back I would crawl over glass.

This process of adjusting settings is difficult to understand for a neophyte like me. It is possible I have messed things up in my desperate efforts to tinker with this.

What do you recommend that I do? Please provide counsel. I love Plex and want it to work for my remote users.

2

If you have created the necessary portforwarding in your router, test this portforwarding with canyouseeme.org
If it turns out negative, you know that the IPv4 address, which ISP gave you, is not publicly accessible.

Ask your ISP if they have put you into a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier-grade_NAT
If they did, ask them to provide you with a publicly accessible IPv4 address again. Only then your server will be reachable directly from the outside.

Performing 2) will not do help at all, so don’t.

3

If you have created the necessary portforwarding in your router, test this portforwarding with canyouseeme.org
If it turns out negative, you know that the IPv4 address, which ISP gave you, is not publicly accessible.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, OTTO, FOR YOUR EFFORT TO HELP ME.

YES, I COULD SEE THROUGH MY PORT. YET I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET REMOTE USERS DIRECT ACCESS.

I WILL CONTACT AT&T TOMORROW TO ASK ABOUT THE “CARRIER GRADE NAT.” SHOULD I JUST GO AHEAD AND ASK THEM FOR A ‘PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE IPV5 AGAIN? (OR IS THAT TO ASK FOR ANOTHER IP4?

Ask your ISP if they have put you into a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier-grade_NAT
If they did, ask them to provide you with a publicly accessible IPv5 address again. Only then your server will be reachable directly from the outside.

4

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant a publicly accessible IPv4.

5

Otto,

Thank you for you efforts to help me.

Here is what enabled me to get PLEX back up and running correctly . . . I simply had to do a hard reset on my Arris BGW210-700 router-modem. AT&T’s fiber network crashed three weeks. It took them 3 days to get it running again. Something happened when it crashed that fouled up my settings on the router. AT&T said nothing to users about the need to do this hard reset (push the red button and hold it for at least 30 seconds), so the router appeared to be working properly, but it wasn’t.

Once I did the hard reset it started working properly.

6

That’s bizarre. :thinking:

Thanks for reporting back!