Remote Access not working - Netgear Orbi, Verizon Fios

Plex Media Server Remote Access
1

Server Version#: 1.15.3.876
Player Version#: Most current - Roku, Amazon Fire and Samsung Smart TV

Hi All,

I know this has been brought up quite a few times. I feel like I’ve read EVERY thread on it, and spent 30 or 40 hours trying to follow the instructions, but nothing has worked for me. I’m hoping someone would be kind enough to offer some advice, without pointing out that other such threads exist :stuck_out_tongue:

I have Verizon FiOS and Netgear Orbi routers. I have one main Orbi Router (RBR50), and 2 satellites (RBR51 and RBR52). The FiOS Quantum Router is connected to a 12-port switch (ethernet cabling through the house), and located in a metal garage, with the wireless radios disabled.

My technical knowledge is decent, but my networking knowledge barely qualifies as a beginner - so I can follow instructions, but I don’t really understand shorthand or intuitively know when to “skip steps” when it comes to networking.

The PC which runs my Plex server is wirelessly connected to the RBR50, and my streaming devices (Roku, Amazon fire, and a Samsung smart TV) are a mixture of wireless or ethernet connections, 1 to each Orbi.

When I initially set up the Orbis, the server-PC was connected via ethernet, and although Plex was giving me an error that “remote access was not available outside of my network”, it worked anyway with no issues for about a year.

Then about 6 months ago, I moved the server-pc and had to connect it wirelessly. After that, I started having issues with Plex. There are 3 issues, all related to the remote server access:

  • I randomly get disconnected, usually once every hour or two
  • After being disconnected, it takes anywhere from 15 seconds to 30 minutes before I can reconnect
  • Streaming quality is limited to 2mbs

I have tried to follow the advice of port forwarding, but since most posters assume a certain baseline of networking knowledge, I may not have done it correctly. I’m really not sure.

But at the moment, the server is nearly unusable - and going back to just using the Fios router is not really an option because it doesn’t sufficiently cover my home.

If anyone has any suggestions, or wouldn’t mind providing detailed instructions on port forwarding, it would be GREATLY appreciated. I’ve spent so many hours on this - it’s driving me crazy :frowning: - and Plex has become really frustrating to use, borderline unusable.

Thanks in advance!

2

then that is likely connected only through Relay.

It sounds like you have a double NAT situation. Sounds like FIOS device is a modem/router combo which is then going to your Orbi router. If so it is bascially going through two sets of local networks.

generally routers will always list the WAN port somewhere that it gets from the modem, then is users DHCP to hand out local addresses to all the devices. so FIOS device is giving the ORBI a local IP where the ORBI is expecting the WAN IP. Easier way to check is to look at the WAN IP as it shows in the ORBI settings and see if it matches what you see at when you search google for “what is my IP”

assuming nothing else is connected to FIOS besides the ORBI the best things to do is to set your FIOS modem/router into bridge mode, which makes it act as only a modem.

or if you can’t do that then you need to port forward in the FIOS to the ORBI then in the OBRI port forward to your server computer.

hope that made some sense

3

I’m dealing with the same issue that wasn’t present before last PMS update.

4

that you have a double nat?

5

Few wireless adapters handle server mode well, any way you can get back to wired.

An alternative to using the Orbi as a router is to place the RBR50 in AP mode and do the port forward on the Fios router. I suspect that before the Orbi, your server was wired to the FIOS router and it had UPNP running.

6

Plex telling me I have a double NAT. Never had an issue before. I did a full, factory reset of both modem and router yesterday and its still not working. Now I guess I’ll have to set up port forwarding.

7

I have no idea what you have. You said you have same issue as the other user whose issue is pretty clearly a double nat issue.

I alway recommend port forwarding. UPnP is flaky in pretty much every router out there.

8

Sorry for the threadjack. I’ll start my own.

9

Thank you!!! I couldn’t figure out how to set the FIOS router into Bridge mode, but that could have had unintended consequences anyway (my solar inverter does connect directly into it).

But when I re-read your post, I figured out what I’ve done wrong (about 50 times). I’d been trying to port forward through the PC’s IP, instead of the Orbi router. It makes total sense in retrospect - but I suppose that’s where the “no knowledge of networking” came into play LOL.

Anyway, very very much appreciated. I haven’t run Plex from a streaming device yet, but the server test shows “available outside your network”, so it looks like all is fixed :):grin: