Remote Access very temperamental

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

Server Version#: V1.14.0.5470

Hi There,

I am running my plex server on my qnap nas drive which is on the same LAN as my two fire tvs, my laptop, PC, phone etc.

For the last few months, when I use any of these devices to playback they all refer to ‘Limited playback’ as I don’t have a direct connection. Reading further, it seems I need remote access to be on, even for LAN connections? Is that right?

So to enable remote access with my EE Brightbox 2. I have disabled the router’s firewall, enabled NAT and UPnP and set up port forwarding of 32400 on both public and private ports and the local IP of my qnap.

On the plex server I have not specified a port, I just click ‘Enable Remote Access’. All good, ’ Fully accessible outside your network’. This holds for anywhere up to 10 mins to an hour and then reverts to ’ Not available outside your network’ , even though nothing changes. I click ‘Retry’ about 10 times and then it’s suddenly OK again.

I have tried three different versions of plex server all with same results.

Any help or things to try would be gratefully received!

2

It’s not advisable to disable your router’s firewall. Open port 32400 either manually (using router UI) or using QNAP’s myQNAPcloud application, instead of using Plex to open it.

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3

Agreed. There should be ways to open the needed port w/o disabling your routers firewall. If there isn’t, see if your ISP has a different router option available that does allow for that.

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4

Hi,

Sorry I wasn’t clear. I’ve only disabled the firewall to prove that it’s not the firewall that’s the problem with remote access.

The real question I have is why won’t it hold, and why I need it to access the server on the same network?

Thanks

5

So let’s clarify the issue we are trying to solve here.

PMS: Running on Qnap. Need model & QTS version (including build)
Clients(LOCAL): FireTV (wireless), Laptop/PC (??), Phone (wireless)
Clients (REMOTE): Phone.

So 1st thing: How is your Qnap connected to your router ?? # of connections/switches in between etc.)

2nd, make sure in your Plex Server has the proper NW configured (Server > Settings > NW (advanced) > Preferred NW Interface. Also make sure LAN Networks is populated (192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0) as an example).

That will help determine what is LAN. Now that being said, some lower end media devices just can’t handle high bitrate content.

Let’s start there with making sure WAN is working 1st.

6

Hi MwC_Trexx,

Thanks for your reply.

PMS: Qnap is TS-251 4.3.5.0760
Clients (LOCAL): FireTV (wired and wireless),Desktop/Laptop (win 10 wired and wireless), iOs Phone (Wireless)
Clients (REMOTE): Mac desktop, iOs phone and tablet

  1. My Qnap sits alongside my router with a single ethernet connection.
  2. The Preferred NW interface is set but I’m not sure where to add the LAN properties?

Thanks again for helping me troubleshoot this.

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See here:

LAN%20Networks

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Interestingly I don’t see that:

image.png

Am I in the wrong place?

Thanks

Ben

9

Make sure “Show Advanced” is enabled at the top right.

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I’m afraid that is showing advanced

image.png

11

Hmmm…

Your local network shouldn’t be set to any as if you have container station or virtual station installed those add nw switches, etc.

12

Fair point. I have set that to the ethernet port that I have connected.

Is that odd that I have totally different fields to you? Am I looking in the right place?

13

Yeah a little weird, but stranger things have been seen.

So lets see if you have good local connections now with your clients now with that change.

Also realize that without having Plex Pass, you don’t have HW transcoding so any clients that aren’t showing as Direct Play will likely have issue (even on LAN) due to limited CPU power on your model.

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Yes that’s true, but I want to make sure it all works before I get a pass

I’ll see how that change affects my LAN clients, but I can see that my remote access is still failing sadly

15

Also make sure your internal Plex server follows the requirement for network (Q22).

And any testing we are doing should be only via hardwired clients as wifi adds it’s own particular brand of chaos depending on config/environment.

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