Just to confirm so all iOS devices can access the server remotely it’s only Android problem.
Another update: I just tested it and Android can even access music remotely, problem is only limited to playing video files. So the challenge comes only when it is supposed to start streaming video.
BTW I have no firewall in my setup and it worked like this for years without any problems and I haven’t changed anything.
@ChuckPa can you please have a look at the attached log from my Samsung S8 Android phone that as I mentioned:
Can you please see what could be the problem? The last thing I did before exporting the log was trying to play a movie remotely and it didn’t start at all.
Thanks
plex-log-vladdxb.zip (620.4 KB)
Do you have a reverse proxy? If so what do you use? I had the same problem and adapting your routing rule solves it. The Android app is including more data in the host name header than the browser does. This means your proxy rule must be adjusted to be more forgiving than an exact match.
No. I have no proxy.
Can you describe your setup? Do you have a domain name? Signed certs? What kind of router? What OS for your server?
Sure, thanks for your help!
So my server is a 2014 Mac Mini (8GB RAM, 500GB SSD) running Mojave and the latest version of Plex server.
As for the network setup it is quite simple:
This setup has been working for over a year in this current configuration. I checked mapping, restarted everything multiple times and everything else I could think of, tried disabling Pi-hole but everything is working as it should and Pi-hole didn’t seem to make any difference.
As I mentioned server is fully accessible from outside my network and even Android app can see it and even play music from it. Other remote clients work flawlessly (iOS, Apple TVs, Samsung Tizen TVs, etc.) However, when Android app tries to play video remotely then it just fails to start the stream and only the spinning indicator is on the screen (I don’t even get any error message). Also as I mentioned when the same Android device is on the local network then it all works fine(!?) and even the video plays. I made no changes to any of it and it all worked fine until like 10 days ago.
Try logging out, and then back in on both your server (if logged in on the Mac), and also on the Android phone. Then try it.
I tried that many times. Doesn’t change anything.
I can’t explain it, but I logged out on my Android devices and back in and they seem to work now including the firestick when attached to my phone hotspot (so it is external to my network). I didn’t change anything since this post was started. I struggled with this issue for weeks and tried everything under the sun on the Android clients. Maybe the gods are watching this forum and changed something in plex AWS, or server backend? I had the exact same issue as others on here where I could browse pictures, music, even videos, but when i went to play a video it failed.
Hahaha, it’s quite funny that it would just randomly start working again.
I hope mine does that as well but so far no luck… I’m really running out of ideas as to what to try. @ChuckPa any chance of taking a look at my Android client log file I sent?
It does appear to be a Android client related issue.
Vlad,
What do you have on your server settings page for Network and Remote. Can you show screen grabs?
So it looks like you are using the Plex service as your DNS and cert. Your server informs the Plex mothership what your IP is and server health. Then your droid clients call to the Plex mothership and proxy through them.
Have you attempted a direct connection with the app using your IP address? You may have to also temp disable encryption. Just to rule out the plex.tv proxy service?
Ok, you have nailed the problem there! The challenge is that the under Network server settings I had in that top drop down for “Secure connections” selected “Preferred” Turns out that if I change it to “Disabled” then Android app plays remotely!
So the issue is in negotiating secure certificates? However I’m not comfortable with leaving it unsecured, is there any way of fixing this? It would be nice to have Plex support join in @ChuckPa 
Attached is my screen grab of the settings page.
How do you have it set in the client?
Client is set in “Allow Insecure Connections” to Never but I never changed this!
This means that it used to do fine with secure connections and then it suddenly stopped working.
You had it set on the server to Preferred
now that you changed the client, set it back on the server and see if it was the client setting…
I tried it now and it’s not related to Android client settings. Even when Android client is set to allow insecure connections it only works if the server is set to “Secure connections” Disabled
So it is definitely related to the server setting and how it interacts with Android app.
Well, I could walk you through getting a domain name, dynamic DNS, and letsencrypt certificates setup if you want to go that route?
Thanks, sounds like a big job though! Especially considering that it was all working until a few days ago, I’m hoping that it can be solved some other way.
Let’s see if @ChuckPa has an easier solution!
Ok, np. At least you have an area to focus the hunt on. Good Luck.
I am a bit confused here.
What is the problem to solve?
I see the upper part of the thread marked as solved but the conversation and problem discussion continues.
How can I be of assistance?
