I am new on this forum but haven’t seen a successful answer to my problem:
I want to remote stream a media library from a friend user that shared its server access with me. We have configured it and it works perfectly fine when using mobile app on mobile network, meaning the connection is declared ‘secured’ and I can play videos with whatever quality I wish (HD video with bitrate 20 Mbps -> no problem)
However, when I connect to my friend server with the same mobile app but in WIFI connection, or with my web app or with apple tv HD (still in WIFI) then the connection is no more seen as secured (but ‘indirect’) and I am limited in the bitrate of videos I read (2Mbps) -> I assume I am now reading them from Plex ‘Relay’ servers (which have exactly this limitation)
Last test: I tried a connection with a VPN on my WIFI and it works fine.
I have changed the DNS parameters of my router (using google dns) as explained in the different articles that more or less address this issue but in vain.
Do you see another possible explanation ? My ultimate solution here would be to permanently use a VPN…
Thanks a lot!
Can you describe your local network in detail, from Internet to your Wi-Fi clients, and all the devices in between (switches, routers, access points)? Is it more complex than: Internet -> Modem/Router/Wi-Fi AP -> Client Devices?
The thing about accessing via a cell network or VPN is that you’re more or less guaranteed to be connecting to your friend’s server from a public IPv4 address, without anything on your local network interfering with it.
Also, you and your friend don’t share an Internet connection, do you?
*PMS is set up on my friend’s computer that is connected to his Internet Service Provider box
*On my side, I have my ISP access point (box) also on which my different devices are connected : in Wifi (mac book air, iphone 11) and in ethernet (apple tv HD 4th generation).
We both have high speed cable internet (bandwidth not an issue) but we don’t share an internet connection
It’s possible client logs showing the issue could be helpful, perhaps they will show why the connection is made indirectly. Here’s some information on how to collect Plex app logs from iOS devices:
Could you also have your friend grab a screenshot of his Plex Dashboard while you’re experiencing the issue (make sure he selects show details):
It may be necessary to grab your friends server logs at some point as well.
here are my log files from the iOS app (iphone 11) and from web app (chrome on Mac)
I will ask for the plex dashboard screenshot.
Please note: the server of my friend I would like to connect to is called “PC-DORIAN”. Sometimes you could see in logs that I also connect to my own server “SynologyPW”
Thanks for the logs, you can (and probably should) delete them now.
Unfortunately, they do no tell me much. The iOS client is able to connect to your local server directly just fine. But when it attempts to connect to your friend’s server, it fails. The error given is that it timed out. That doesn’t get us much though as many things could cause timeouts (routing issues, firewall issues, other general networking errors).
Do you run any sort of firewall rules in place which might block outbound requests to certain IP address ranges or TCP ports? Using your cell network or a VPN would bypass your firewall and thereby avoid the problem.
To test, get your friend to tell you the public IP address and port reported on his Plex server under Settings -> Remote Access. Once you have those, run the following from the command-line: telnet ip.address port
For example: telnet 192.168.0.50 32400
If it is able to connect, you’ll be greeted with a blank screen and a blinking cursor. Type “GET /web/index.html” and press enter. Or you can just type “GET” and press enter. The characters may not be echoed, that’s ok. Either way, when you press enter you should see an HTTP response.
If you run Windows 10, you’ll have to install the Telnet client. It can be added via “Turn Windows features on or off” from Programs and Features in the Windows Control Panel.
If you run a Debian-based Linux, sudo apt install telnet should get it for you.
