Secure Link

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 1.14.0.5470
Player Version#: Roku Plex Player
No longer able to connect with a secure connection - https://app.plex.tv/desktop

About a month ago or longer, I notice my desktop app https://app.plex.tv/desktop was no longer running. In attempting to start it again, I got the message that Plex could not find my media server. After messing around for sometime including re-installing, I finally connected through an Insecure connection. Everything seemed to work okay and I got a green link icon next to my Server Name (HP_Pavilion_500). I however, in the URL link bar it says that the link is not secure.

I have worked on this periodically ever since. I have read all the documentation and post that I can find on the topic. I cannot all the things I have tried to no avail. Things I have done including adding http://app.plex.tv app to my trusted link list in my internet options, looking carefully at all the google chrome settings, and re-installing from scratch (several times). I cannot figure out what changed to make the secure link capability go away.

Unfortunately, I cannot really effectively control what Windows 10, 64-bet update function does periodically nor Google Chrome updates. I also own a fairly sophisticated Cable Modem/Gateway ( Surfboard Modem SBG7580-AC) and even though I own the Modem, my ISP (Comcast / Xfinity) controls the firmware.

I have many other secure apps and no others are giving me problems. This is apparently not effecting anything functionally, but it is really worrisome. To the best of my knowledge, I have not changed anything that would make this occur.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I can try to resolve this issue?

2

  1. don’t use Microsoft Edge for running the Plex web app. It won’t work with secure connections.

  2. Take a look into your router’s configuration menu. Look out for a preference related to ‘DNS rebinding protection’. If you find one, create an exemption for the domain plex.direct.

  3. Do also look for a preference to set the DNS server. Override the default (which very likely points to your ISPs DNS server) and put in this IP address instead 8.8.8.8 (Google).

  4. After doing 2 + 3, reboot first the router, wait a few minutes, then the Plex sever machine, then wait again a few minutes. Then reboot all your Plex clients.

3
  1. I never use Microsoft Edge. Google Chrome is my preference and what I use. Is there a better browser to use?
  2. I have a Modem/Gateway (combination cable modem & router). I could not find any functions in my router setup that even remotely resembled preference related to ‘DNS rebinding protection’.
  3. I was able to change my DNS server. I actually ended up going with OpenDNS.
  4. I did reboot my router & my Plex Server. It did not help.

However, on a whim I went to another of my computers. It connected fine to “https:/app.plex.tv/desktop” That means the problem is isolated to this specific computer (HP Pavilion 500). It means there is a permission lacking or something blocking on this specific computer. I need to keep looking.

Any suggestions on how to isolate the problem on this specific computer would be helpful (Windows 10 64-bit)

4

QUICK PS to my previous post: I tried something so simple that it seems stupid, but it worked. When I had been putting in the URL https://app.plex.tv/desktop, it had reverted quickly to the plain unsecured version http://app.plex.tv/desktop? with a bunch of stuff after it in the URL Bar.

The first bunch of stuff after the desktop? was “secure=0#!” I simply changed the 0 after “secure=” to a 1.
It worked and connected securely. I have the URL stored in a bookmark. I have no idea why it is getting changed immediately by google, but I will work on it until I figure it out.

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