Server stopped showing up even when connecting locally.

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

I’ve been running the Plex Media Server fine for about 5 years or more now. Today it stopped working after I removed a bunch of old devices on the Devices tab. I saw a banner at the top that said “Unclaimed Plex Media Server, click here to claim it”. Upon clicking that it said “Server settings unavailable”.

  • I tried connecting to plex.tv/web/app as well as <myip>:32400/web and while I can get the web client to show up at both URLs, i am only seeing remote servers, and the Server option isn’t available under Settings. If I manually enter the URL for the server setting page <myip>:32400/web/index.html#!/settings/server I get the message “Server settings are restricted from shared users.”
  • I tried logging out and in again on both plex.tv as well as my connecting locally. Still no server settings showing up.
  • I tried sudo service plexmediaserver stop and start and it did not work.
  • I tried a hard reboot of the computer, did not work.
  • If I navigate to $PLEX_HOME/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-ins there are directories for Framework.bundle, System.bundle, or WebClient.bundle. So that idea wont work.
  • I am definetly logged in as the admin on the account, its the only account on the system.
  • Monitoring the logs, I am seeing the scanner run every so often still. So I’m guessing the server is sorta running still, but for some reason the clients don’t see it?

So I’m stuck, nothing works… any ideas?

SOLVED: Apparently connecting locally doesn’t just mean hit up your <homeip>:32400, but you actually have to actually be on the same physical network. I got confused thinking connect locally just meant not to use the plex.tv/web/app link. After port forwarding ssh <homeip> -L 32400:localhost:32400, I was able to goto http://localhost:32400/web and see the server settings and log into myplex from there.

2

If you are using a current version of Plex, the as-shipped bundles are in Plug-ins-version under /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/

This was done to prevent Plug-ins you add from getting lost during updates/reinstalls.

If you do indeed have Plug-ins in both locations,

  1. Stop Plex
  2. Rename the ones in your Library.
  3. Clear out the logs (so we can capture)
  4. Start Plex
  5. Verify operation
  6. Capture/post logs if proper operation not restored.

Report back and have logs if needed

3

Followup post to your edit:

Local IP/web starts different than 127.0.0.1:32400/web (the machine-internal loopback) and going out to plex.tv is the third path

4

I seem to be having the same issue described above, except, even browsing to the server from the same subnet does not give me the ability to see the server or it’s settings. Can anyone help? I really don’t want to have to fresh install.

5

@adayforgotten said:
I seem to be having the same issue described above, except, even browsing to the server from the same subnet does not give me the ability to see the server or it’s settings. Can anyone help? I really don’t want to have to fresh install.

The following factors are relevant

  • list of networks not requiring auth is in use and the server is not signed in to plex.tv within settings
  • The plex client on the other device / computer being signed in to plex.tv

Could you on the server itself try to access through http://localhost:32400/web

If you continue to have problem, restart the server, and re attempt to access via localhost and get the Plex Media Server.log uploaded here

6

Could you on the server itself try to access through http://localhost:32400/web

The server is a headless linux box (Ubuntu Server).

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@adayforgotten said:

Could you on the server itself try to access through http://localhost:32400/web

The server is a headless linux box (Ubuntu Server).

I presume then you would be using SSH Tunnel technique to get to the server

As from 1.1.x release when the server is signed in, all plex clients would need to authenticate to access the server - this includes localhost and connections from within the same subnet. So all web client sessions need to be signed in to the plex.tv server account - when the server itself is signed in.

I can see that server Prometheus last communicated with plex.tv about 21 hours ago.

8

This support article seems relevant to this sort of issue. Just in case anyone else is having this issue. I recently had it again after changing my password. Got it all fixed up :slight_smile:

9

Closing 2 year old thread which somehow reopened.

Thanks but OBE.