I see references everywhere to direct and indirect connections, but I have been unable to find a definition of what these terms actually mean. How is a direct connection made? How is an indirect connection made? How are they different?
My server and devices are on the same network and suddenly I’m seeing the can’t make a direct connection error message. Plex as far as I can tell is enabled to receive connections on all firewalls.
To answer first part of your question:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/216766168-Accessing-a-Server-through-Relay
The only times I have had issues with remotely streaming requiring an indirect connection (so far) is when my tablet hasn’t finished hand shaking with Google’s systems yet. I connect to a “new” network and don’t have the blue network icon on the Android tablet = Indirect. As soon as the icon goes blue = Directly connected to my own server and not using Plex’s relay servers. It’s well worth waiting the few minutes for the tablet to finish handshaking with Google.
Thanks, yes I have seen that firewall settings can affect the connection. But it still doesn’t answer the question. If the firewall is blocking your access to the Plex server, then it doesn’t explain how an indirect connection can connect. If indirect means that you are getting the stream from a plex relay server, that makes a little sense. However if your iPad can’t access your server because of the firewall, why would a remote plex relay server be able to?
So interesting that there are so many references to these terms but evidently no one knows that they actually mean …
The way things work now, the client logs in and gets told the IP’s of all of the servers shared with that account. If one or more of them don’t respond to the client’s request within a certain time frame it’s treated as an indirect connection. All traffic then needs to go through Plex’s Relay servers for streaming. Then you have the limitations stated in @“Bartlomiej Baraniec” post as to streaming quality, etc…
IMO, it’s more of a PITA than it’s worth, as it almost always forces a transcode when I don’t want much if anything transcoded… BUT, I suppose it does help some folks that haven’t set up their routers correctly for Remote Access…
