Windows Plex server eventually gives me the "Plex server is currently unavailable" error

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>

My server works fine with Windows 11 for days at a time. I use remote alot in the summer and it works well too. Problem is after anywhere from 2 + days on it will shut down or lose it’s connection to my network for some reason and gives me the Ooops error. If I am away it shuts down my remote access and if I am home I have to click RETRY..it all pops back up again and works well.

When this happens it shows all my folders have the exclamation point and don’t exist.

I tried a bunch of different fixes I read up on but eventually it keeps happening. I can only think think that maybe something on my computer updates and reboots it overnight maybe?
Looked into some of that as well and have set stuff up so ASK TO REBOOT beforehand.

STUMPED. I have a log but just enabled it, I’m not sure if is from since I rebooted today or not so might not show the problem. It’s only small and I had to reboot Plex earlier.

Any ideas???

I have to add that my error posted was wrong… I just reset this 2 days ago and now this morning my Plex server is offline once again.
The actual message should be corrected to “myplexserver is currently unavailable”

My mistake.

Last time there was a chrome update waiting for a restart, this time that isn’t the case. So I guess it’s not Google Chrome.

Good News is that I should have a log… not sure how to post one though.

Log is there but it’s about 100 pages long, not sure how far to go back.

I will also mention that I do have a plex pass and my server is on windows 11 desktop. Both of my regular clients are n’vidia shields.

This happens when I connect using http://127.0.0.1:32400/web/index.html#! and when I use the app.tv login.

Update: I was just watching a show and it paused midstream. Started buffering. Lost it’s connection, got the orange triangles on the server screen.
First time it did that.
STRANGE, but getting worse.

Probably something simple, but I’ve exhausted all I can come up with.

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Just this last week I’ve started having the same problem. My plex server just spontaneously shuts down with no apparent cause, I’ll be using it on my phone or TV when suddenly it can’t connect to the server anymore, and when I check my desktop the icon is missing from the service tray and I have to start it up again. It’s happening every day now!

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Glad to know it’s not only ME this is happening to. Even if there was a way to remotely or automatically click the RETRY button to start it back up again would be kind of a fix as that’s all mine usually requires to get back up and running again.

Stick around and hopefully someone will step up and tackle this for us. If you find anything out please let me know as well.

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I actually just figured out what was happening with mine. I guess plex chokes on some .webp images, and so whenever it would try to scan a library containing one, it’d just crash the server.

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Congrats, lucky you… Was hoping for something else. I only use video files on my server so that is of no use.. but glad you figured out your issue

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Have you ruled out a weird video encoding or anything? The easiest way to check if it’s a media file gumming up the works seems to be to hit “update libraries“ from the toolbar icon and see if it crashes shortly thereafter, if reading a single image file can kill it I bet other media types can too

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possible I suppose. I only use 2 types of files and have multiple HDDs.
I always scan a library after I add files, which is on a daily basis.
I will look in the morning to see if an update is available to try.

At this point I’m willing to try anything, like I said it’s probably something simple, just hard to figure out.

Thanks

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Do you have a static local ip set for your server? If not, this could be caused my your server renewing its ip and getting a new one.

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I do not…I’ve seen this alot but it is above my pay grade unfortunately. I see Port 32400 when I open Plex and am hoping that is good enough… would love to get an easy to follow link on how to set this up. I use eero 6 plus if this helps anyone

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I found a hard drive that wasn’t properly shared as well and finally got that working well, thanks to pwag42 and am hoping that might help out… I dont think my Plex updates drives I dont use often automatically but now that it’s set up correctly and shared… we’ll see, waiting for the inevitable “Collapse” lol

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When pms starts up, it identifies your local ip address. It then sends this info to plex.tv. Pms will update this periodically. Your clients contact plex.tv to get the ip address of your server. It saves this info until the next time it checks with plex.tv. so if the ip of your server changes, your clients won’t know until pms has updated this info to plex.tv. when you restart pms or hit retry in the remote settings page, it updates so your clients can work properly.

Seeing your servers ip address to static makes it so this info never needs updating and your clients will always have the correct info.

You do this in your router settings. Look for something called address reservation. Add your server to this. Done.

1 Like
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I thought it was much more involved than that. I found the reservations on my eero. Add my server with port 32400 internal but wasn’t sure about where it said port or port range so I added the same port. Switched it from TCP and UDP to just TCP. Does this sound correct to you?
Id did Save it so hopefully this works.

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Well I did something wrong. Came back this afternoon, never used Plex and all my shared HDD on the Plex screen, once again, have all orange triangles with exclamation marks in them. It must have been the port range maybe???

Shouldn’t using Plex be a bit simpler than this?? Have I wasted money on my pass? lol

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Update::: Did some googlin’ and figured out that I had to put in a firewall rule I’m guessing so i am back in action SO FAR. Time will tell.

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I GIVE UP… lasted a half a show, I paused it for couple minutes and when I came back it was disconnected again. Tried EVERYTHING to no avail.

It has to be my network. I am only streaming from the server in the next room and it’s connected by ethernet to my Nvidia Shield>>>>
Plex isn’t for me!!

This has worked flawlessly for years until I signed up for a Plex Pass. Now nothing keeps it going and it’s IN HOUSE!! It would be easier to move the couch into the computer room.

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What you did is for remote access. That’s not the same as a static ip. Ignore the port stuff for now. Get the static ip setup first. Check for a few days that you don’t get the disconnect issue.

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Right, but before I changed the remote access to manual configure port I made sure my UPNP was enabled, changed my internal port to 32400 and put the same in for Port Range. I also left it as TCP and UDP. And it didn’t last an hour or 2.
So I assumed the only other thing left was the remote access.

I switched that back for now.
Something’s not right.

When it disconnects I can’t even get access to my server, no settings are available cause it won’t connect

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Crapped out again sometime this evening!!! After setting the Remote access back to it’s old settings. So it wasn’t that.
Does anyone know of a way to see if my internet might be intermittent?? They would never admit that willingly lol

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I and several others have been having a very similar issue. By chance is your media accessed over the network? Ive been having this issue with an Ubuntu Server and playing media on my Synology NAS as well as a few others. I dont think its a network issue or a NAS issue, I think its specifically a Plex software issue.

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Yes, I have several ext drives and, for the most part, use it for my in-house “cinema”.

I think it is Plex related as well. Like I had said, it has never happened before. A bit of buffering maybe but never crashes or rebooting or whatever it is doing. I’ve even had a show FREEZE on me and after a lengthy wait it kick me out and my media disappeared, said I wasn’t connected lol

One thing I’m looking into now though is my AVG free anti virus I’m using. I thought I had it configured correctly but now that I’ve shut it off to rule it out Plex seems to be running fine for the past 3 days. If I make it to a week it will be a record and I would be able to blame it on that .