The short version: Some devices play Plex just fine, and others can’t stream anything but 240p.
The Details:
QNAP Version: 4.5.4
PMS Version: 1.24.2
Internet Speed: 12Mbps UPLOAD at home (where the NAS is kept)
Remote Access: Enabled
Manual Port: 32400
The long version: So I share my media with several friends. In my own home (on same wifi network), my AppleTV plays media just fine with no problems. While traveling, I can have full bars of 5G (SpeedTest shows 45Mbps download speed) on my iPad. But I can’t stream anything over 0.7Mbps. It buffers CONSTANTLY. This works the same whether I’m on VPN or just through Verizon. The same is happening for several of my friends. Some devices are playing fine for my friends (PlayStation on wifi, Firestick on wifi, SmartTV on wifi), but not for other friends (Android on wifi, Chrome Book on wifi, iPhone on cellular, Android on cellular). Just hit or miss. I’ve verified their internet download speeds, and it didn’t seem to have any relevance. This problem occurred for me starting about 2 months ago. Not sure if this has to do with QNAP, PMS, or something else. What I have concluded in all my searching is that it has SOMETHING to do with the server device, not the client devices. Their connection to other Plex servers are playing fine.
On my own iPad over cellular data (unlimited plan), it just won’t stream. I’ve checked all the settings dozens of times. Nothing is looking wrong. Looking at the Plex Dashboard, I can see that when it’s playing correctly for my friends, there’s a consistent “flow” of data being sent. On my end (where I’m experiencing constant buffering), it will spike the data, and then send packets of data once every minute or so. But it’s not enough to stream movies or shows, even when pausing and letting it buffer out. Basically equivalent to one second of playing for every 10 seconds of buffering.
Please someone help!
