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Hello!

I am trying to open a port for my Plex media server. I did everything according to documentation online.

This is how my port forwarding currently looks like in my router's interface:

I even went to Home Networking → Static DHCP section and set my laptop's MAC address where the Plex media server is running for a static IP address.

When I go to https://www.portchecktool.com/ or https://canyouseeme.org/ I keep getting "Connection timed out.”. Can someone help me? I don't know if I am doing anything incorrectly.

I have router Zyxel VMG8825-T50 with optical fiber.

Are you sure Plex has port 32400 open for external entrance?

https://support.plex.tv/articles/200931138-troubleshooting-remote-access/

My Plex has no ports mapped in the router thats why the public IP shows a zero as port.

And don't trust those port checkers!


Yes, my Plex shows 32400 as port.

Could it be firewall that's blocking it than? If those sites don't work, maybe port forwarding is working but my firewall might be blocking Plex? This is a laptop from my organization, so I can't change firewall settings unfortunately.


Hi @Lekisti

Does it work locally if you want to connect the plex server, with your phone on the same wifi network for example. If not then it likely will be the firewall on your laptop. 


Well, the thing is that streaming always worked from my tv or phone, even when I'm away from home. But it's capped at 1 Mbps 720p, although I set all settings to Maximum and Original quality on my server and clients. I thought that if I fix this issue, than the quality will be higher.


Hi @Lekisti

That has nothing to do with the port forwarding. I haven’t used plex in a while but your sure there is no other setting limiting it at 1Mbps. Specially to certain devices the transcoding can limit the quality 


Hi @Lekisti

That has nothing to do with the port forwarding. I haven’t used plex in a while but your sure there is no other setting limiting it at 1Mbps. Specially to certain devices the transcoding can limit the quality 

There is a setting in Settings → Network → Enable Relay

When I put it to "Off”, my tv can't connect at all. But as you can read from the description, it says that it's bandwidth limited when a connection to the server can't be made.

I think via port forwarding and static IP address (DHCP setting), I could manually specify public port, but that's not working as well. Obviously the automatic way is not working also, although I have enabled UPnP.


If it is also limited to 1mbps when your on the same network there is something wrong. Cause port forwarding only works if you want to connect from another network to the plex server. 


Yeah indeed. My laptop doesn't have an ethernet port unfortunately, since I'd like to try plugging it directly as well- so it's connected to WiFi, same as TV. So I am kind of stuck.


Could it be firewall that's blocking it than? If those sites don't work, maybe port forwarding is working but my firewall might be blocking Plex? This is a laptop from my organization, so I can't change firewall settings unfortunately.

Your organization allows you to install Plex or other own apps on their device? Nice.

The limit could be by Plex as it is transcoding the streams.


Could it be firewall that's blocking it than? If those sites don't work, maybe port forwarding is working but my firewall might be blocking Plex? This is a laptop from my organization, so I can't change firewall settings unfortunately.

Your organization allows you to install Plex or other own apps on their device? Nice.

The limit could be by Plex as it is transcoding the streams.

I don't think that the problem is Plex's transcoding. If I disable Relay, than my TV can't connect at all, and as you can see in the option's description "Enable Relay”- it limits bandwidth, apparently to 1 Mbps (or 2 Mbps if subscribed to Plex Pass).


Looking at the article at the Plex site. The relay is for when it is not possible to make a direct connection to the plex server. Which make me think there is something on the laptop blocking that to work, like a firewall for example. 

 


Looking at the article at the Plex site. The relay is for when it is not possible to make a direct connection to the plex server. Which make me think there is something on the laptop blocking that to work, like a firewall for example. 

 

Yeah I think so too.