Aug 28, 2014 Setting up manual port-forward. External IP: should be any and the way to do that is to enter 0.0.0.0 External Start Port and External end Port is the WAN port you use to port forward to 32400. You can use any port in range 0 that is not used by other applications. Port forwarding allows remote computers and mobile devices to connect to a specific computer or service within a private local-area network. Below, you will find a step-by-step guide setting up port forwarding on a 2Wire 3801HGV router for use by Plex Media Server.
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Plex is one of those services that has been around for some time but many of us might have passed over for some reason, be it a lack of understanding of what it actually does, thinking it couldn't possibly be useful to you, or something else entirely. The truth is, Plex could be just what you're looking for to help you manage your media collection.
Setting up a media server sounds daunting, but Plex makes it super simple — and dare we say, enjoyable. You just need to know where to begin, which is where we come in. Read on for our quick Plex beginner's guide.
Updated June 5, 2017: We added fresh information on live TV, DVR and the Plex Media Server for the Netgear X10 router.
What is Plex?
The official Plex website describes the service quite well:
One window into all your personal media. No matter where you are.
All the media you own, everything you have on your computer is accessible everywhere. It's all on your mobile devices, through the web, and even on some smart TVs and set-top boxes.
Setting up Plex
Before you can use Plex to access your media on your other devices, you first need to set up your home server. This isn't nearly as daunting as it sounds and involves downloading the Plex Media Server app to your computer. It comes in flavors for Mac, Windows and Linux, as well as in a form designed for NAS drives. So it covers lots of bases.
Once installed, getting set up is a simple matter of following instructions in the web client — all your Plex-ing on your computer will be done in a browser — to tell it where to look for various media content. You'll be hosting the content yourself, so you'll need to make sure you can get to it at all times if you want to be streaming while away from home. That means storing it all on a laptop you take with you probably isn't the best idea.
If you have a supported NAS drive, a standalone desktop computer or even a spare Windows Box, these will be the best options. Ideally, you want something you can leave turned on, connected to the web and most importantly, something you don't throw in a rucksack and take on the road with you.
Plex Media Server has also been built for the Netgear X10 router. This is an expensive bit of kit, but it's also one of the most powerful, fastest Wi-Fi routers on the planet. By installing the special Plex Media Server build on it you can run the very same system as if you had it on a PC. You can hook it up to a network attached drive, and you don't need a PC to be running at all. https://amberspire.weebly.com/blog/mac-tools-ac52225c-thermometer-manual.
When you're telling Plex where to find your media, it's important to make sure the files are named in a way the software will understand, and that they're stored in a folder structure, in the case of TV shows. Plex has some handy hints{.nofollow} on how to best prepare your media for your server.
Plex channels
https://amberspire.weebly.com/gimp-mac-user-manual-download.html. Beyond just your own content, Plex has a bunch of different built-in content channels for you to use within the various Plex apps across the platforms.
However, those channels are region dependent. So if you can't get BBC iPlayer on the web where you're located, Plex won't be able to help. There's a good selection of stuff from global providers, though. The great thing about channels is that they're all available to watch in the mobile apps, too, for on-the-go enjoyment.
However, you don't want to get too carried away; Plex's selection of channels isn't as large as other services, such as Kodi's offerings. However, if you check out what there is you'll probably find something you like.
More about Plex Channels
Plex Pass
If you find that you like Plex and want to get the most out of it, Plex Pass is something you should consider. It's an add-on that you can pay for monthly, yearly or as a lifetime subscription.
Here's what it does, direct from the Plex support pages:
- Early access to new Plex features.
- Access to preview release versions of the Plex Media Server and other apps before they're released generally.
- The latest Plex apps for Android and Roku are yours free.
- Premium features like Plex Sync, Cloud Sync and Camera Upload.
- Access to dedicated Plex Pass forums where you can ask the Plex Ninjas questions as well as vote up new feature requests.
- A way to show your direct support for Plex.
We're not short on photo backup services, but with Plex you'll be combining it with the rest of your media collection and as such can access it on any device with a Plex app. It's also worth paying for if you ever want to offline your media and take it with you.
As for pricing, you'll pay $4.99 a month, $39.99 a year or $149.99 for a lifetime subscription.
Some of the more recent features of Plex Pass really take your home media center up a notch, such as live TV and DVR. Initially, you'll only be able to use a limited number of devices with live TV, but the feature will eventually roll out to all apps on all devices, including Xbox One and Windows 10.
Better still, on Xbox One you'll be able to use the Xbox OTA TV Tuner to get the channels inside your Plex app.
DVR actually arrived before the ability to watch live TV, and setting it up in your Plex Media Server means you can record your favorite shows and then watch them in any of the Plex apps.
Plex Mac How To Set Up Manual Port Iphone
Plex apps
Fans of Windows 10 aren't left out in the cold when it comes to app support with Plex. Neither are fans of pretty much any other platform. Plex is one of the most widely available applications on mobile, desktop and gaming consoles, with access on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, various smart TVs and set-top boxes such as Roku and NVIDIA Shield.
It doesn't end there, either, with Plex branching out into Kodi support, too. If you're looking to create a home theater PC as well as a server, there's the free Plex Media Player app for your home theater, which is available on Mac, Windows, and even Raspberry Pi.
When it comes to your media, the device you choose shouldn't hinder your enjoyment. Plex is one service that eliminates that problem almost entirely.
Got Plex tips?
If you're a Plex master and have handy hints or general advice for those looking to jump into it for the first time, drop us a line in the comments below and share the wealth of your knowledge.
![Plex mac how to set up manual portland oregon Plex mac how to set up manual portland oregon](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126032050/380345860.png)
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Plex Media Server’s remote access function is usually so smooth to set up that it’s practically magic. But if you’re having trouble accessing your movies from afar, we’re here to help.
If you primarily use Plex Media Server for watching content on your local network (like streaming your favorite shows to your HDTV or smartphone), you may not have given much though to the benefits of remote access.
RELATED:How to Set Up Plex (and Watch Your Movies on Any Device)
One of the greatest things about the Plex Media Server platform, however, is the ease with which you can access your media from anywhere. With remote access enabled and properly configured, you can watch your favorite TV shows anywhere you have internet access: on your phone while you’re sitting in a waiting room, on your laptop while you’re vacationing, or even on a smart TV at a friend’s house.
Most of the time you should have very little trouble setting up remote access to your Plex Media Server, but there are a few instances where your home network configuration can throw you a curve ball. Let’s look at how to enable remote access and then how to trouble shoot remote access issues. If you need help with the initial setup and configuration of Plex Media Server, please refer to our getting started with Plex guide here.
How to Enable Remote Access
During the initial setup of the Plex Media Server, the setup wizard prompts you to enable or disable remote access. While the default state is enabled, you may have opted at the time to disable remote access, or perhaps you inadvertently disabled it while messing around with the system settings later on. Regardless, it’s easy enough to check the status of remote access and enable it if it is currently disabled.
While logged into your Plex Media Server’s web control panel, select the Settings icon from the upper right toolbar.
Within the Settings menu select, the “Server” tab. Then, from the left hand navigation pane, select “Remote Access”. By default, you’ll only see a simple view (the information in the large red box below), for the more advanced view with the “Server Mapping” information visible, click on the “Show Advanced” button in the upper right corner of the navigation bar.
If your server is currently not configured for remote access, it will say “Not available outside your network” as seen above. Click the large orange button that reads “Enable Remote Access”.
After you enable remote access (or if remote access was already enabled), you’ll see an entry similar to the one below.
In addition to telling you that the server is accessible, the control panel will also indicate the internal IP address and port number of the Plex Media Server on your local network as well as external, or public, IP address and port number.
Although making note of both the internal and external IP addresses and port numbers is useful for troubleshooting, you don’t need to know any of this information for regular day-to-day use of Plex Media Server. The Plex system automatically handles all the connection data as long as you are logged into the same Plex account on your media server and all your client devices. If you’re having issues, however, don’t worry–in the next section we’ll look at the most common issues and how to solve them.
Troubleshooting Your Plex Media Server’s Connection
While remote access is generally headache free, sometimes you run into a hiccup or two. If you enable remote access to your Plex Media Server and see an error message like “Not available outside your network”, then you have a little trouble shooting to do.
It’s important to note that the Plex Media Server can still reach the internet (the server is signed in), but the Plex system can’t access your Plex server from the outside. If you can’t log in, at all then you’ve got a bigger problem on your hands–a general internet outage. (But don’t worry, even if you’re experiencing network problems beyond just setting up your Plex server, we still have you covered.)
Enable UPnP For Automatic Connections
The first thing you should check, when you encounter this error message, is that your router supports either NAT-PMP (less common) or UPnP (more common). Both of these services allow for automatic port forwarding and if your router supports them, then Plex Media Server will automatically configure its own port forwarding.
Check the documentation of your router or simply search for the router name and additional search terms like “how to enable UPnP” for additional information. If UPnP is off, turning it on will allow Plex to automatically forward itself to the greater internet.
If your router doesn’t support NAT-PMP or UPnP (or you have a pressing reason not to use it) then you’ll want to jump to the section below “Manually Forward Your Ports”
Banish Address Problems With Bridge Mode
RELATED:How to Use Your Router and ISP’s Modem/Router Combo In Tandem
Far and away the UPnP fix should remedy nearly everyone’s connectivity issues. In rare situations, however, your network configuration can be conspiring against you. Routers have a feature known as Network Address Translation (NAT) that handles the complex task of juggling all the network requests coming into your single public facing IP against all the many internal IP addresses those requests are destined for.
All by itself, the NAT system works awesome. When a NAT system is doubled up with another NAT system, however, it can create issues for apps (like the Plex Media Server) that rely on UPnP to create automatic port forwarding rules. This occurs commonly when you have a router/modem combo supplied by your ISP and your own router plugged into that unit. For help dealing with that particular situation, as well as eliminating double NAT problems in general, check out our guide here.
Manually Forward Your Ports
RELATED:How to Forward Ports on Your Router
If you prefer not to use UPnP or you can’t resolve your double NAT situation that’s playing havoc with UPnP, you can circumvent the entire issue by manually setting up a port forwarding rule. For the unfamiliar, port forwarding is simply when you tell your router “OK router, any requests that come in to my public IP address at port #XXXX, should be forwarded to this internal IP address at Port #YYYY.”
To do so, you need to tell Plex Media Server you wish to manually specify the port number, and then, at the router level, assign a static IP address to your Plex Media Server computer and create a port forwarding rule. First, let’s turn on the manual port mode in Plex. To do so navigate to Settings > Server > Remote Access (as we did in the previous section of the tutorial).
Check “Manually specify public port”. Unless you have a pressing reason to do so, there’s no need to change the port number here. Click “Apply”.
If you don’t see the manual port option in your settings, you need to click on the “Show Advanced” button in the upper right navigation bar.
RELATED:How to Set Static IP Addresses On Your Router
Once you’ve turned on the option in Plex, it’s time to access your router’s admin page. How you set up a static IP address and port forwarding rules vary from router to router, but the general premise is the same. You’ll need to identify your Plex Media Server computer on the network and then look for an option in your router to create a “static IP”, “static lease”, or “DHCP reservation” to permanently associate the Plex Media Center with a given IP address. Below you can see an example of what adding a static IP address looks like, via our DD-WRT router.
![Plex Mac How To Set Up Manual Port Plex Mac How To Set Up Manual Port](https://www.geeksquad.co.uk/media/set-up-plex-on-mac-osx-social-1459259615-large.png)
If you don’t do this every time your router assigns a new internal address to the media server it will break your port forwarding rule. If you need more information on setting up a static IP address you can search for documentation for your specific router and read up on static IP addresses here.
Setting Up Plex Media Server
Once you’ve set a static IP address for the server, then you simply need to tell the router, via port forwarding rule, that all traffic on that port should be directed at that internal IP address. Again, via our DD-WRT router, here’s a general example of what that looks like: we’ve forwarded everything on external port 32400 to the internal IP address of the Plex server, also on port 32400 to keep things simple. Check out our full guide to port forwarding for more information, if you need it.
After you’ve set the port in Plex and set up the two rules (static IP and port forwarding) in your router, everything is all set. Simply hop back over or to the Plex Media Server control panel to double check the server status page, and enjoy.
Plex Media Server generally works, by the magic of UPnP, right out of the box. But in those rare instances it doesn’t, it’s just a matter of applying a few simple tweaks to get your media server back online.
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