How to make Plex reachable from the "outside"?

[tyronebiggums]

Hello all,

I have my server setup running Plex and it works great inside my home. I'd like to be able to use it when away from home. I have a Motorola SBG6580 modem/router and work in IT, specifically networking for a living so I feel a bit embarrassed not being able to get it working and having to ask for help.

Here is what I'm seeing on the Plex settings page:

Here is what I have setup on the router:

I've referenced these support articles and still am having no luck:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200931138-Troubleshooting-myPlex-Server-connections

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200484543-Connecting-a-Server

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200289506-Remote-Access

Does anyone else have this router and had any luck or tricks to get remote Plex access working? Am I overlooking something obvious?

 

[diedrichg]

Your bottom address in the last screenshot shows .0 when it should be .2

Also, are you sure 192.168.0.2 is the address assigned to the jail by FreeNAS?

 

[tyronebiggums]

I fixed that, still no luck.

 

[SweetAndLow]

It's strange how your router wants a port range. Are you sure that you have the correct section? Normally it lets you make a direct mapping between external ports and internal hosts:ports.

 

[crumbz]

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Motorola/SBG6580/Plex_Media_Server.htm

 

[Jailer]

Have you checked using an external port checker to see that it is in fact open from the outside?

http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/

 

[jgreco]

I note that in the second line of "Port Forwarding" above, that, in addition to the .0 issue someone else noted, you've configured the end port as 32400, which overlaps with the entry right above it. I would eliminate the overlap.

 

[tyronebiggums]

http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Motorola/SBG6580/Plex_Media_Server.htm

I tried everything on here, still no luck. :(

 

[tyronebiggums]

I note that in the second line of "Port Forwarding" above, that, in addition to the .0 issue someone else noted, you've configured the end port as 32400, which overlaps with the entry right above it. I would eliminate the overlap.

I did, still no luck.

 

[tyronebiggums]

Have you checked using an external port checker to see that it is in fact open from the outside?

http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/

Still says it's blocked... :(

 

[nightshade00013]

Remove the port filtering. The filter is likely blocking all traffic on the port but you are trying to forward it. So you are both opening a port and blocking the traffic on that port.

 

[tyronebiggums]

Remove the port filtering. The filter is likely blocking all traffic on the port but you are trying to forward it. So you are both opening a port and blocking the traffic on that port.

I have and still no luck. :(

 

[nightshade00013]

I have a feeling then that a setting has been changed at some point in the router that is preventing the settings you want to be there from happening. Had someone toss a combo that I goofed with as a switch/ap for a while. Gave it to my step daughter as she was still on a docsis 2.0 modem. Had to factory reset it as some setting inside would not work correctly after it was changed.

Maybe try and reset to default and start over.

Personally I would pick up a modem and drop kick the combo to the curb after beating it with a sledgehammer and setting it on fire. Then either get a regular off the shelf router/ap or build something that works the right way. Or pawn it off on someone who could care less about port forwarding let alone know what it is for.

 

[Jailer]

Can you open any ports to the outside world?

It's sounding like you're stuck behind double NAT because your port forward looks to be configured correctly.

 

[jgreco]

Yeah, might be worth checking to see if there's fundamental brokenness going on here with the port forwarding.

But I'd also encourage you to consider getting a real NAT gateway (what you guys call a "router") and not using the crud NAT built into the SurfBoard Gateway. My suggestion for anyone brave enough to FreeNAS would be either a pfSense box (yay FreeBSD), or, an easier option, the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite (not-so-yay Linux). By using one of these as your NAT gateway, it means you can actually log in to the device and inspect the traffic on both sides of the NAT process, unlike the cable modem. "tcpdump" is wonderful for debugging connectivity problems like this. So then you just configure the SurfBoard Gateway for "bridge" mode and connect your NAT gateway to it.

This isn't necessarily required to resolve the issue at hand here, but one of the downsides of a combined cable modem and NAT gateway is that you can't easily see what's happening on the Internet-facing side of the modem. We have to tell you to get a tool like "ethereal" on a PC on your LAN, then to configure port forwarding on the modem, then to use a tool out on the Internet to initiate a connection inward, and to watch for the traffic, and then try to read tea leaves as to what's going on.

With something like the EdgeRouter Lite, you actually get a known-competent device. We'd first tell you to run "tcpdump -i eth0 port 12345" on the Internet-facing side combined with an external connection attempt to port 12345 to verify that the traffic's getting to you. Then on the inside as well.

However, since you don't have that, basically you're stuck running ethereal on your PC (or tcpdump on the NAS is also fine). Configure a port forward to hit your PC for port "12345". Configure ethereal to monitor for traffic on "12345". Make an external connection attempt to "12345". Report back what happens.

 

[Jailer]

My suggestion for anyone brave enough to FreeNAS would be either a pfSense box

I couldn't agree more. Steep learning curve but well worth the time to learn it.

 

[jgreco]

Not THAT steep. pfSense has been around forever and there's TONS of documentation.

 

[Jailer]

For a non networking guy it is.

 

[jgreco]

Nah. There's a great community out there for pfSense users and lots of how-to type documentation too. Plus you have FreeNAS geeks here who would have some passing familiarity with it too. You have Resources. ;-)

 

[nightshade00013]

I started to repurpose my old fileserver to OpenSense or PFsense but there is some weird issue and it will not work correctly (old p4 2.8 in an intel board and 1GB ddr ram). Went ahead and started using ClearOS. It's a bit oversimplified but would be good for someone who has zero experience or hardware would not support something else. I believe ddwrt also has an x86 version that would run as well but I can not remember if they require it to be a paid for or not due to it not being a off the shelf NAT/Gateway. There is also smoothwall express. I have used it before on some old computers just to mess around with and it will run on almost any old computer with a couple NIC's but the older it is the less likely you will get full throughput.

One nice feature is they have a built in module for dynDNS and after setting it up they give you a hostname. No going to another site to register it. I just forwarded a CNAME from a subdomain of one the domains I own to the dynDNS name and don't have to have some gibberish to get to my home services.