Issues with remote access on plex

[Hunter Norman]

I had issues with this in the past and never got it resolved but now I'm having to revisit this task.

I wouldn't think this would be so hard but I've had no luck with remote access on my plex server running on FreeNas. I called my ISP, since they NAT IP addresses by default and had them remove NAT. In my netgear router settings I changed my IP from "set dynamically by ISP" to Static. I set up a port forward with all 4 ports as 32400 and my plex jail IP as the IP there. It still says it's unavailable out of my network. I'm not really sure the best way to go about this. It's a typical headless FreeNas but I have an external monitor to use the GUI. I have a netgear AC router as well, if that helps. Just the one router and fiber optic internet, no other routers/modems connected.

Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Jailer]

Have you checked the port with an external port checker to see if it is actually open?

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

 

[Hunter Norman]

Oh wow, 32400 is closed on my external ip. In fact, everything I try is closed....

 

[Jailer]

Yeah it sounds like your still in double NAT, check with your ISP and see if they can fix that. I had to purchase a static public IP for $5/month to get around it.

 

[Hunter Norman]

Ok i asked them and they confirmed nat is disabled. Since I set my router settings to static could I use the ip from whatsmyip.com as my static address?

 

[nightshade00013]

Ok i asked them and they confirmed nat is disabled. Since I set my router settings to static could I use the ip from whatsmyip.com as my static address?

No if your ISP provisions you a dynamic IP you can not just set as static. It will eventually change and then cause issues for you and whomever gets the IP address you set as static, or even worse if they use some sort of NAT the IP showing as your external form the internet is one that has multiple people accessing and your changes will not work.

Might I ask what ISP you are using? I have to assume that it is a small local one like a WISP for them to be using NAT if that is the case just pay the extra for a connection with an externally accessible IP address.

 

[Jailer]

Ok i asked them and they confirmed nat is disabled. Since I set my router settings to static could I use the ip from whatsmyip.com as my static address?

No, ask you ISP what your internal WAN IP should be. If you don't have it set correctly you could still be behind double NAT.

For example, if I set my router to obtain it's IP address via DHCP it will pull an IP and I will have a working internet connection. But with that configuration I am behind double NAT and no matter what I do I can't open a port to the outside world. When I enter the static WAN IP assigned by my ISP it connects to my static public IP and I have total control over my WAN.

 

[garm]

Not sure how it works in US but in Sweden an ISP with Carrier-grade NAT who offer public IP will still use DHCP do deliver it. When I order it I need to give them my fiber mediaconverters MAC and that will then ensure that my router gets a fixed public IP. I can of course set the IP static but my fiber carrier will detect that and block me.

 

[nightshade00013]

Not sure how it works in US but in Sweden an ISP with Carrier-grade NAT who offer public IP will still use DHCP do deliver it. When I order it I need to give them my fiber mediaconverters MAC and that will then ensure that my router gets a fixed public IP. I can of course set the IP static but my fiber carrier will detect that and block me.

There are a lot of different things setup in the US. Most ISP's have a DHCP with a public IP address but it's dynamic so it changes over time for residential customers. This generally happens when a modem/bridge is rebooted or the ISP does some maintenance and takes the net down. I worked for a WISP where everyone shared a main IP address and the only way they could have something with external access was if they paid extra each month for a public IP address routed to their POP. Most people don't care about accessing their home or business remotely so it generally is not a problem.

 

[Hunter Norman]

Ok so I ended up finally getting a hold of my ISP again and they instructed me to create a mac reservation on my router for my Plex media server IP, does that sound about right? That way it would always point to that IP for plex, mimicing a static IP

 

[Jailer]

Depends on your router. But if 32400 shows closed to the outside world then no matter what you set up it won't work remotely.

 

[nightshade00013]

A Mac reservation doesn't mean anything in a router. You would need a port forward so that the port is forwarded to the jail. Doesn't matter how that Jail gets an IP address as long as it stays the same.

https://portforward.com/ can help with most router's