5 ms·

Ever tried to use Plex? Your media's "right there" on your local network but you can't play it without internet.

by ryall 7y ago

aewens 7y ago
There is a setting in Plex that will allow it to work without authentication for any devices connecting from a defined subnet. So I just set this to my home network's setup and can use it without issue whether I have an Internet connection or not. I confirmed this when I tested my Plex server on a Raspberry Pi out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and it streamed fine without an Internet connection.
- shostack 7y ago
  Which, for anyone who has learned the hard way, has to be enabled before your internet goes out.
- LegitShady 7y ago
  ...help a brother out, what is this setting? I can't find it.
  - ThatPlayer 7y ago
    I believe he's talking about Server Settings > Network > List of IP Address and networks that are allowed without auth
    - LegitShady 7y ago
      thanks I'll check it out
- ryall 7y ago
  Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check it out!
vasili111 7y ago
Wow! I have no words. This is the example how home automation should not be done.
syshum 7y ago
Use Emby instead... or do not use the Cloud Auth from either. Local Auth only.
- NortySpock 7y ago
  Jellyfin is the open source fork of Emby, for those looking for an open solution.
generatorguy 7y ago
I haven’t updated plex in several years. Is this new-ish behavior?
somehnguy 7y ago
Not sure quite what you mean unless you weren't already signed in or something. When my internet goes out my plex server works perfectly fine. My TV is already signed into my account though.
snthd 7y ago
ditto Chromecast (with local media)
- ViViDboarder 7y ago
  I thought it did work with local media, no? Did it used to? AirPlay seems like a good local alternative, but I’m hesitant to fully invest in it because it would lock me into Apple products and I fully hate to be locked in, despite having an iPhone at the moment.
  - snthd 7y ago
    It works with local media, but requires an internet connection to initiate the stream (by connecting to Google's servers)
eximius 7y ago
Emby is a slightly less polished, slightly more open alternative.
- MayeulC 7y ago
  And Jellyfin is the open-source fork, since Emby went closed-source.
  - eximius 7y ago
    I need to do more research on that. The people behind Emby seem to understand and are trying to minimize the blow-out by making 'as many features in stand alone open source modules as possible'.
- Rebelgecko 7y ago
  Jellyfin is an open source fork of Emby. I've been trying it out after the Plex mobile app "forgot" I paid for it, and will be migrating over soon. I haven't used Emby so I can't speak to the differences, but it seems to work very well. In some ways it's even better than Plex- turning on subtitles doesn't seem to hit performance as hard
hartzell 7y ago
I just checked, and Plex happily played my local media with my internet connection powered down. I'm using Plex 1.16.5.1554 running in a jail via the FreeNAS plugin and playing from a Roku Stick+. Only hiccup was the Roku client took unusually long to bring up my list of local content; I could imagine it timing out on DNS connections. I've never connected it to the Plex servers ("associated it with my Plex account"), perhaps thats the difference?
- ryall 7y ago
  Oh that's cool. This happened to me a few years ago, we'd moved house in December and had no internet all Christmas/new year due to all the contractors being on holiday. I was emotionally scarred enough to still remember it today! Maybe that behaviour's fixed now, or maybe I just hadn't found the setting mentioned in the comments below. To answer your question, yes it appeared to be attempting to authenticate with their servers, even though my Plex server was local
driverdan 7y ago
As others have said this is incorrect. I live in a bus and sometimes stay in places with a bad phone signal / slow internet connection. I download Youtube videos to my local file server and watch them via Roku and Plex in these cases. It works fine offline. Roku warns you before launching the Plex app but it works fine.

Ever tried to use Plex? Your media's "right there" on your local network but you can't play it without internet.

by ryall 7y ago

Ever tried to use Plex? Your media's "right there" on your local network but you can't play it without internet.

There is a setting in Plex that will allow it to work without authentication for any devices connecting from a defined subnet. So I just set this to my home network's setup and can use it without issue whether I have an Internet connection or not. I confirmed this when I tested my Plex server on a Raspberry Pi out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere and it streamed fine without an Internet connection.

shostack 7y ago
Which, for anyone who has learned the hard way, has to be enabled before your internet goes out.
LegitShady 7y ago
...help a brother out, what is this setting? I can't find it.
- ThatPlayer 7y ago
  I believe he's talking about Server Settings > Network > List of IP Address and networks that are allowed without auth
  - LegitShady 7y ago
    thanks I'll check it out
ryall 7y ago
Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check it out!

vasili111 7y ago

Wow! I have no words. This is the example how home automation should not be done.

syshum 7y ago

Use Emby instead... or do not use the Cloud Auth from either. Local Auth only.

NortySpock 7y ago
Jellyfin is the open source fork of Emby, for those looking for an open solution.

generatorguy 7y ago

I haven’t updated plex in several years. Is this new-ish behavior?

somehnguy 7y ago

Not sure quite what you mean unless you weren't already signed in or something. When my internet goes out my plex server works perfectly fine. My TV is already signed into my account though.

snthd 7y ago

ditto Chromecast (with local media)

ViViDboarder 7y ago
I thought it did work with local media, no? Did it used to? AirPlay seems like a good local alternative, but I’m hesitant to fully invest in it because it would lock me into Apple products and I fully hate to be locked in, despite having an iPhone at the moment.
- snthd 7y ago
  It works with local media, but requires an internet connection to initiate the stream (by connecting to Google's servers)

eximius 7y ago

Emby is a slightly less polished, slightly more open alternative.

MayeulC 7y ago
And Jellyfin is the open-source fork, since Emby went closed-source.
- eximius 7y ago
  I need to do more research on that. The people behind Emby seem to understand and are trying to minimize the blow-out by making 'as many features in stand alone open source modules as possible'.
Rebelgecko 7y ago
Jellyfin is an open source fork of Emby. I've been trying it out after the Plex mobile app "forgot" I paid for it, and will be migrating over soon. I haven't used Emby so I can't speak to the differences, but it seems to work very well. In some ways it's even better than Plex- turning on subtitles doesn't seem to hit performance as hard

hartzell 7y ago

I just checked, and Plex happily played my local media with my internet connection powered down. I'm using Plex 1.16.5.1554 running in a jail via the FreeNAS plugin and playing from a Roku Stick+. Only hiccup was the Roku client took unusually long to bring up my list of local content; I could imagine it timing out on DNS connections. I've never connected it to the Plex servers ("associated it with my Plex account"), perhaps thats the difference?

ryall 7y ago
Oh that's cool. This happened to me a few years ago, we'd moved house in December and had no internet all Christmas/new year due to all the contractors being on holiday. I was emotionally scarred enough to still remember it today! Maybe that behaviour's fixed now, or maybe I just hadn't found the setting mentioned in the comments below. To answer your question, yes it appeared to be attempting to authenticate with their servers, even though my Plex server was local

driverdan 7y ago

As others have said this is incorrect. I live in a bus and sometimes stay in places with a bad phone signal / slow internet connection. I download Youtube videos to my local file server and watch them via Roku and Plex in these cases. It works fine offline. Roku warns you before launching the Plex app but it works fine.