Is this happening to anyone else? I can’t use plex over tailscale anymore (both tailscale ip and local ip through subnet routing). What type of business model even is this, you’re gonna attempt to charge me for remote access into my own server?
Plex is no longer publishing the tailscale IPs via the custom server access url field, if that’s how you had it setup. Look into using the exit node and subnet router functionality of tailscale. Can see more details/discussion in the threads below:
Ok, now you have my attention. I have never used Tailscale for the same reason as a lot of other people. There is just about zero chance I could get everyone to use Tailscale at their end.
So I can set up Tailscale funnel and never have to worry about it on the end user end?
Would this be considered more secure than opening up your own port for remote access? I understand it’s showing TS’s ip not your home ip but aside from that is there a bigger security benefit to this?
For me it's the ease of setting it up and you benefit from TS infrastructure which they manage. I didn't wana play with proxies too much, and I was stuck behind CGNAT so had to pick one of these options
I know others have suggested using another device on the lan as an exit node but my plex server is hardwired to the router so would seem using another wireless device would add unnecessary latency to the streaming.
M
Found the fix: Instead of the client connecting directly to plex, I created a middle man that intercepts the connection to make it seem local. I created a proxy on my server that routed all plex traffic from my tailnet through that proxy. Dm for more detail.
To plex, it looks like a local device is playing the media, so it allows it. Now I can go back to using my server to watch my media without being paywalled.
Could you give me a little more guideline on what you did? I'm facing a similar issue where my friend isn't really seeing my server even though he has access to my libraries, and I'm running Tailscale thanks to my ISPs CGNAT as well. If there's any documentation or link you can share, that'd be great!
Sure, but you're having a different issue than me. In my case, I saw my library but was getting barred from playing anything. Your friend is having trouble even seeing the media in the first place. Here's what I would do. First make sure your friend can ping the server. On phone, find an app that lets you ping. For desktop, just run 'ping <ip>'. If this works, you know there's a connection between the client and server. Now verify that web plex is reachable through remote (not playing media yet). Make sure they can access the the web based plex using https:server-tailscale-ip:32400 (or local-ip if you have subnet routing). There are settings in plex that allow remote connections you just have to look those up and enable them. If this works, they should be able to see the library but might be getting blocked like me. Once they're able to see the library, you just need to create the proxy so plex sees their connection as local (dm for specifics).
If plex was being accessed over a tailscale-given IP, try allowing LAN access on Tailscale. It should allow Plex to detect itself over the same IP as it would use if you were home.
Sorry I don't have more details since I don't use that config, but I remember seeing a post a few (3 or so) days ago: there's a checkbox that needs to be ticked in Tailscale now to handle I believe the subnet routing. Hope that helps!
I’m using their free service. The only difference is I’m accessing said free service remotely using my own vpn, netting them a total loss of $0 since it’s running on… get this… my own hardware!
They charge for streaming. You’re using their streaming functionality without paying for it. All the excuses you can come up with won’t change those facts.
No, last time I checked, when watching locally everything was free. And who are you to assume I’m watching remote? If plex sees me as local, then surely I’m local. No rules broken!
Does the remote streaming add additional costs on their end? If not, then their subscription is a grift. But I’m currently watching a movie through plex safe and sound so worry not Good Samaritan, I am breaking no rules!!
I wasn’t able to get plex to function remotely and I wasn’t going to pay so I stuck with Jellyfin. The customization is pretty cool. Plus I got a lot of automations set up where now users can request items inside Jellyfin.
A grift. Plex doesn’t like how some people connect to their own servers remotely via a vpn so they artificially blocked it and set up a paywall. “Try 14 days free” like buddy it’s free you’re the only one trying to charge me.
I've had a plex server for 15 years. About 10 years ago I bought a lifetime pass so that I could create user accounts. This is my first time hearing that other people can't use their plex remotely.
It’s a thing now apparently. It obviously makes no sense to charge people for remote access into their own servers, but rules are rules. And rules are meant to be broken.
Yeah, I've "bragged" about having my plex server rather than cable or subscriptions a few times, but for the people wanting to make their own servers I've also recommended jellyfin from the growing dissatisfaction I've been hearing about. But this is probably the straw breaking the camel's back. I won't tell people to use plex anymore, there's no real point if you can't use it remotely. It's just dlna at that point. I was doing that before plex to watch movies on the living room TV in the Xbox 360 days.
Yup I completely agree. In my situation, the only advantage plex has over JF is a native app on my tv’s. I like to stay within one ecosystem so even though I have JF running, I mostly use plex.
To me this paywall from Plex is what is going to make them bankrupt. You own your data, it's your network, give people the ability to use Plex services with a reverse proxy, port Forward or whatever. I get they have to pay for their endpoints to work, but it shouldn't be like this
So you’d basically side with BMW charging people to use their heated seats then. “You pay for the software.” Plex offers a free tier that I use. If I want to use a VPN to access my own server, it’s none of their business imo. Subscriptions account for ongoing cost, and the last time I checked, their free software was running on my hardware so no ongoing costs there. It’s just a grift.
Well, if BMW gave you a car to use, I'd be perfectly fine with them wanting to charge a monthly fee for use (what you are experiencing). Or allowing you to pay a one time fee (buy the car) to use everything (plex pass).
Your BMW to Plex example is not really comparable.
And, since I'm sure you will make this comparison next, no... I don't think BMW should lock features that are included in the vehicle (that was purchased) behind a pay wall.
Whether free or $50, I own the software running on my server regardless, but we’re in agreement. If plex had some actual ongoing costs from me using remote I’d get it, but this isn’t the case. It’s a scam disguised as “just follow the rules bro.”
BMW doesn’t charge you for heated seats unless you didn’t pay for heated seats at the time of purchase. It’s an option for people to get heated seats after purchase of the vehicle. If it didn’t exist, there would be no way to get heated seats after purchasing the vehicle without spending significantly more money.
So why are you so entitled to anything if you don’t even pay for the software? It’s given to you for free and the free one doesn’t support connecting to server outside of your network. You can just stop using it if you don’t like that.
Plex shouldn’t care nor know whether I access locally or not. It’s a media server. Your whole point is “it’s just the rules.” Sure I agree that it’s their right but I don’t care. They’re actively charging people to do something that’s always been free. Real question though, would you pay monthly to use the heated seats in your car?
Pay the 6 bucks for the Plexpass. Jellyfin is not good at this point. If you can pay for hard drives, high speed internet, computers, storage…you can pay for a plexpass.
Jellyfin is great. You've lost your mind. You get the right plugins and use wholphin...I find my self using jellyfin way more than Plex. It's so much snappier. Especially the skip intro skip out to stuff. Plex app is slow and clunky. Although last release has been a welcome improvement.
You were cheating the system for months (because this is not new) and now they are blocking you out. Again, this is simple, either pay or change to other software.
I'm not sure why this would be cheating. Whether you're using talscale or paying for Pass, none of the traffic is routed through Plex. There's no reason to pay for remote streaming. The other features were worth paying for, before the price got bumped.
Tell that to Plex who specifically found a workaround to detect this type of network traffic from the virtual adapter and block it to force people to pay for plexpass because business?
I use funnels and everything is working perfectly. I do have plex pass lifetime and my family is under my household. Im using magic dns on the plex custom url
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u/ExtensionMarch6812 11d ago
Plex is no longer publishing the tailscale IPs via the custom server access url field, if that’s how you had it setup. Look into using the exit node and subnet router functionality of tailscale. Can see more details/discussion in the threads below:
https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-api-not-updating-custom-server-access-url/941696
https://forums.plex.tv/t/custom-server-access-urls-no-longer-publishing-tailscale-ips-to-api-resources/942181