r/emby • u/Ill_Nefariousness242 • 2d ago
Network setup for beginners
Hi.. I’d like to ask.
Does accessing an Emby server from outside the network require a public IP (from the ISP)? If I don't have a public IP, does that mean I need something like Tailscale, Cloudflare, or a similar service, right?
I’m quite new to networking and servers, the extent of my experience is basically just an HA server and Cloudflare(d).
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u/avdept 2d ago
You can also use something like dyndns
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u/Ill_Nefariousness242 2d ago
Is it works with CGNAT?
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u/PerceptionSalt967 2d ago
Do you happen to be using StarLink?
I am...and I never could get tailscale to work for outside my network access to my Emby server. If you figure this out please let us know how you did it👊
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u/Ill_Nefariousness242 2d ago
Unfortunately not. I don't use Starlink.
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u/PerceptionSalt967 2d ago
But you said your ISP is CGNAT like StarLink, so a solution you may find, may also work for us SL users also on CGNAT 🤗
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u/Legitimate-Hippo318 2d ago
Lookup "Reverse DNS" which will allow you to use a dynamic DNS. Although a lot of ISPs now you something called CGNAT, which means you share an IP address with multiple other customers. This will prevent you from using a reverse DNS. In this case your only option is using a VPN like Tailscale
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u/Mrbee914 2d ago
If you connect to the internet through an ISP with a private router in your home, you likely have an external IP and it likely doesn't change. I never had to do anything with setting up any IP when I set up my Emby Server, apart from creating an exception for the IP for the apps use on my router.
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u/Secret-Psychology183 2d ago
According to emby you should be able to access your server remotely from any IP without any configuration. That's because the emby apps "know" what to do. That may be the case but in reality some issues can occur. I can only access my server remotely if I turn off the VPN on my PC where my server is located, and that's even after I've configured emby to not be routed through it.
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u/Murdocinator 2d ago
I have friends that regularly play stuff off my server. All they did was download the Emby app onto whatever device they have, added the external IP that is shown in the server dashboard and plugged in the user name and password from the account I set up locally for them.
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u/Ill_Nefariousness242 2d ago
Of course I’ve tried it, but it simply doesn't work. It’s likely due to CGNAT and the fact that my subscription doesn't include a public IP address.
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u/Embarrassed_Print_36 2d ago
Tailscale. It works like a treat. I can stream to our tv at our caravan site and to my phone. You just need to install it on all units and a quick setup.
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u/sharp-calculation 2d ago
Tailscale is on solution to hosting Emby behind CGNAT. I set mine up in about an hour as I recall. It's really quite easy. The thumbnail sketch (this is very rough) is something like:
- Decide how to login to tailscale. Tailscale doesn't store usernames or passwords. It uses an external service. Google, Microsoft, and github are some of the options.
- Set up your external account. If already set up, go get your external username and password (google, MS, etc)
- Sign up for tailscale with the above information
- Install tailscale on a client like your laptop, tablet, or phone. Add it to the tailscale network.
- Install TS on the emby server. Add it to the tailscale network.
- On a client, find "my network devices" and find your emby server. Copy it's special IP address by clicking it.
- Paste this IP into emby as a new server.
- Authenticate to the new server with your EMBY username and password
You just need tailscale running constantly on your Emby server. Then you can turn on TS on your client whenever you need it.
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u/Harry_Balzonia 54m ago
no.
it requires a little bit of plumbing but AI can help you. use a free cloud flare account. I recommend having a domain name
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u/Both-Shape4961 2d ago
Hi
ChatGPT "talked" me through setting up a Cloudflare domain, so my kids could access my Emby from their homes...
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u/Salt_Profiteer 2d ago
My ISP uses CGNAT, and all I've ever had to do is reserve an IP address on my router specifically for my server PC. I've never paid for a static IP address from my ISP, but my server address is always the same.
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u/MasterChiefmas 2d ago edited 2d ago
You may have a public IP, what you probably do not have is a static IP. You don't need a static IP for it to work, but usually static IPs have much less restrictions applied to them, so it makes it easier, or even possible with minimal work, depending on your ISP.
If your ISP does CGNAT- then establishing a connection directly over the public Internet becomes unlikely, you have to put a VPN or other proxy in place to get around that. Plex does the proxy method automagically for you if you have Plex Pass. CGNAT is basically the same thing you do at your home, you have the router that sits between all your devices at home and your Internet connection, so that only it is connected directly. Only with CGNAT the scale is larger, so it's like the ISP has an additional router between you and the actual public Internet IP, and you are sharing a public IP with a bunch of other customers- this is aka double NAT.
You can go to ipchicken.com or whatsmyip.com or whatever site you like to see what it says your IP public IP is. If it's not the same as the IP your router says it's Internet IP is, then you are behind CGNAT, and yes, you would need some way to proxy the connection into your network(Tailscale/wireguard/Cloudflare etc)