A networking question (1 Viewer)

[NewlyRetired]

I have an external hard drive which contains all my media connected to a windows 8 machine.

On the windows 8 machine I run a media server

We can access the media on any blu ray, ps3, ipad, wdtv etc in the house.

Is it possible to create an opening in my router to allow me to access the media server when I am away from my own wireless intranet (say sitting in a library using their wireless network) using my ipad?

 

[bentley]

Crap. I was all ready to answer this with "enough beer to be charming but no so much that you're drunk." Apparently you had a different type of question.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Yes. You need to setup port forwarding on your router.

Old generic link: http://lifehacker.com/5797582/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-the-ultimate-remote-access-media-server

You'd be best of searching port forwarding for your router model.

 

[Dragons]

Have you checked out Plex?

 

[NewlyRetired]

Have you checked out Plex?

Yes I am using plex as my media server right now. I love it.How do you configure your router to allow you to use the Plex interface to access your home network when not in your home network?

 

[NewlyRetired]

Yes. You need to setup port forwarding on your router.

Old generic link: http://lifehacker.com/5797582/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-the-ultimate-remote-access-media-server

You'd be best of searching port forwarding for your router model.

Thank you for the link!Will this allow me to use the Plex on my ipad or is this just using VNC to grab hold of my desktop computer?

I am not looking for a VNC function, I just want a way for my ipad to be able to acces my home network, I don't want it to control the windows 8 desktop.

 

[Dragons]

Have you checked out Plex?

Yes I am using plex as my media server right now. I love it.How do you configure your router to allow you to use the Plex interface to access your home network when not in your home network?

You don't. You use the Plex app to do that for you. It's better than opening ports, imo. Especially if you already own Plex.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Have you checked out Plex?

Yes I am using plex as my media server right now. I love it.How do you configure your router to allow you to use the Plex interface to access your home network when not in your home network?

You don't. You use the Plex app to do that for you. It's better than opening ports, imo. Especially if you already own Plex.

I don't think I understand. How does the Plex app connect to my home network when I am elsewhere?

I will download the plex app and see if I can figure this out.

Edit: I found this info online, is this what you did?

1] Sign your Plex Media Server in to plex.tv. (Settings -> Server -> Connect) PMS should attempt to publish your server and set up the required port forwarding on your router. If it's unable to do so, you may need to set up port forwarding yourself. (Pick an external port and map it to port 32400 on your server.)

When you connect to plex.tv with your mobile client, your server details and details for any servers shared with you will be retrieved.

Is this a pay feature on the Plex.tv or does it come free? I know the app is a paid app but I think it is just a one time payment.

 

[Dragons]

Don't you log into a Plex account on your media server? You log into the same account on your smartphone or tablet and it syncs your library.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Don't you log into a Plex account on your media server? You log into the same account on your smartphone or tablet and it syncs your library.

I connect to it from my ipad by just bringing up plex.tv on a browser on my ipad and then I can access anything I want on it but that does not work if I move outside of my home network.

I am unsure if the app will work when the browser won't outside of my hime network.

I feel like I am missing a step but I am going to try the app and see what happens.

 

[Dragons]

Don't you log into a Plex account on your media server? You log into the same account on your smartphone or tablet and it syncs your library.

I connect to it from my ipad by just bringing up plex.tv on a browser on my ipad and then I can access anything I want on it but that does not work if I move outside of my home network.I am unsure if the app will work when the browser won't outside of my hime network.

I feel like I am missing a step but I am going to try the app and see what happens.

Set up the app and it should be clearer. It gives more functionality than the browser.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Don't you log into a Plex account on your media server? You log into the same account on your smartphone or tablet and it syncs your library.

I connect to it from my ipad by just bringing up plex.tv on a browser on my ipad and then I can access anything I want on it but that does not work if I move outside of my home network.I am unsure if the app will work when the browser won't outside of my hime network.

I feel like I am missing a step but I am going to try the app and see what happens.

Set up the app and it should be clearer. It gives more functionality than the browser.

Ok I setup my app and I was able to log in.

The app knew the name of my media server but was not able to connect to it.

I think I might have to do this (see below) maybe. I don't remember ever doing this when setting up Plex originally.

1] Sign your Plex Media Server in to plex.tv. (Settings -> Server -> Connect) PMS should attempt to publish your server and set up the required port forwarding on your router. If it's unable to do so, you may need to set up port forwarding yourself. (Pick an external port and map it to port 32400 on your server.)

When you connect to plex.tv with your mobile client, your server details and details for any servers shared with you will be retrieved.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Ok as soon as I walked in the door of my house, the plex app found every thing on my server easy enough so hopefully i just need to perform the step in the previous post to allow the app to connect from outside my home network. I am going to set that up now but won't be able to test it until tomorrow.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Yes. You need to setup port forwarding on your router.

Old generic link: http://lifehacker.com/5797582/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-the-ultimate-remote-access-media-server

You'd be best of searching port forwarding for your router model.

Thank you for the link!Will this allow me to use the Plex on my ipad or is this just using VNC to grab hold of my desktop computer?

I am not looking for a VNC function, I just want a way for my ipad to be able to acces my home network, I don't want it to control the windows 8 desktop.

The remote access component is the same whether it is VNC, Plex, Remote Desktop, PS3 media server, etc.. You need to configure port forwarding on your router so your router can forward any requests on those ports to you server. I don't know how to configure Plex but there are a bunch of walk through for it ie: http://lifehacker.com/5821512/use-plex-to-stream-your-media-from-home-to-your-phone-anywhere-you-go

 

[NewlyRetired]

OK. what Cliff said sounds like what I need to do next. Here is what Plex just told me when I tried to set it up

You have successfully signed your server in to Plex, but we were unable to reach it from outside your network.

If you would like to enable this now, you will need to configure your router or firewall to allow Plex to contact your server.

=================================================

The FAQ page mentions a couple of different ways to try this before doing port forwarding. I expect I am going to have some problems here but will see what the router interface looks like.

Easily connecting a Server to Plex relies on your router correctly supporting:

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

These features are common on modern routers but may be disabled by default. If your router doesn't support either of these features, you will likely need to set up a manual Port Forward.

 

[Otis]

Dong pics?

 

[NewlyRetired]

crap, my router has both

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

enabled already.

this is going to be a ##### to debug since I can't test it when I make changes with out leaving my home network.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I think it worked, although I can't be sure until I go out of my home network.

I found a debug sheet that suggested that even if

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

are already enabled, you might need to toggle them once.

After I toggled them, and signed back into plex, I got a much different response

Connecting your server to Plex allows you to stream media outside your home network.

Signed in as XXXXXX@yahoo...

Server is mapped to port 14241

I think the last line may have opened the port up! I will see tomorrow unless I can figure out how to test this from home

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I think it worked, although I can't be sure until I go out of my home network.

I found a debug sheet that suggested that even if

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

are already enabled, you might need to toggle them once.After I toggled them, and signed back into plex, I got a much different response

Connecting your server to Plex allows you to stream media outside your home network.

Signed in as XXXXXX@yahoo...

Server is mapped to port 14241

I think the last line may have opened the port up! I will see tomorrow unless I can figure out how to test this from home

Test from a phone.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I think it worked, although I can't be sure until I go out of my home network.

I found a debug sheet that suggested that even if

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

are already enabled, you might need to toggle them once.After I toggled them, and signed back into plex, I got a much different response

Connecting your server to Plex allows you to stream media outside your home network.Signed in as XXXXXX@yahoo...Server is mapped to port 14241

I think the last line may have opened the port up! I will see tomorrow unless I can figure out how to test this from home

Test from a phone.

I don't own a smart phone.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Shoot, it does not work.

The Plex app can see the server name, it can see the correct IP address and correct port # and state that the connection has been published for use, but it will not connect.

I feel like I am still missing something basic in the setup to allow this to work outside of my home network. I feel like there might be some sort of firewall issue here.

I am going to have to try and understand port forwarding now since this does not seem to work.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Wohoo!

I called the wife and told her to shut off the Windows firewall and the Plex app instantly found the servers! Sweet!

Now I just need to figure out how to keep my firewall on and still let this one port through but the basics are now working.

Thanks everyone for your help!

As a side note, the Plex App is not needed. The web interface can see my media server same as at home.

As Dragons stated above though, if you don't mind the small cost if the app, it is much nicer than the browser interface.

 

[Maelstrom]

Wohoo!

I called the wife and told her to shut off the Windows firewall and the Plex app instantly found the servers! Sweet!

Now I just need to figure out how to keep my firewall on and still let this one port through but the basics are now working.

Thanks everyone for your help!

As a side note, the Plex App is not needed. The web interface can see my media server same as at home.

As Dragons stated above though, if you don't mind the small cost if the app, it is much nicer than the browser interface.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-port-windows-firewall#1TC=windows-7 - Windows 7, but I believe the Firewall is pretty much the same. Here's another link:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/block-open-port-windows-8-firewall

 

[AAABatteries]

You have an iPad, a media server, a PS3 and a WDTV but no smartphone?

 

[NewlyRetired]

You have an iPad, a media server, a PS3 and a WDTV but no smartphone?

Yeah I never talk on the phone so I just keep an old fashioned "go phone" for emergenices. I am never away from my ipad so a smart phone always felt redundant to me.

 

[Mr. Ected]

crap, my router has both

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

enabled already.

this is going to be a ##### to debug since I can't test it when I make changes with out leaving my home network.

May be too late, but if your iPad has internet access you could turn off wifi on the iPad and test that way.

 

[Fennis]

How can I get my former co-workers to actually help me find a job?

 

[NewlyRetired]

crap, my router has both

• NAT-PMP or
• UPnP

enabled already. this is going to be a ##### to debug since I can't test it when I make changes with out leaving my home network.

May be too late, but if your iPad has internet access you could turn off wifi on the iPad and test that way.

Ipad is only wifi.

I was able to debug by calling wife though when I was out of house using MagicJack on my ipad (see, who needs a smart phone )