Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 20:38 Post subject: Plex unavailble on gateway 2 (DD-WRT) but ok on gateway 1
Hi,
Could you help me please diagnose my connectivity.
My problem is that my Plex server is unavailable when the server is using the NETGEAR (DD-WRT) gateway & DNS. But it works ok when I used the BTHub5 gateway & DNS from my service provider. My NETGEAR is a wired bridge.
I have port forwarded nnnnn to 32400 (Plex) on both gateways, turned off server and router firewall and realtime virus checking but no change.
This is my config:-
BTHub5 (Internet Service Provider Gateway, DHCP, WIFI turned off)
- No direct clients apart from NETGEAR bridge router.
Netgear WNDR37000v4 (Initial flash: r23503
Webflash bin: r35244, DD-WRT Wired Bridge, Gateway, WIFI, No DHCP, internet access OK via BTHub5 gateway)
- Plex Server V3.41.2 (Gateway = Netgear - Network cable - internet access ok)
- Xbox One Plex app (Gateway = BTHub5 via Netgear network cable)
- Android phone Plex App (Gateway = BTHub5 via Netgear WIFI) = CAN SEE PLEX SERVER!??
- Microsoft Surface Plex App (Gateway = BTHub5 via Netgear WIFI)
Thanks
Lee
[updated to correct terminology)
Last edited by leejenson on Mon Apr 30, 2018 17:26; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 13 Aug 2013 Posts: 6856 Location: Romerike, Norway
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 18:34 Post subject:
leejenson wrote:
Is there a configuration that would allow me to have my Plex server pointing to the DD-WRT gateway?
Sorry, don't understand your question.
If the router is set up as an AP, wired LAN-LAN with your main router, there is no point in having it as gateway for any LAN node. All it will do is to redirect everyone back to the main router.
Do you have non-bridged interfaces with a separate IP sub-net?
When the Plex server is getting the IP address from a DHCP server, the gateway address is supplied by the DHCP server.
I won't be using the VPN when I am using Plex. It will be switched off, but I would like to switch it on if I want to use it. So I am attempting to get Plex working with my Netgear with my VPN off.
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 12837 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:08 Post subject:
This is a somewhat exotic setup Let me recap, you have a wireless access point, on this WAP you have configured a VPN client. You have the router in Gateway mode on Setup/Advanced Routing and on the Administration/Management Page you have routing enabled.
By setting you plex server to use this WAP as gateway you will be routed through the WAP and thus the VPN.
If you disable the VPN the WAP should route the packets coming from the plex server to its own gateway ( I guess) which is your primary router (because you have set the primary routers address in the Network Setup/Gateway).
Check from your plex server if you have internet acces with the VPN off.
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 12837 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:57 Post subject:
What might even work better is setting the plex server at automatic DHCP and use your main router to provide an alternate gateway. When using manual DHCP sometimes Netbios and things like UPnP get confused (need a real expert to tell why )
For a DDWRT router as primary router you can add the follwoing lines to DNSMasq options:
This is a somewhat exotic setup Let me recap, you have a wireless access point, on this WAP you have configured a VPN client. You have the router in Gateway mode on Setup/Advanced Routing and on the Administration/Management Page you have routing enabled.
By setting you plex server to use this WAP as gateway you will be routed through the WAP and thus the VPN.
If you disable the VPN the WAP should route the packets coming from the plex server to its own gateway ( I guess) which is your primary router (because you have set the primary routers address in the Network Setup/Gateway). Check from your plex server if you have internet acces with the VPN off.
If that is the case you should have access to the plex server by its IP address and maybe a simple port forward on your primary router to the plex server might work, but as said this is an exotic setup
you have a wireless access point, on this WAP you have configured a VPN client.
Lee> It's not wireless but a 'simple' wired access point. Primary router WIFI is off also, I just use DD-WRT WIFI.
You have the router in Gateway mode on Setup/Advanced Routing
Lee> Yes
and on the Administration/Management Page you have routing enabled.
Lee> Yes
By setting you plex server to use this WAP as gateway you will be routed through the WAP and thus the VPN.
Lee> Yes
If you disable the VPN the WAP should route the packets coming from the plex server to its own gateway (I guess) which is your primary router (because you have set the primary routers address in the Network Setup/Gateway).
Lee> When my Plex server is pointing to the DD-WRT Netgear gateway. whether my VPN is on or off makes no difference to my symptom - which is server unavailable when going through the Netgear DD-WRT gateway.
Check from your plex server if you have internet access with the VPN off.
Lee> Yes I do.
If that is the case you should have access to the plex server by its IP address and maybe a simple port forward on your primary router to the plex server might work, but as said this is an exotic setup
Lee> This is my current config, I have plex port forwarding on my primary router which also works but only if my primary router is the gateway for the server,not Netgear DD-WRT. I also added port forwarding to the NETGEAR but no change to my symptom.
A simple wired AP fitted what I wanted until my Plex server became dual use (DD-WRT VPN client and Plex but not at the same time). Currently to switch between Plex and VPN I have to change the IP gateway settings on the server. My plan is to just to turn the VPN on and off in the DD-WRT admin instead of these IP changes.
I will come back to you later (but thank you) about your last response, as I need some time to absorb it.
Joined: 18 Mar 2014 Posts: 12837 Location: Netherlands
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 13:45 Post subject:
As your primary router has no clients attached it is the easist to just daisy chain your routers i.e. connect the LAN from primary to the WAN from the Netgear.
If possible use DMZ on your primary router in that case you only have to port forward on your secondary router.
As your primary router has no clients attached it is the easist to just daisy chain your routers i.e. connect the LAN from primary to the WAN from the Netgear.
If possible use DMZ on your primary router in that case you only have to port forward on your secondary router.
With VPN you either let only specific destinations route through the VPN or route specific clients (by IP address) through the VPN. This seems a much easier solution
As your primary router has no clients attached it is the easist to just daisy chain your routers i.e. connect the LAN from primary to the WAN from the Netgear.
Lee> My primary and Netgear DD-WRT are already connected via a network cable.
If possible use DMZ on your primary router in that case you only have to port forward on your secondary router.
Lee> Yes my primary router has DMZ and my Netgear DD-WRT router is in the list to select from.
With VPN you either let only specific destinations route through the VPN or route specific clients (by IP address) through the VPN. This seems a much easier solution
Lee> I haven't routed specific IPs through the VPN (not sure how) but I did more general testing as follows:
DMZ in primary router = Netgear DD-WRT / Plex Server Gateway = primary router / (VPN Failed & Plex OK)
DMZ in primary router = Netgear DD-WRT / Plex Server Gateway = Netgear DD-WRT / (VPN OK & Plex Failed-unavailable with VPN off)
No DMZ / Plex Server Gateway = primary router / (VPN Failed & Plex OK)
No DMZ / Plex Server Gateway = Netgear DD-WRT / (VPN OK & Plex Failed-unavailable with VPN off)
(The server is networked cabled to the Netgear DD-WRT.)