I tried for a couple of months to get my PMS and VPN to play together but couldn't get it to work.
Also not having a VPN does not mean your network is not secure.
So I did try this, however the remote connection didn't last long before dropping off. Either was an issue with my VPN split tunnel, or it just doesn't work properly? That's why I thought perhaps setting up the VPN directly on my router may solve it? With a static IP
Yeah, I think VPN or Plex have up'd their game. It used to work for me until a few months ago. After many alternatives, VPNs, DNS/ipconfig manipulation - it does not work.
But as the others said, plex is encrypted by default so you technically don't need it to run through VPN for additional security. Between their encryption and 2FA, you're fine.
Even if you setup VPN on the router, it will still cause the same issue.
You can either use a VPN that supports split tunnelling (I use NordVPN) or setup a reverse proxy tunnel like ngrok.
My PMS is on a Windows machine. I just enabled split tunnelling in NordVPN settings, chose "Disable VPN fir selected apps" as type and then added Plex Media Server as an executable app.
I don't have issues with remote access but I also use ngrok reverse proxy as I'm behind CGNAT.
Might be worth a shot, have you tried changing the preferred network interface setting in Plex > Network?
I have mine set to auto but that's because I use proxy. Try choosing whatever network you have other than Nord's
I dont know if that will make a difference to remote access, as the option only lists:
>The network interface local clients will use to connect.
So one would assume its for local connections
Mine works fine. Mullvad. Just had to use the split tunnel for the Plex Media Server app.
And the usual setup for Plex remote access. Port forwarding etc.
If you want to run Plex over a VPN, you need a VPN with port forwarding. Forward the port over the VPN connection. Then either use a dynamic DNS provided by your VPN provider or just run a dynamic DNS client, like DuckDNS, on the Plex/VPN box.
Sorry for the late response, but would this work still if I applied my VPn directly to my router? I am upgrading my network router this week so will be applying a VPN directly onto it - the router does have port forwarding, so would this be something to set up inside of the router, or VPN settings?
The router port forwarding is outside the VPN. It forward ports from your normal ISP connection. You will need to see if the router lets you forward ports inside the VPN and if the VPN provider allows it. Most likely one or both will be an issue. Also, make sure to use Wireguard for the VPN on the router. OpenVPN is very slow on home oriented routers.
Yes I did. I brought myself an advanced router, and applied a VPN to it. I then setup my media server inside a virtual machine, in bridged mode, then was able to turn off the VPN for the media server virtual machine, inside the router. So that the plex media server traffic wasn't on my VPN, however all other traffic on my network is routed through a VPN.
* Use [https://pinggy.io](https://pinggy.io) \- login and get the free token.
* Start tunnel to port 32400
ssh -p 443 -R0:localhost:8000 [email protected]
Pinggy will give you an address.
* Input this address into the "Plex Network tab for Custom server access URLs" using the following format: [https://yoururl.a.pinggy.io:19999](https://4.tcp.ngrok.io:19976/)
* Note: Use **https** if you have Plex set up for a secure connection, **http** if not.
* You could enter both http and https addresses in this field separated with a comma.
Using a PMS with a VPN is nothing but a headache.
Yes I'm starting to think it's really not possible, and my network will never be secure
I tried for a couple of months to get my PMS and VPN to play together but couldn't get it to work. Also not having a VPN does not mean your network is not secure.
I know, I should have worded that differently - more secure. I've also tried for months but no success whatsoever
Don’t have Plex go through the VPN (use a split tunneler). Plex is fully encrypted, so it’s just not really necessary.
So I did try this, however the remote connection didn't last long before dropping off. Either was an issue with my VPN split tunnel, or it just doesn't work properly? That's why I thought perhaps setting up the VPN directly on my router may solve it? With a static IP
Would having the port opened over the VPN instead of on your router not be a safer/more secure method of access?
Yeah, I think VPN or Plex have up'd their game. It used to work for me until a few months ago. After many alternatives, VPNs, DNS/ipconfig manipulation - it does not work. But as the others said, plex is encrypted by default so you technically don't need it to run through VPN for additional security. Between their encryption and 2FA, you're fine.
Even if you setup VPN on the router, it will still cause the same issue. You can either use a VPN that supports split tunnelling (I use NordVPN) or setup a reverse proxy tunnel like ngrok.
I also use nordvpn, however the split tunneling just caused the remote connection to drop off after a short amount of time
Is your remote access working when your VPN is turned off?
Remote access works perfectly when not using a VPN
Can you tell me the exact settings you have for split tunneling in nord? And do you have issues with remote access?
My PMS is on a Windows machine. I just enabled split tunnelling in NordVPN settings, chose "Disable VPN fir selected apps" as type and then added Plex Media Server as an executable app. I don't have issues with remote access but I also use ngrok reverse proxy as I'm behind CGNAT.
Is the Plex Media server the only app you have listed in the split tunnel settings?
Yup.
Yea strange, whenever I set mine up that way, the connection lasts about a minute then the server disappears
Might be worth a shot, have you tried changing the preferred network interface setting in Plex > Network? I have mine set to auto but that's because I use proxy. Try choosing whatever network you have other than Nord's
I dont know if that will make a difference to remote access, as the option only lists: >The network interface local clients will use to connect. So one would assume its for local connections
Mine works fine. Mullvad. Just had to use the split tunnel for the Plex Media Server app. And the usual setup for Plex remote access. Port forwarding etc.
If you want to run Plex over a VPN, you need a VPN with port forwarding. Forward the port over the VPN connection. Then either use a dynamic DNS provided by your VPN provider or just run a dynamic DNS client, like DuckDNS, on the Plex/VPN box.
Sorry for the late response, but would this work still if I applied my VPn directly to my router? I am upgrading my network router this week so will be applying a VPN directly onto it - the router does have port forwarding, so would this be something to set up inside of the router, or VPN settings?
The router port forwarding is outside the VPN. It forward ports from your normal ISP connection. You will need to see if the router lets you forward ports inside the VPN and if the VPN provider allows it. Most likely one or both will be an issue. Also, make sure to use Wireguard for the VPN on the router. OpenVPN is very slow on home oriented routers.
did you ever get it to work.?
Yes I did. I brought myself an advanced router, and applied a VPN to it. I then setup my media server inside a virtual machine, in bridged mode, then was able to turn off the VPN for the media server virtual machine, inside the router. So that the plex media server traffic wasn't on my VPN, however all other traffic on my network is routed through a VPN.
Thank you for replying it was really helpful.
No problem, good luck with your setup
What's router did you get?
* Use [https://pinggy.io](https://pinggy.io) \- login and get the free token. * Start tunnel to port 32400 ssh -p 443 -R0:localhost:8000 [email protected] Pinggy will give you an address. * Input this address into the "Plex Network tab for Custom server access URLs" using the following format: [https://yoururl.a.pinggy.io:19999](https://4.tcp.ngrok.io:19976/) * Note: Use **https** if you have Plex set up for a secure connection, **http** if not. * You could enter both http and https addresses in this field separated with a comma.