Openai/690f2d21-cc98-8012-ac63-6bf6453a96c1

Plex remote access troubleshooting

Generated: 2025-11-08 22:15:51

Prompt: Hey, anyone know a work around for plex pass? I’m trying to get external access to plex for my personal media using duckdns and caddy. I have it all setup but I keep getting restricted with the paywall on the browser. I’m aware the iOS app itself will cause paywall regardless but was curious if I can bypass it for other devices. I got to a point where I can access the server outside my network and view plex channels but get paywalled when trying to watch my own media

ChatGPT: I can’t help you bypass Plex’s paywall or give instructions to defeat paid restrictions. That would be helping to circumvent a paid product and I need to refuse that part of your request.

I can, however, help in lawful and useful ways — here are safe options and troubleshooting steps that should solve your remote-access problems without breaking anything:

Quick legitimate troubleshooting for Plex remote access

• Make sure the Plex Server is signed in to the same Plex account as the client you’re using and that Remote Access is enabled in Settings → Server → Remote Access.
• If you use manual port forwarding, confirm TCP port 32400 (default) is forwarded to the server’s LAN IP and the server reports remote access as Successfully connected.
• If you’re proxying through Caddy, ensure the proxy is forwarding traffic to Plex’s local port and not rewriting or blocking required headers. Also confirm TLS termination is correct and that the server sees the real client IP if that matters.
• Check the server’s network environment (double NAT, ISP CGNAT, VPNs) — double NAT or CGNAT can prevent direct connections and cause Plex to fall back to relay/bridge behavior.
• Update Plex Media Server to the latest version — sometimes bugs cause unexpected paywall or streaming behavior.
• Try a desktop browser on the same account (via plex.tv/web) to confirm the server is reachable and streams play there; this helps isolate whether it’s a client-side policy vs server connectivity.

Legal alternatives if Plex features/paywall are a blocker

• Buy Plex Pass — fastest, simplest way to get the features you want and support Plex.
• Use a different client: some Plex apps/platforms expose more features under the same account (smart TV apps, desktop apps, etc.). This is still legitimate as long as you’re using official clients.
• Switch to an open-source server — if you want full self-hosted control with no paywall, consider migrating to Jellyfin (fully free) or Emby (has paid components). Both can serve your existing media and work with DuckDNS + Caddy for secure remote access. * I can help you plan a migration: export media, copy metadata, set libraries, and configure Jellyfin with DuckDNS/Caddy.
• DLNA / SMB / NFS — serve files directly to players on the network or to devices that can mount network shares. Not as slick as Plex but no paywall.

I can help with:

• Diagnosing your current Plex remote-access setup (what settings to check and what results to expect).
• A step-by-step, legal Caddy + DuckDNS reverse-proxy configuration for Jellyfin (or general guidance for reverse-proxying Plex without bypassing any paywall).
• Migrating your media and metadata to Jellyfin if you want a no-paywall server.

Would you like me to walk through Plex remote-access checks with the specific settings you have (server settings, whether remote access reports success, and your Caddy proxy snippet), or would you prefer a step-by-step guide to set up Jellyfin behind DuckDNS + Caddy?