Remote Access Only Working If Login is Done Remotely

[mattttvaughn]

A user has reported behavior where they can only reach their server remotely (e.g. not over local network) if they login over a remote connection (not over local network)

Steps to reproduce:

• Connect your phone to the same internal network(s) as Plex.
• Login to Plex within the Chronicle appap
• Play a book to ensure Chronicle is working correctly
• Disable WiFi and select another book. This results in the brief error message I mentioned above and the book doesn't play.

Workaround

• Disable WiFi on your phonew
• Login to Plex within the Chronicle app
• Play book
• Enable WiFi
• Play a book.

I have not confirmed this behavior on my end, so I can't confirm whether this behavior generalizes to all servers. I'll update the issue if that is figured out

[brianmiller]

Thanks for creating the tracker.

I'm going through more testing and discovered Chronicle eventually fails with the same message once switching back to an external network.

I.e.:

• Get it to play from the outside with the steps above.
• Get it to play from the inside after ensuring it plays from the outside.
• Switch back to outside (disable WiFi) and the problem comes back.

The error message: k.c.a.a.l.1.v.: Unable to connect to https://my-ip-address-as-a-string.<somesortofuuid>.plex.direct:32400/library/parts/180850/1634953121/file.m4b

I can see the TLS cert offered by this URL is valid but signed by Let's Encrypt with a SAN of: `DNSName=*.<somesortofuuid>.plex.direct.

Let's Encrypt recently had a globally severe outage due to a X3 renewal/replacement. I don't suspect this is an issue because Chronicle works fine when connected internally.

Do any detailed logs exist in Android?

[brianmiller]

Well...

It must be related to the m4b bug(s) with Plex.

• https://forums.plex.tv/t/400-bad-request-response-when-requesting-some-audio-files/742407
• https://forums.plex.tv/t/bug-plex-no-longer-correctly-analysing-m4b-files-correctly-incorrect-bit-rate-detected-prevents-direct-play/743156

In Plex, Settings > Remote Access > "Limit remote stream bitrate" switching from my desired setting of "8Mbps (1080p)" to "Original (No limit)" completely solved my issue and Chronicle appears to be working great, both inside and outside of my network.

I unfortunately can't keep it like this...I don't have that fancy fiber internet :/. I'm on 1Gbps/40Mbps and I don't really want to convert my entire library to something other than M4B.

The Plex bugs indicate a "fix" is going to be added to Plex, but I haven't been able to verify this.

I'm on Plex 1.24.5.5173.

[ggrensteiner]

This is a plex server issue. You can fix it by remapping *.plex.direct to your internal address in your firewall's DNS.

To verify that this is the same issue you can try to use the plex app in android to download a show (feature used to be called sync). It will fail on internal network and work on external, just like the chronicle app does.