Plex Media Server with Windows 10...Network Path Not Found

It should be showing up in Devices and Printers if there is no Security software causing issues. The Plex forums are a wealth of information.

Just remember that the rules have to be correct for Plex Media Server for Windows. Also you need to be running Plex Media Player on any devices that you wish to watch or listen to stuff on the Server.

jimbo45 said:

jimbo

I have not had any issues since Synology upgraded to 6.1 RC and running the current Plex DVR server app on it. I did bump the Nas up to 4GB, since it was getting a little loaded down with movies that were 1080p. The Shield is running the latest. I have not been using the HDHomerun Channel, since it slows the stream down from the tuner when I am watching it in Plex.

I have my network set up that the only Firewall is on my Edge Router. The only thing that I have not gotten around fixing is outbound through the U-Verse Gateway, since I do not watch stuff outside the house.

Samuria said:

You need to connect to a share I assume \\plex is the server so you should have \\plex\sharename

Hi there

@Samuria and @ARAMP1

You actually DON'T need to connect to a share if the PLEXMEDIASERVER is running on say a NAS with local HDD's.

If you are running say on a Windows machine with media files stored on a NAS then of course you need to share those files to your Windows system RUNNING THE SERVER - not the machines running the CLIENT (i.e those machines / devices where you want to PLAY the content).

On the CLIENT machines running PLEX will simply pick up the media files from the PLEX SERVER

I'd still run from the NAS - but if you insist on having the PLEX SERVER on the Windows box then do the following assuming your NAS has media files stored on it and you are running the PLEX SERVER on Windowsmachine1

simply do :

1) share media files to Windowsmachine1 (e.g \\NAS\HDD say -- this will be X for example on Windowsmachine1

2) On Plexmediaserver on Windowsmachine1 give it a name (anything will do -- say call it BLACKDOG)

3) add the libraries into the plex server (simply point to the shared drectory you want e.g X\\NAS\HDD)\Movies

4) refresh libraries

Now on any CLIENT machine (including smart TV's, phones etc) simply start PLEX application (client) and it should find BLACKDOG
choose library and content and play it on target device

Simple !!!!

If you have more than 1 PLEX SERVER then you can choose up to 3 to login to on the client devices. The login is on the top of the screen right hand side on the client device - drop down will indicate server.

Give PLEX SERVERS easy names - I suggest DIFFERENT from Host computers but that's up to you.

For logging in OUTSIDE your LAN you might need PLEX pass etc -- personally I don't bother to use this away from Home.

Note if you are running PLEXMEDIASERVER from a NAS you don't need to share ANYTHING with the client machines --simply run the PLEX Client app (usually built in on smart TV's / fire sticks / google chromecast etc).

Personally I'd use your desktop server as a NAS running something easy like Linux Mint or CENTOS and run PLEXMEDIASERVER on it.

PLEXMEDIASERVER works absolutely fine on any Linux Distro that I've ever used and you don't need to bother to share anything at this stage as the server does it all !!!!.

If you NEED to share other files with Windows then there's SAMBA which is 100% stable and works right out of the box - also Linux reads and writes NTFS files so uploading content is easy enough done manually too -- Linux kernels are all plug'n play so a new external USB device will be recognised and you can copy new media to your HDD('s).

BTW if you ARE running PLEXMEDIASERVER from a Windows Box and the PLEX libraries are on local HDD's then again NOTHING needs to be shared.

The Client machines will be able to play content - and they don't care what box the SERVER is running on or the OS it's using.

In all cases if using firewalls allow PLEX as an application and ensure server ahs the relevant port open. I think it's something like 32400 but you'll see it when you install the server.

Tips on the SERVER side -- if using subtitles change option to transcode : Automatic - otherwise any movie / video with subtitles will transcode - you don't really want unnecessary transcoding even if you have a decently powerful server.

On some client devices (e.g Amazon fire TV) change H264 level to something like 5 (it's in the settings) otherwise a lot of .mkv video will also get transcoded - message H264 level too high !!.

Cheers
jimbo

ARAMP1 said:

I don't need to share to run plex, I need to share to get all the media off my computers to the dedicated plex machine. I've given up and installed FreeNAS.

@ARAMP1

Hi there

Your original post was a bit confusing as you seemed to indicate you had to have shared files to operate the Server,

IMO even though you've chosen FreeNAS (I would have gone for a decent Linux Distro -- but that's your choice) probably the easiest way to get media on to the NAS was to copy media to external USB HDD and then load manually to NAS - however looks like you've got it fixed.

Loading files via NETWORK -especially a few TB via WIFI could take hours so I wouldn't recommend the sharing way at all in any case unless you physically can't get at the NAS or you've connected via LAN cable.

Here I've got 16 TB (7 and 9 TB) of HDD storage -- loading say 8GB of 4K video over a wifi network where maximum network transfer is likely to be around 40 Mib/s (Bits/sec) will take some time -- and if you have a few of these !!!!.





However have you got it all it working now.

Cheers
jimbo