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Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:26 am
by jimkarri
I have successfully set up QVPN. All outbound traffic is routing through the VPN. However, incoming traffic is hitting my router and not going any further. I am able to connect to Plex with an indirect connection but, I am unable to directly access Plex. I also can not remotely access any of the QNAP applications with the VPN Gateway on. Here is what I have noticed:

The UPnP functionality no longer works
Port forwarding does not work
Placing the NAS in a DMZ does not work.

I have two questions:

1. Can you configure external access with a VPN Gateway?
2. Can you assign Plex specific network connection different from the system network?

QNAP TVS-871 QTS 4.3.6.0805

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 10:45 am
by Trexx
First question, why did you setup a VPN? For what use case? Any secondly, was there a reason you set it up on the QNAP vs. say your router?

This is prime example of why I prefer to setup the VPN on my router/etc. instead of on the QNAP. It keeps life much simpler. :)

When you are directly connecting to the QNAP via the QVPN Server (hosted on QNAP), the IP address of the qnap basically "changes" (typically to a 10.x.x.x #). Your Plex server has no visibility though to this, since it typically is on something like 192.168.x.x.

Are there ways to work around the issue (probably), but I wouldn't worry about using a VPN if all you are needing/wanting to expose is Plex externally.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 2:15 am
by jimkarri
1. I am setting up a VPN to hide my traffic for Plex
2. Setting up VPN on my router slows down all internet access and not just for one application.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 2:47 am
by dolbyman
1. Hide your Plex traffic ? if all traffic is routed through there, it's not just Plex please elaborate.
2. Works fine on my router, 300Mbit max (OpenVPN) for each tunnel

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:20 am
by jimkarri
You guys seem more focused on why I want to do what I am doing, that tells me that either it can not be done or you do not know how.

Thank you for your time.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:38 am
by dolbyman
if you do not exactly explain WHAT you want to do and achieve, helping is kinda hard

And at the end of the day, most here do not use the QNAP for VPN (they use dedicated appliances for that) due to the fact that the QNAP implementation is limited

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:16 pm
by GTunney
Have you forwarded the required ports from your router to the QNAP for VPN?

I have tested this myself and was able to contact my entire 192.168 network despite being on a 10.2 for VPN

I was also able to access Plex using port 32400, please bear in mind your plex port internally will be different to externally.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 6:36 pm
by spikemixture
I wish to use my vpn on my NAS as that is where my media apps are operating.
I do not want the vpn on my router as then all my network will be effected.
I live in a 3rd world country but have a fairly fast internet. I buy my yearly NBA pass and want all my speed for streaming games.
.
My issue is also with Plex

Plex is running on the NAS
I set up my PIA VPN on the NAS @ 2 locations and can turn it on and off and it allegedly connects.

Plex is un-accessible when I "use VPN as NAS default gateway" i.e the button is green - "sometimes"

At the bottom of that box is "Allow other networks devices in the same subnet to connect to the vpn through the NAS"

That is UN ticked.

I would have expected that would be the button that causes Plex's un-connections .

Does anyone that is running Plex on their NAS with a VPN (on the NAS) have a working setup ??

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 2:14 pm
by spikemixture
Bueller! Bueller! anyone?

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:14 pm
by spikemixture
I must be unique !
There is not a qnap owner on this board that has Plex running with a VPN on the same box.

VPN's and Plex being 2 of the more popular subjects it is surprising I must say.

Oh well - such is the qnap world.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:46 am
by Trexx
That is because most users don’t need nor want a vpn for plex.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:35 pm
by spikemixture
Trexx wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2019 4:46 am That is because most users don’t need nor want a vpn for plex.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ok but the vpn is not for plex .(and i don't want it for plex either) It is for the NAS.

Plex just does not work on the same NAS with a VPN set up!

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:46 am
by Trexx
Are you wanting the VPN on QNAP as a Client to a different VPN provider or a Server (i.e you're connecting back to it)?

When you are using the VPN Server on the QNAP, your IP address of the QNAP changes when you access it through the OpenVPN client. So if say your normal IP for the QNAP is 192.168.0.10, your OpenVPN connected address would be typically be something like 10.8.0.1 to directly access the QNAP. Other IP's within your network (assuming you left use as default gateway for remote devices) in the 192.168.0.x space would behave as normal.

That shouldn't have any impact on Plex Server and normal access to it via Plex client as long as your client device (say iPad) doesn't have VPN connection to QNAP active.

If you are using the VPN Client option (using a 3rd party VPN provider such as PIA), then everything from the QNAP will route through that connection and it will all depend on what ports they open/block whether plex server would be accessible in that situation or not.

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:13 pm
by spikemixture
Trexx wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:46 am Are you wanting the VPN on QNAP as a Client to a different VPN provider or a Server (i.e you're connecting back to it)?

When you are using the VPN Server on the QNAP, your IP address of the QNAP changes when you access it through the OpenVPN client. So if say your normal IP for the QNAP is 192.168.0.10, your OpenVPN connected address would be typically be something like 10.8.0.1 to directly access the QNAP. Other IP's within your network (assuming you left use as default gateway for remote devices) in the 192.168.0.x space would behave as normal.

That shouldn't have any impact on Plex Server and normal access to it via Plex client as long as your client device (say iPad) doesn't have VPN connection to QNAP active.

If you are using the VPN Client option (using a 3rd party VPN provider such as PIA), then everything from the QNAP will route through that connection and it will all depend on what ports they open/block whether plex server would be accessible in that situation or not.
Ok
I get confused between server and client!
And have not tried setting up a VPN server.
All my testing has been as a client.

I want to run all apps/connections on the NAS through the VPN (client) but PLEX fails - so I want to exclude Plex

Re: Plex and VPN Gateway

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:27 pm
by Trexx
The only way to do that will be that you have to manually edit the OVPN file from your VPN provider.

See this article for the basics around it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PleX/comments/ ... h_openvpn/

Once you have the edited .OVPN file, then you can use that modified version and setup your VPN client on QNAP with it.