Manual Configuration of Plex Connect

If you want to manually configure a Plex server connection, you can do so by selecting 'Configure Plex Server Manually' when setting up a Plex integration. This process allows for more control over the configuration and can be useful in certain situations.

Important Considerations

When configuring your Plex server manually, there are several options you should consider. First, make sure to ignore Plex Web clients, as creating media_player entities for these clients is not necessary. Additionally, if you want to ignore new managed/shared users who have been granted access to the server, select this option. Only selected users will be able to create media_player entities.

Monitored Users and Episode Art

You can also specify a list of monitored users who have access to your Plex server. This allows you to customize the behavior of media_player entities for these users. Furthermore, you can choose whether to display TV episode art instead of TV show art. These settings can be changed on the Integrations page under 'Plex' > 'Options.'

DNS Rebinding and Connection Issues

To avoid connection issues, it's essential to configure your router to allow DNS rebinding for plex.direct. If your router enforces DNS rebind protection, connections to the local plex.direct hostname may fail (see Plex documentation). Additionally, make sure to select a valid address on the Plex card on the Integrations page.

Prioritizing Connection Methods

The integration will prioritize local over public and secure over insecure connections when attempting to connect to your Plex server(s). It will also check all possible ways to connect, including local or public addresses, HTTP or HTTPS, IP or subdomain of plex.direct, or using a Plex relay if all other methods fail.

Setting Up Manually

If you didn't discover any servers automatically, don't worry! You can set up your Plex Media Server manually from the configuration menu. Select 'Devices & Services' and then search for and select 'Plex Media Server.' Follow the instructions on screen to complete the setup process. During setup, you will need to log in as a server administrator.

Plex connect