Hey all, I’m very new to self-hosting and have no background in anything computer-related. I’ll explain in as much detail as I can. I’m running Plex on a Synology DS220+. I’m using the Plex app, i.e. not using Docker (see note below).

The issue: I can watch Plex on my local network in 4K, but outside my local network it barely makes it to 720p. I thought it was an issue with my upload speed, but I got gigabit last week and it hasn’t fixed the issue. I have remote access enabled in Plex through a manually-specified port. The issue persists with my own account and any friends who have access to my library.

I appreciate any advice, links or questions you can offer!

NOTE: I understand the benefits of Docker and I promise to transition in the future. I spent many hours learning and troubleshooting, and it was even functional at times, but eventually I needed something that just worked.

EDIT: You all have been so helpful and supportive. Thanks for meeting me where I’m at and sharing some potential issues.

EDIT2: I found the culprit by accident. I had UPnP enabled on my router. I turned it off and my local speeds increased significantly, and my Plex library is available remotely. I don’t know how or why UPnP is related, but that’s what the solution was for me. Thanks again for all your input and support.

  • ramielrowe@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    5 months ago

    I have a similar issue when I am visiting my parents. Despite having 30 mbps upload at my home, I cannot get anywhere near that when trying to access things from my parents house. Not just Plex either, I host a number of services. I’ve tested their wifi and download, and everything seems fine. I can also stream my Plex just fine from my friends places. I’ve chalked it up to poor (or throttled) peering between my parents ISP and my ISP. I’ve been meaning to test it through a VPN next time I go home.

    • triptrapper@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      Thanks for sharing your experience. I pay for a static IP through my VPN provider, and I’ve wondered if there would be a benefit to running my server through the static IP, then using the same IP to access the server remotely. (Not sure if I’m describing that correctly.)