When I’m traveling I access my home Plex server by connecting via my home VPN server. Only problem is I can’t seem to also connect to a Chromecast since if I’m on the VPN, then I can’t connect to the Chromecast since the Chromecast isn’t on the same network.
Any way to resolve this?
I guess I could access the Plex home server remotely without the VPN but I’m trying to avoid opening ports to the home server.
Maybe there’s a better way to send media from the phone to the TV instead of Chromecast?
You could get a travel router and set up the VPN connection on that, then have your devices connect to the travel router’s wifi.
Don’t know about chromecast but there should be a Wireguard or Tailscale app on it. My android tv box has them (onn)
Is there a reason you’re using Plex and not using the main thing it’s good for: easy remote access?
It’s perfectly ok to “Enable remote access” in Plex.
So don’t hurt your head overthinking this.
I use Nord and I access mine via Meshnet as if it was local, not remote. Has worked just fine, and all wrapped in the VPN. Doesn’t make sharing it with others easy, but I don’t really do that anyway.
Just remember not all VPNs support port forwarding or you will be forced to watch it in 2m max bitrate
Yup. Glinet router like the Mango works perfectly for this
Hah ok, so then if Chromecast was on the same VPN you could connect I guess.
Do you mean opening ports on the home network so that Plex can become remote and skipping the VPN?
Don’t understand why you are sending data from your phone to chromecast. Why not just use plex in the device? Assuming you mean casting
I mean that Plex is an pretty OK app for media content hosting and serving, but there are a number of alternatives out there, some that have all the same features but for free, without data scraping/collection, and with additional features. Plex’s biggest selling points are the rendevous service to abstract away all the complex network setup for bypassing CGNAT, and the related OAuth-like login/permissions management they provide. If you’re not using those features, which all but come packaged together, there’s realistically not many benefits to Plex versus any other options, and it costs you monthly fee to use Plex.
If I were to guess this is likely down to the thing they want to cast to needs to be on the broadcast network with his phone to cast to. This would mean the phone vpn’s over cellular data and WiFi on the hotel, or split tunnels on that same WiFi.
This is speculation as to technical irritations, could be wrong.