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Plex integration: "Unable to play '[track]' - the connection to Plex was lost"

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
December 1, 2021
40 replies
3424 views

Sonos version: 11.2.13

Plex version: 1.25.0.5282 (same issue encountered with 1.24.x.x)

Plex running in Docker container on an HP MicroServer serving music stored on same server. Plex app works fine and can browse/stream music from internal LAN and from outside LAN. Sonos app can browse music on Plex fine.

Until recently, I’ve been able to stream Plex music to SONOS without issues. It stopped working a couple of days ago. A new Plex update became available today and I’ve tried that with no success.

Problem description:

I believe the following are related issues as they started at the same time.

Variant 1:

Using the SONOS appFind and select track from Plex. When Sonos attempts to play track it reports error:

Unable to play track '<track name>' - the connection to Plex was lost.

Variant 2:

Using the Plex web app, the cast locates SONOS boxes but when trying to connect reports:

Playback Error
An error occurred loading the media being played on "<sonos device>".

Expected behaviour:

SONOS plays music as expected. Plex app is able to connect to and stream music to SONOS device.

Troubleshooting so far:

No errors detected in Plex logs
Tried rebooting all network devices
Tried reauthorising Plex with Sonos
Tried removing/re-adding Plex in Sonos (including removing app approval in Plex)

As far as I can tell, my network is fine. I was able to play tracks the other day and can’t play anything now. Plex app works as it should so don’t think the problem is there. I’ve run out of ideas to try now, and have been unable to get through to the support chat

Does SONOS or anyone else have any idea where I can go from here?

Thanks in advance.

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Ken_Griffiths

Others online have suggested to me to actually bridge the Plume pods as Wifi access points and switch back to using the ISP router instead, which is a VM Hub-6ax and should support NAT loopback (perhaps). It appears others have had success with this, but I prefer to stick with the Plume service at the moment because of other things that their service provides - I can still use the Plex service with Sonos through the native Plex App - it’s only the Sonos in-built plex service that does not work for me.

I think I’m just going to have to live with the issue, but would be nice if Sonos/Plume could resolve the matter and allow the service to work in the same/similar way as the Plex App itself. I have written to Plume Support too in the (now-distant) past.

Corry P

Sonos Staff

Hi @pwt and @Ken_Griffiths

Thanks for those diagnostics - I’ve forwarded them to our engineers who will investigate the issue.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

Corry P

Sonos Staff

We are unable to reproduce this issue. This is good for other users, but it makes it harder for us to help you all here.

@Ken_Griffiths - I’m told you have a different issue than the others - no NAT Loopback will prevent Plex from working.

@pwt & @timmyc - Could you please let me know your current Plex server network settings? Thanks.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

pwt

Virtuoso

We are unable to reproduce this issue. This is good for other users, but it makes it harder for us to help you all here.

...

@pwt & @timmyc - Could you please let me know your current Plex server network settings?

Thanks.

Did you test access from an S1 system to an external Plex server, i.e., one on a different network to the Sonos system? I have no issues when my Sonos systems are on the same network, with either S1 or S2.

Note also that all the native Plex clients connect without problems when remote.

I’ve attached the network and remote access settings as screenshots below. I have port 32400 on my router forwarded to the Plex server.

Now, looking at the ‘Strict TLS configuration’ setting (an option I don’t remember seeing in the past), I’m wondering whether relaxing this would fix the problem. Unfortunately, I can’t test it at the moment.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300

Corry P

Sonos Staff

Hi @pwt

Thanks for that. Yes, we tested a speaker on a mobile hotspot connecting via LTE to the Plex server. Our Plex settings match yours, and Strict TLS doesn’t appear to make any difference.

Are you running the native Plex server, or on a Docker Container?

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

pwt

Virtuoso

Hi @pwt

Thanks for that. Yes, we tested a speaker on a mobile hotspot connecting via LTE to the Plex server. Our Plex settings match yours, and Strict TLS doesn’t appear to make any difference.

Are you running the native Plex server, or on a Docker Container?

It’s in a container, running with ‘--net=host’, so it should behave from a networking perspective as if it’s running directly on the host.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300

Corry P

Sonos Staff

Hi @pwt

It’s in a container, running with ‘--net=host’, so it should behave from a networking perspective as if it’s running directly on the host.

And we’re doing the same. We still can’t reproduce the issue - though it seems related to SSL.

Hopefully, more information will come to light soon. Until then, being unable to reproduce, we’re unable to continue.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

pwt

Virtuoso

Hi @pwt

It’s in a container, running with ‘--net=host’, so it should behave from a networking perspective as if it’s running directly on the host.

And we’re doing the same. We still can’t reproduce the issue - though it seems related to SSL.

Hopefully, more information will come to light soon. Until then, being unable to reproduce, we’re unable to continue.

Thanks. Just to check: you’re testing using an S1 Sonos system?

If so, this is really odd. It used to work perfectly, but stopped doing so several months ago, despite no changes in networks or other relevant configuration settings -- other than normal software updates to Sonos and Plex.

I did wonder if it might be as simple as a certificate expiry, but if you’re not able to reproduce the issue, it’s not that.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300

Corry P

Sonos Staff

Thanks. Just to check: you’re testing using an S1 Sonos system?

If so, this is really odd. It used to work perfectly, but stopped doing so several months ago, despite no changes in networks or other relevant configuration settings -- other than normal software updates to Sonos and Plex.

I did wonder if it might be as simple as a certificate expiry, but if you’re not able to reproduce the issue, it’s not that.

Yes - S1.

My tier 2 colleague is now trying with the official Plex container as he wasn’t utilising it.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

Corry P

Sonos Staff

My tier 2 colleague is now trying with the official Plex container as he wasn’t utilising it.

Which made no difference. Still unable to reproduce.

@pwt would you mind creating a new test container with a new instance of Plex in it and test if that fails too?

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein

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