Port forwarding for Plex, by hand

When Plex can't open the door automatically, you add one rule to your router yourself: when the internet knocks on port 32400, send the knock to the Plex machine. Ten minutes, and you only do it once.

Before you start: give your Plex machine a permanent address on your network. Skip that and this rule will quietly break the next time your router shuffles addresses. Two minutes, worth it.

Pin the port in PlexSettings, then Remote Access. Tick “Manually specify public port” and leave it at 32400. Click Apply.

Open your router's admin pageIn a browser at home, try http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1. The password is often printed on a sticker on the router itself.

Find the port forwarding sectionRouters hide it under names like Advanced, NAT Forwarding, or Virtual Servers. If you get lost, search the web for “port forwarding” plus your router's model number.

Add the ruleExternal port 32400. Internal port 32400. Protocol TCP. Device: your Plex machine, at its permanent address.

Save, then retry in PlexBack on the Remote Access page, click Apply or Retry and wait for the green check.

Verify it stays fixedSign in with Plex on Eyeball and it watches the server from the internet. If the rule ever stops working, you get an email instead of a complaint.

Still red?

Your router's internet address starts with 192.168, 10., or 172.16 through 172.31: there is a second router in front of yours. See double NAT.
The rule looks right but Plex still can't connect: your provider may share one public address across many homes. See CGNAT.
It worked for a while and then broke on its own: the rule may point at an address your server no longer has. See permanent addresses.

TCP alone is enough; Plex does not need UDP forwarded. The external port can be any free number if 32400 is taken. Put the same number in Plex's “Manually specify public port” box.

Fix it once. I'll watch it from here.

I watch your Plex from the internet and send word the moment it breaks. The pay is nothing. The setup is one sign-in.

Forget the Plex token after setup

What does this mean?

Plex gives us a token so we can see where your servers are. That token is allowed to do more than look up an address. Keeping it means you trust us with it. We never see your password. Some people would rather we not keep it. This is for them.

That's fine. I still watch your servers. We never see your password. If your home internet moves, you may get an alert. Sign in once more and I pick up the new address.

🤓 Nerd details

The token is allowed to do more than look up an address. We use it to find your servers, then we delete our copy and ask Plex to deactivate the Eyeball device. Open Authorized Devices in Plex. Eyeball should be gone. If it is still listed, remove it there.

How Eyeball works