Issues opening a port on AX4200 ORBI RBR750

Question

Hello,I have a Plex server app running on a QNAP NAS on a network. Everything works great on LAN, but I can't make other devices connect to it directly from the outside (over internet). Supposedly Plex/QNAP should open whatever ports they need on router via UPNP, but they don't. And no matter what port I'm trying to open manually (and force Plex/QNAP to use it) - it's not accessible from the outside.&nbsp;Setup is the following:&nbsp;Verizon FiOS 1Gbps fiber&nbsp; &gt;&gt; UTP-Cat5E-wired &gt;&gt; AX4200 ORBI RBR750 router &gt;&gt; UTP-Cat5E-wired &gt;&gt; QNAP NAS (static IP).I had an hour long session with QNAP technician and he said "the port is not getting opened, so it's a router issue"...&nbsp;To be fair, I initially used FiOS default router (Gateway FiOS Router FiOS G-1100-FT-FRONTIER) trying to make this work. I had a remote session with a Verizon tech and he couldn't figure it out either and blamed the router, so we ended up replacing the router with the same one. The issue remained.So I then went ahead and got the ORBI mesh hoping that a router swap would help. It didn't. So I don't think it's a Netgear issue per se, but there's clearly something preventing my setup from being avail from the outside, and I'd REALLY appreciate if some bright mind can help me solve it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Router is 192.168.1.1 (no double-nat)NAS is 192.168.1.212 (static)By default Plex tries to use port 32400. I tried it (and a dozen other ports).ORBI is on&nbsp;V3.2.18.1_1.4.14 firmware.PC is a Win10x64.&nbsp;Thank you,Nick

antinode · Answer

&gt; Router is 192.168.1.1 (no double-nat)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Router" has _two_ IP addresses.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That looks like the IP address of the router's _LAN_ IP interface,which proves nothing.&nbsp; What is the IP address of the router'sWAN/Internet interface?&nbsp; If you're worried about revealing secrets, thenthe top half of the address, "a.b" out of "a.b.c.d", would satisfy mostof my curiosity.ADVANCED &gt; ADVANCED Home : Internet Port : Internet IP Address&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is that the address which you're using for remote access?&nbsp;&nbsp; Plug that address into the form at: https://whois.arin.net/ , and seeif it is a public or private address.&nbsp;&gt; NAS is 192.168.1.212 (static)&nbsp;&nbsp; Terminology: A "static" address is configured on the device itself.What you configure on a (DHCP server on a) router is a reserved dynamicaddress, not a static address.&nbsp; Either one should fix the address of adevice, but some implications are different.&nbsp;&gt; [...] no matter what port I'm trying to open manually (and force&gt; Plex/QNAP to use it) - it's not accessible from the outside.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Actual port-forwarding rule?&nbsp; Actual error message when you do what,exactly?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For the usual problems with port forwarding, see:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1859106

Nick_2021 · Answer

antinode&nbsp;wrote:&gt;What is the IP address of the router's&nbsp;WAN/Internet interface?&nbsp;&nbsp;ADVANCED &gt; ADVANCED Home : Internet Port : Internet IP Address108.56.x.x - verizon's public adress. Rotates pretty often.&nbsp;antinode&nbsp;wrote:&gt;Is that the address which you're using for remote access?&gt;Actual port-forwarding rule?&nbsp; Actual error message when you do what, exactly?&nbsp;yes, plex dynamically picks up the public address (while using it's own port (with checkbox unchecked) or with the one I force it to). In the pic below I'm manually assigning port 32400 (Plex's default):https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GCrAIfG2acmEpVPIspv3QKAQrarB6Z8B/view?usp=sharing&nbsp;this is the port forwarding rule from ORBI setup:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z6DKDwJ7d6DdgbQ23byrzp1I-HxKPjca/view?usp=sharing&nbsp;antinode&nbsp;wrote:&gt;A "static" address is configured on the device itself.What you configure on a (DHCP server on a) router is a reserved dynamicaddress, not a static address.&nbsp; Either one should fix the address of adevice, but some implications are different.NAS has this IP set as static and ORBI has it reserved for NAS as well:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nh64MuKZoH_ByHXaSg7IYKc94dgHikqT/view?usp=sharing&nbsp;this is https://canyouseeme.org/ trying to ping the port:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XV2GN1WEwVQM0lA3DHTRTCdQ_m7xrgzA/view?usp=sharing&nbsp;Thank you for your input,Best regards,Nick

antinode · Answer

&nbsp;&nbsp; I didn't spot any obvious problems in your configuration.&nbsp;&gt; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1859106&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Did you try the tests in that list (particularly in item 3)?&nbsp;&gt; ORBI is on V3.2.18.1_1.4.14 firmware.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hmmm.&nbsp; The latest I see is "V3.2.17.12_1.4.14".&nbsp; Normally, ifeverything seems right except the actual behavior, I'd suggest adifferent/older firmware version, but I'd hesitate if I couldn't returnto the starting place.

Nick_2021 · Answer

&gt;&gt; ORBI is on V3.2.18.1_1.4.14 firmware.&gt;Hmmm.&nbsp; The latest I see is "V3.2.17.12_1.4.14".I'm pretty sure it came with it OOB. I'm hesitant trying to go backwards. I doubt it's an issue with the new FW. As I mentioned, FiOS Gateway routers had the same issue. It does sound like an ISP block of some sort..&nbsp;&gt;1. Wrong external IP address&nbsp; &nbsp;IP is correct from what you can see.&nbsp;&gt;2. Bad port-forwarding rule&nbsp; &nbsp;Also, as you see - it seems correct. Pretty straightforward setup...&nbsp;&gt;3. Server not listening on the port-forwarding target system.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's the default Plex port. It responds to it internally within LAN.&nbsp;&gt;Can you access the server from a system on your LAN using the server's LAN IP address?&nbsp; &nbsp;Yes, as stated above the Plex server is working like a charm on LAN. All devices on LAN can play media from it using their respective apps (ios/android) or straight via browser page (IP+port). They play directly &amp; at original quality, with no transcoding necessary.Devices outside LAN, however, can still connect to it via their apps, but they get the message you saw in the screenshot about 'connection is not direct blah blah' and end up getting a transcoded 720p feed of 2mpbs (plex limitation) that's routed through some proxy I guess. Plex standard behavior.&nbsp;&gt;If that works, then, still from a system on your LAN, try using the router's WAN/Internet IP address. That should verify the port-forwarding rule(s) (and the "NAT loopback" feature of the router).&nbsp; &nbsp;Tried that: "This site can’t be reached" timeout.&nbsp;&gt;4. External influences:&gt;ISP blocking&nbsp; &nbsp;All the ports? I tried a multitude of ports... I might try talking to their support again.&gt;other firewalls&nbsp; &nbsp;I don't have any on LAN. Can't see any FW-related settings on ORBI either...&nbsp;sigh...Thanks for your input.If you have any other ideas - shoot.&nbsp;

antinode · Answer

&gt; Tried that: "This site can't be reached" timeout.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If you have all the addresses right, and the port-forwarding rule isright, then, to me, that suggests a router firmware problem (portforwarding, or NAT loopback) or a server problem.&nbsp;&gt; [...] FiOS Gateway routers had the same issue. It does sound like an&gt; ISP block of some sort..&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Or a server problem.&nbsp;&gt; &gt;4. External influences:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I would not expect external anything (ISP, or whatever) to affectaccess from your LAN, even when using the router's WAN/Internet address.&nbsp;&nbsp; Being largely ignorant/innocent of Plex, I might try running someother server (Web, FTP, SSH, ...) on the same system, and see how portforwarding for that service works.&nbsp; Or on a different system.&nbsp; (Is theproblem with the ISP or the local server?)&nbsp;&gt; PC is a Win10x64.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And speaking of firewalls, does Windows see this network connectionas Public (bad) or Private (good)?&nbsp; Any other exotic Windows firewallstuff?

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Issues opening a port on AX4200 ORBI RBR750

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