Plex Media Server not working on Nighthawk X10 R9000 Router Firmware Version V1.0.5.18

[softerist]

Hi.

Today you released new update but this broke the Plex Media Server.

Can you please fix it?

See picture attachment.

Also the telnet on debug.htm it's no longer available, why?

Thanks!

[softerist · Accepted solution]

Hi guys.

I've managed to reinstall/plex by doing the following:

0) Disable donwload/enable Plex and update checkboxes on you router page.

1) I've installed a web server (in my case Microsoft IIS)

2) I've added this file to the web server and made it accesible via HTTPS at this address (https://localhost/sw-apps/plex/r9000/verify_binary.txt), with some certificate, doesn't matter what certificate, just place one for HTTPS connection to became accesible - in my case I've used one installed already in my personal cert store named NVIDIA GameStream Server.

3) go to router telnet, then login via telnet

4) edit /etc/hosts and add this line, where 192.168.1.2 it's my newly webserver:

192.168.1.2 http.fw.updates1.netgear.com

5) Type this to make sure that old/bad arhive it's deleted:

rm -rf /var/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.2935-79e214ead-armv7.tgz 

6) go to:

cd /var

wget https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/netgear/plexmediaserver-r9k-1....

7) Enable Plex Media Server

Proof attached.

Special thanks for tips to: kc6108

[softerist]

I belive the problem it's generated by the fact that router cannot find the newest Plex arhive:

https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.293...

Looks like it's not uploaded or, it has a different name.

[schumaku]

The R9000 was listed in the past on the Plex site, however the updates were by far not made available on every build.

[softerist]

When the router it's checking for new firmware, gets this somehow this:

root@R9000:~# cat plex_latest_version
plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.2935-79e214ead-armv7.tgz 2020-1-14 ff8d841efee0dcf4236b78a7ec83195a3d2eb261 https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.2935-79e214ead-armv7.tgz
root@R9000:~#

And clearly Plex haven't posted it.

https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.293...

[schumaku]

Fully agree - the edit time for my reply went over to fast, so could not complete it, sorry for that.

Lucky you - have reverted to the earlier version to re-gain the shall access or have a hack in place on .18?

[softerist]

You don't need hack to revert firmware.

Just download an old firmware from official site and upload it to router. Then you'll have shell access again.

[schumaku]

---

@softerist wrote:

Just download an old firmware from official site and upload it to router. Then you'll have shell access again.

---

Yes, that is what i had done while the post edit time expired, reverted to the .15 Beta (where QoS seems to be workable. Hoever interested to re-gain shell access on the new and coming up builds. Thank you!

[ksadmw]

Yes you can still enable Telnet on this firmware V1.0.5.18 in debug

im still trying to get plex to install but not sure of how to do it with proper code language

pm me for details 

[Deli13]

Hi all!

I have posted the same issue, but my post has disappeared for some reason.

Do you have any news about the topic? Has anyone from Netgear came out with a note?

[ksadmw]

if I knew how to install plex with telnet I would have done it and yes you can enable telnet on the new firmware. (pm me)

So I have been talking with tech support for 2 straight days now 1st day about 4 hours on the phone transfered 5 times and found that none of the tech support staff availble knew how to remote into the router, today its looking like the same thing is happening.

on hold as i type this out. 

They also are making me pay a hostage fee of $49 to get plex properly working for the jacked up firmware that removed it.

[Deli13]

I don't understand what is going on! 

At first, my topic about Plex issue on 1.0.5.18 has disappeared. 

Now, my comment in this topic also has gone.

Is this some kind of a moderation or what?

[Mahuka]

I have not been able to find a log with any error info yet. The two URLs in the upgrade script are invalid however the latest tar is on the router file system already. Does anyone know which script to run to kick off the installation?

plex_download_url="ftp://updates1.netgear.com/sw-apps/plex/R9000"
plex_download_url_https="https://http.fw.updates1.netgear.com/sw-apps/plex/R9000"

[kc6108]

Plex has made changes to their download URLs again.

Plex's original URL schema for downloads:

https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server/1.14.1.5488-cc260c476/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.14.1.5488-cc... 

Plex then added "-new"

https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.18.3.2156-349e9837e/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.18.3.215... 

Now they have added another layer:

https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/netgear/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.... 

Netgear needs to add "netgear/" prior to the filename. @Christian_R can you forward this information to someone who can help?

[kc6108]

I believe all Netgear would need to do to fix this issue is update this file on their side:

https://http.fw.updates1.netgear.com/sw-apps/plex/r9000/verify_binary.txt 

[softerist · Accepted solution]

Hi guys.

I've managed to reinstall/plex by doing the following:

0) Disable donwload/enable Plex and update checkboxes on you router page.

1) I've installed a web server (in my case Microsoft IIS)

2) I've added this file to the web server and made it accesible via HTTPS at this address (https://localhost/sw-apps/plex/r9000/verify_binary.txt), with some certificate, doesn't matter what certificate, just place one for HTTPS connection to became accesible - in my case I've used one installed already in my personal cert store named NVIDIA GameStream Server.

3) go to router telnet, then login via telnet

4) edit /etc/hosts and add this line, where 192.168.1.2 it's my newly webserver:

192.168.1.2 http.fw.updates1.netgear.com

5) Type this to make sure that old/bad arhive it's deleted:

rm -rf /var/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.2935-79e214ead-armv7.tgz 

6) go to:

cd /var

wget https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/netgear/plexmediaserver-r9k-1....

7) Enable Plex Media Server

Proof attached.

Special thanks for tips to: kc6108

[kc6108]

I was able to manually update by:

1. Disabling "Enable Plex Media Server" and "Enable Automatic Plex New Version Update" in the router GUI (thus revealing the manual "update" option for Plex in the router GUI)
2. Enabling telnet and logging into the router
3. cd /var
4. wget https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.19.4.2935-79e214ead/netgear/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.... 
5. Clicking the manual "update" option for Plex in the router GUI
6. rm -rf /var/plexmediaserver-r9k-1.19.4.2935-79e214ead-armv7.tgz
7. exit

To enable telnet:

1. Navigate to the router's Debug page.
2. Right-click on the page and choose "Inspect" (using Chrome in this example)
3. Search for "telnet", delete style="display: none;", and hit Enter.
4. Now the telnet option should be available

[Deli13]

Thank you all!

Got Plex working on my X10!

[Mahuka]

Was this fix done on latest firmware or previous version? I was unable to find the manual option referred to "(thus revealing the manual "update" option for Plex in the router GUI)" I also looked into HTML code but didn't see it hidden there.

-SC

[softerist]

Hi Mahuka.

If you want to just update from an older version to the newest just follow kc6108's instructions.
If you want to install/reinstall from scratch follow my above instructions.

[gonse]

Same issue here, and no idea how to enter the router via telnet.

Netgear took 6 months to solve an issue that basically broke the NAS functionality. 

No idea how long it will take them to solve this.

[Mahuka]

Follow @kc6108  instructions above for enabling telnet. You have to ensure telnet is enabled on your windows machine as well. Then use  

 @softerist instructions to perform a scratch install of plex. It took me about 10 minutes to fix it but I am familiar with telnet, IIS, etc.. may take some learning otherwise

---

[Sania]

In case you couldn't enable telnet as described by @kc6108 , you can always downgrade the firmware to V1.0.5.8, access routerlogin.net/debug.htm, check the “telnet” option and perform the rest of the steps to update the PMS. After that, you can upgrade the firmware back to V1.0.5.18. It will not affect the updated PMS.

[CodeManX]

I literally just bought this router specifically for its Plex Server capability, set the router & network all up tonight, and of course as my luck would have it they apparently just broke the feature.

So for someone who has no idea about using telnet, what am I looking at here?  Days? Months? Years?  😞

(submitted ticket to support with the link to this thread)

[gonse]

Thank you! That did the trick.

[CodeManX]

Just a heads up, as of this evening, Plex Media Server successfully installed to the router, and Plex is working properly.  Thank you!