Mobile Remote Connection Issues

[Adam Pessach 4]

Hey, I tried recently to use the Emby app on my Samsung phone and had some issues with the server connectivity. First of all, my mobile connection to the server works, although only through the main wifi router (I cannot use the mesh wifi to connect remotely). The main problem surfaces when there are wifi connectivity issues on my server's PC. What I mean is that if my PC loses the connection to the wifi and regains it even momentarily, my phone will lose its connection to the server in the app and won't be able to regain it unless I connect to the same wifi network again, which makes it very frustrating to use the app remotely. This is the main issue I'm dealing with at the moment and would like to know if there are some app and server settings that can help me solve this issue. I will let you know that both my main router and mesh IP addresses are set manually in my server's PC, so you can scratch that out of the board. Any help will be appreciated.

[visproduction 379]

Can you run an Ethernet cable from the server to the router?  This would eliminate Wifi connectivity and delay issues.  High quality long cables are available online for good pricing.

[Adam Pessach 4]

Unfortunately, it's not possible, as the main router and PC are in different rooms.

[visproduction 379]

Try switching the Wifi Band.  If you are using 5 Ghz and the distance is too far, you could be getting buffering.  2.4 Ghz had can reach farther and might help.

Also MESH causes the router to keep testing for best signal strength.  If you happen to have hardware receiving Wifi right in the middle, between the router and an extender, it's possible that buffering can happen when MESH router decides to send some packets directly and then switches to route via the extender, whenever it senses a delay.  A Wifi receiver on a phone may handle this better than the TV, which is probably older tech.  Try moving the MESH extender to a different location. I would try further from the TV first. or just unpluging it.

A properly set up non-MESH, home network with extenders, instead using different ID's; Office, Library, 2nd floor, etc., can actually run faster than MESH when there is no overhead from testing which extender should take a connection 30 times a minute.   I don't care for MESH at all.  People were tired of having to switch from one Wifi ID source to another, so MESH came out and raised the price of hardware and sold more high bandwidth packages from the host to make up for the MESG processing lag. 

Getting a 50 to 100 foot Ethernet cable and running it along he floor boards and under walk over covers, or through a wall, would be the solution in any business where they cannot tolerate Wifi signal issues that can change from day to day.  You don't wish to do it in a home is a choice.

Anyway, hope that might help.

Edited October 20 by visproduction

[Adam Pessach 4]

Is there a way for me to connect remotely to my server from scratch? As in there is a way to add my server after removing it from my mobile device without being connected to the same wifi network?

[visproduction 379]

Adam,
I am not sure what you are asking.  Any Wifi or direct cable connection to each hardware can exist separately, without affecting any other connection. It is very likely that one connection may have some issue that needs to be fixed.  That would not affect any other connection.  The only thing you might notice is if everyone connects at the same time requesting some media.  Then the limit of your server speed can result in possible buffering.  Getting the server to work as fast as possible for all of your media conections is a separate issue.

[Adam Pessach 4]

 

Okay, please allow me to explain the issue I'm currently facing. I'm not having any major issues on my local network; basically, using the app from home has no problems. The problem is when I'm not at home. To use the app from my phone remotely, I need to do 3 things and do them from home before leaving:

1. I need my PC to be connected to my main router's Wi-Fi network.

2. I need to connect my phone to my main router's Wi-Fi network.

3. I need to make sure my phone is connected to my server on the Emby app.

After ticking those 3 boxes, I usually turn on mobile data on my phone to check if I'm still connected. So far so good.

Only by following those 3 steps I can use the app remotely, but only with mobile data. Once there are issues with connectivity, whether it's caused by the router, internet supplier, or server PC, I cannot regain my connection to the server by any means. The question I asked today is if there is a way to regain that connection or, on the contrary, delete the server from the app on the phone and add it again whilst away from home. What other methods besides a wired internet connection are there?

I want to say that it is possible to play content through my server in its current setting, although it is quite frustrating that even a minor temporary connection can hinder the experience of using the app away from home. That is why I thought a different approach of connecting to the server remotely without the 3 steps would solve the issue or at least a part of it. Also today I checked everything before leaving for work, and when I tried to use the app, it disconnected although everything was fine.

 

Edited October 21 by Adam Pessach

[visproduction 379]

Adam,
When you say phone connected, what is it doing?  Do you then connect to the server remotely via your phone connection?  I am not aware of a way to do this, but maybe that is happening.

I run into a similar problem with a host rented router.

1. I am using the host's router from Spectrum and they control Port forwarding via their website, which then updates the router.
2. But there is no method to create a port forwarding, unless some hardware locally sends out a connecting request, of some sort, that the router recognizes.
3. Emby does not appear to contact the router and instead expects the router to be already set with the IP fowarding.
4. This combination does not work and Emby is only available locally.
5. Spectrum answer is to install a different router and not use their router setup.

If I used my old Netgear router, I could set the port forwarding directly and I know that would work  I am not willing to switch routers for other reasons at my temporary residence.

So, maybe you have some combination like this  Did you start to use a router provided by the host?  Did this use to work and suddenly stopped?  Try calling your host to see if they changed how the router can port forward.  Try pingnig the remote IP. It probably fails to reach it, which may be blocked by the host because they updated their security policy. Also check online what your External IP is.  Search fr Check my IP to get many options.  Do a tracert (traceroute) to your host and see what IP's are in the hops list after, the local 192. or 10.

Hopefully, some others will notice this post and give some other tricks to try.

[Adam Pessach 4]

I see. Firstly, I am connecting remotely to the server from my phone. Secondly, I suspected that the issue was related to the host. I'll check it, but if what you're saying is true, you suggest that if I buy a separate router, connect it to the host router's network, and connect the server PC to it, I won't experience these disconnections. Or is there something I'm missing?

[Luke 43533]

Is this the installed Emby android app, or the web app on your phone ?

Quote

minor temporary connection can hinder

Are you referring to when your PC drops from the wifi network?

By the way, what mesh hardware do you have?

[Adam Pessach 4]

It is the Emby app installed from the Google Play Store. And I may have solved the issue and know what caused this. It is not when the PC disconnects from the wifi network; it's when the server is assigned a different WAN IP address. I toggled the reserve IP address on in the host router's settings. The mesh is irrelevant, as remote access to the server is not achievable while connected to a mesh device; hence, I have to switch to my main router's wifi network.