Emby Connect - Not as simple as it seems

[dbott 16]

Ok, Emby Connect should be straight forward and simple, yet it seems that it is not.  So I have a few questions.

 

I have my Premiere account (lifetime) and I have a user on my local Emby server showing that it is connected as it is showing the little cloud by the name.

 

Using the Android App, I can log in and select the server to use.

 

Even my Alexa Skill I added allowed me to connect and select a the server.

 

That all seems fine.

 

Yet nothing works outside the network. Meaning, if I am ON MY LOCAL net all is fine, yet Alexa will not work. (We will get back to that in a moment.)

 

If I disconnect my phone from the local wi-fi network and use 4G, I no longer can get to my Emby home page for the server with the app.

 

Now seeing that Alexa can not reach it, and it would need to as it needs to go out of the local net to do anything, and I can not do anything with the android app, I have the following question...

 

Do you still need to setup port forwarding etc in your router?  If so, thats the issue.  However, NO WHERE does it say this.  I was thinking it would act like most cloud based things these days and just connect via some tunnel.  Even my IP cameras I do not need to set anything up for, they just work and I can connect and use them without issue without setting anything up in the router. Heck, I can even reach my UnFi network when not at home and again, did not have to setup anything special.

 

Even on the main WiKi it mentions nothing about it other than to say is easy to setup with just user names.

 

https://github.com/MediaBrowser/Wiki/wiki/Emby%20Connect

 

"With Emby Connect you no longer need to know a server's ip address in order to connect."

 

So to me, that reads...You just sign up and grant access. Nothing more is needed and nothing at all is mentioned about setting up the router.

 

I mentioned Alexa, as that also uses the Emby Connect to work, and it can't find my Emby server either to do anything with it.

 

So...????

 

Thanks

 

[jasonmcroy 316]

I am not sure if this is what is occurring for you, but there is a setting in the server page under Advanced --> Hosting that you can check to allow remote connections. I think it's checked by default, but not sure. You could look and see at least if it's checked in your settings.

[dbott 16]

Hi, thanks you kindly for the reply.  Sorry to report it is checked. 

[jasonmcroy 316]

Hmmm...

 

Well, so much for a simple fix. I was hoping that may be all that it is.

 

I just double checked with my cell phone by turning off the wi-fi and it worked fine here. I haven't used Emby remotely in a while.

 

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Hopefully the devs will be around soon to assist. They may need a server log though to see if there are any errors.

[Luke 42078]

To answer the question, yes we need to improve our documentation here. You do still need to make sure your server is setup for external access, with port 8096 exposed, as well as 8920 if you are using https.

 

Emby Connect doesn't remove this requirement, it is simply a 411 to save you from having to remember your server ip address. In other words, using a username and password to get your server information based on that.

 

Please let us know if this helps. Thanks !

[dbott 16]

Yes, it helps, be in totally the wrong way. 

 

It is REALLY sad to read to say the least. I waisted a good amount of my day trying to make this work as there was nothing mentioned that said you needed any router settings to make it work.  Why would you in this day and age?  Cameras "just work". Even network access "Just works".  A lot of things these days do not require ports forwarded as this was a limiting factor for a lot of people buying items like cameras as they had no idea on how to setup the router.  Even Alexa or Google Home or heck, even my RING doorbell does not need special setup and can send out and receive direction from the outside without forwards.

 

This also kills it for use for people that need to use items like Verizon Jetpacks or another router that you do not have any control over. Example, I live on the road, we went full time 5 years back, thus I use park Wi-Fi and JetPacks.  Yet I can plug in a MicroSeven or Yi camera or doorbell and have instant access to them no matter where I am. Even the Amazon Spot can pull up the cameras. Yet, I can'y get to to tell me anything about Emby.  Bummer.

 

So it looks like the only work around is a VPN if I want to be able to share anything with someone to be able to come in. This of course will slow things down. 

 

Seeing the Amazon Echo needs to use Emby Connect, that is also a bust now. Sigh

 

I have to say, this is the first time, in a long time, that I have run into needing to do anything with ports because I can't based on the private IP's of 4G data use and the use of other routers I do not have control over.

 

Oh well, still enjoy Emby, just can't use it as one should be able to these days. Opening ports on routers in todays world is just scary. So their goes one BIG use...being able to view something when not at the in coach. (Aka, home.)

 

Thanks

[Luke 42078]

What is your expectation here? There has to be a way to get traffic from Emby apps on your devices to your Emby Server. That's going to require some way of getting through your router.

Emby is a personal media server. We don't upload copies of your data or files anywhere, so the only place that Emby apps can get data from is your server directly.

[Carlo 4561]

@@dbott there is a MAJOR difference between the apps you mentioned and Emby.

 

First Emby works just like everything you mentioned.  To use Emby in your home environment requires no router or port forwarding.  It just works.

 

HOWEVER, the difference is when you want to start allowing internet traffic into your home environment.  This is traffic that starts outside your network.  For security you want to ALWAYS have all outside traffic BLOCKED and only allow traffic that you AUTHORIZE into your network that didn't originate there.  <-- the difference.

 

Setting up the router forwarding is exactly what this does.

[dbott 16]

Hi...Thanks...

 

Totally understand the use and what things are and how they work. (I put in networks for something to do as I am semi retired. From small 15 site RV Parks to parks that needed 127 AP and 14 switches.) 

 

With that said, there was no reason for me to think it would not "just work" when you go to setup and use Emby Connect and read the instructions for it. It never mentions anything about needing to still set something up for the router.  Just make an account, add your Emby Sever, link your app and go!  Like I said, there are a lot of devices and things these days that do do not require any router interaction to work from the outside because it uses portal type system which I thought Emby Connect was based on the omission of the setup details.

 

Anyways, like I mentioned, still like it and use it and paid for a lifetime membership some time ago. I was just surprised when I just went to set this function up and found this. I was hoping I was missing something small like the second post had also hoped.

 

Thanks