Intermittent Port Forwarding with Smart Hub 2

[RodT]

I have been trying (with my very limited knowledge!) to get Plex to be my home media server and to use it through Amazon Echo Dot speakers. The set up instructions state that if connection with 'Alexa' cannot be established then Port Forwarding is required manually. I input the requested number and sometimes it works but mostly it doesn't. I have no such problem if I play it through Roku on TV however.

Neither Amazon nor Plex can help so is there an issue with my BT Router and if not is there another way it should be configured.

Any help would be apprecaited.

[licquorice]

If you are port forwarding manually, turn off UPnP, as it might conflict.

[RodT]

Thanks. Have switched off and time will tell! 

[Crimliar]

You shouldn't need to be turning on port forwarding to connect between a plex server and an Amazon Echo that are on the same LAN.  Port forwarding is not going to take local packets and retransmit them on different ports within the local network.

[RodT]

Turning off UPnP has stopped the connection altogether!

But yes, I thought that too. Why do I need 'Remote Access' when using the same router.

The answer I presume is due to BT's automatic switching of wavelength and Port Forwarding is the only potential solution I found.

Isn't there a single other subscriber with this issue?

[Crimliar]

To be fair I totally lost it with Plex a few months back and switched everything over to Jellyfin.  The ONLY thing that Jellyfin doesn't have yet, is integration with Alexa - yet! 

[RodT]

Thanks, that's interesting as I have Jellyfin too and it works perfectly (as does Plex) with Roku but neither with Alexa! I have tried another setting on router overnight and will let you know if it works. I am sure the router is the problem.

[RodT · Accepted solution]

Sorted with TCP via Firewall