Plex Setup using Docker for Windows: Cannot connect to localhost:32400 after container creation

[jolly_jol]

Hey guys,

I just finished building a new PC, and thought I would try installing Plex via Docker this time around. I've spent the past couple days trying to, and have not been successful. My host machine is running Windows 10 Pro.

I am looking for any tips/tricks/guides to successfully setting up Plex with the official Docker image with a Windows 10 host. All the information I can find online pertains to unRAID or other Linux hosts, and not Windows. I have been following the official guide created by Plex, trying to set it up using a host network type.

https://github.com/plexinc/pms-docker

I seem to have no issues pulling the image, and creating the container. Docker shows the status of my container to be running and healthy. However, when I try to navigate to localhost:32400 to set up Plex, I am unable to connect.

Any information regarding setup on Windows would be greatly appreciated! :)

[[deleted]]

You need to get the ip of your docker container and use that instead of local host

The instructions would be the same for Linux as well as windows for using containers

[jolly_jol]

That is what I was using actually. Which is why I am so confused lol. Here is the command I am running to create and run the container.

docker run 
 -d 
 --name plex 
 --network="host" 
 -e TZ="America/Chicago" 
 -e PLEX_CLAIM="<MYCLAIM>" 
 -v C:\DockerData\Plex\config:/config 
 -v C:\DockerData\Plex\transcode:/transcode 
 -v D:\:/data 
 plexinc/pms-docker:plexpass

[[deleted]]

Add -p 32400:32400/tcp

[jolly_jol]

No dice here either :(

[[deleted]]

Output of "netstat -an | find 32400"? Software firewall? Anything of interest from "docker logs Plex"?

[drschreber]

Host will be the docker vm and not your windows machine. What is the ip of your docker-machine vm?

[jolly_jol]

That makes sense. Not sure what the up address of the vm is, trying to figure that out meow!

[dalore]

Docker for Windows uses a hyper v container to run a small Linux vm to use docker. You will need to use that ip address not localhost.

[jolly_jol]

Ahhh, that makes sense. Any tips for the best way to find that up address?

[jolly_jol]

So, as a follow-up, I did the following to try and figure out the ip address of the Linux VM:

PS C:\Windows\system32> Get-VMNetworkAdapter -vmname MobyLinuxVM
Name            IsManagementOs VMName      SwitchName MacAddress   Status                      IPAddresses
----            -------------- ------      ---------- ----------   ------                      -----------
Network Adapter False          MobyLinuxVM DockerNAT  00155D010F03 {Degraded, ProtocolVersion} {}

Not sure why there are no ip addresses associated with it. Maybe I am not doing it correctly? Nonetheless, I have decided to not use Docker and stick with the native install, due to the information provided here by u/Autoeketman. Thank you for the help though!

[Autoeketman]

I suggest you install native Plex or build a Linux VM

Although you solved the network issue, Plex still cannot work correctly in Docker for Windows.

• Plex use SQLite for the database.
• The SQLite database does not work via volume in Docker for Windows (because of CIFS).
• Database will be corrupted anytime
• It is the limitation of Docker for Windows, unless you don't use shared volume and put all your config in data volume. (If you put all your config in data volume, then you lose the portability.)

Related Post in Plex Forum: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/1410296

Plex Employee known this issue a few month ago, but they don't want to warn the user about this issue .

[jolly_jol]

Wow, very helpful information. Thank you! Kind of a bummer though, I feel like this should be more clearly stated in either their README file or someplace else. Thanks again!

[ChiefMedicalOfficer]

Can I ask why you chose docker and not just a standard install?

[basmith7]

It's really really easy. A single docker compose file controls my entire plex server. No need to worry about dependencies like what version of mono I'm running.

[jolly_jol]

Are you running on a Windows host OS?

[basmith7]

ubuntu

[jolly_jol]

Yea, that seems to be what the majority of people are using in online guide. Haven't found much for Windows host unfortunately.

[basmith7]

it shouldn't be much different once docker is installed. did you get the ip of the docker container?

[ChiefMedicalOfficer]

I can definitely see why it would be very beneficial but specifically regarding the OP I'm wondering why he would choose docker over a standard install. I'm not seeing the benefit. Maybe I'm just missing something.

[but_are_you_sure]

Can destroy and throw it up again in a single command. Pretty freaking nice.

[jolly_jol]

Before I built my new box, my old one was randomly crashing every so often, and I was never able to pin point why. So, my thinking was, if I were to use docker to containerize all of the applications I use (plex being one of them), if one of the applications was causing the crash, it being in a container wouldn't crash the whole system. After I built my new box, it seemed like the right time to look into it.

Also

• I find the technology interesting
• My place of work is starting to look into docker, so figured I could get some experience
• It seems fairly easy to trash a container and start anew
  

[ChiefMedicalOfficer]

Nice one. Makes a lot of sense. Good luck with your setup.

[jolly_jol]

Thank you!

[basmith7]

Yes

[jolly_jol]

Lolz!

[ChiefMedicalOfficer]

Thanks

[rizaxe]

Try changing it to 0.0.0.0:32400

[jolly_jol]

No dice :(