The Best (as far as I could get) Android App to access your FreeNAS

[Bhoot]

So a lot of people have been using ftp, plex and sonar to get media on their phone I wanted something which was more basic. I still run plex, don't get me wrong; but things like a document file/pdf/comic (cbr) is something I might fancy on one of those days.
The app is called ES File Explorer. No root required (not for this atleast). It has a separate section for "Network". Once I scanned my Freenas popped up. I logged in with user name/pw and it's remembered the server. Now any video/music/pic/document is visisble/available on my 20 (exaggerating) android devices. :D
I know there could be better apps out there and I am sorry I don't use anything from the Apple eco system. Would request users to share their experiences with this app or an app of their choice on both rooted and non rooted platforms. Over the few recent updates the ES File Explorer is kinda become a little irritating with strong notifications (about decreasing space and new files created) which might be ok with you, but I have disabled its notifications for everything. :D :D
I have yet to try out accessing the server remotely through this app and quite honestly I don't think I will. I'll just stick to FTP for those few days coz it's tried and tested.

//EDIT: I am in no way tied to the development/creation/distribution of the above mentioned software. I just found it in the playstore and thought it would be useful for everyone. I should not be held responsible for any damage/loss to either data, device or both from downloading/installing/using the software.

:D Love to give the disclaimer.

 

[ccssid]

So a lot of people have been using ftp, plex and sonar to get media on their phone I wanted something which was more basic. I still run plex, don't get me wrong; but things like a document file/pdf/comic (cbr) is something I might fancy on one of those days.
The app is called ES File Explorer. No root required (not for this atleast). It has a separate section for "Network". Once I scanned my Freenas popped up. I logged in with user name/pw and it's remembered the server. Now any video/music/pic/document is visisble/available on my 20 (exaggerating) android devices. :D
I know there could be better apps out there and I am sorry I don't use anything from the Apple eco system. Would request users to share their experiences with this app or an app of their choice on both rooted and non rooted platforms. Over the few recent updates the ES File Explorer is kinda become a little irritating with strong notifications (about decreasing space and new files created) which might be ok with you, but I have disabled its notifications for everything. :D :D
I have yet to try out accessing the server remotely through this app and quite honestly I don't think I will. I'll just stick to FTP for those few days coz it's tried and tested.

//EDIT: I am in no way tied to the development/creation/distribution of the above mentioned software. I just found it in the playstore and thought it would be useful for everyone. I should not be held responsible for any damage/loss to either data, device or both from downloading/installing/using the software.

:D Love to give the disclaimer.

WOW....I was looking for this exact remedy, Thank you !!!!

So now I do not have to pay for Plex in order to watch on my Android devices (at least in my house). More than likely, it will not work outside of my home network. I will have to figure out the FTP route in the future...or pay for Plex.

Actually had ES file explorer already on my tablet, never realized I could access FreeNAS. Just installed on my phone and found I had trouble getting both audio and video. So, I installed VLC (for android)media player.....and...low and behold.......I was able to access my "shares" directly through VLC. Both audio and video worked on my movies. No need to go use ES File Explorer anymore.

One more plus with VLC over plex, I can resume movies (or at least choose where I want to restart a movie). Plex is a pita with this feature.

NOTE: just opened VLC (For Android) on my wife"s tablet. Must have been and older version as FreeNAS did not show up. I deleted and reinstalled the current version and I was good to go.

 

[nightshade00013]

I use ES File Explorer as well. Have for over a year now. I agree that they are adding more junk when all I want is something to be able to access local and network files. I have used it with an OpenVPN connection to home and it functions just as expected just a bit slower.

Before that I used another explorer that I can't remember with a SMB extension. There are a ton out there that can be found to work on android. One of the things that I like the most about ES is say I want to open a media file on the server but it's 2GB in size. The previous app I used had to download the whole thing and ES is able to stream directly from the server.

I also use JuiceSSH when I need to do something remotely via command line. I actually was in Wichita Falls, TX when I was badblocking and smart testing some of my drives. Logged in via VPN then SSH'd into the server from my tablet. Worked great.

I use Plex to stream while on the road and bought a lifetime PlexPass. I found however I like using Syncthing to upload my pictures and video's rather than having Plex throw them in some directory however it wants to name them and then try and link that out of the jail....I can link the same files into the jail with plex and let it display them and Syncthing keeps a copy in case something is deleted until I remove it from the server manually which will prevent someone else who may get ahold of my phone from deleting something I did not want to have removed. I also use Syncthing to keep multiple files that I need for work, information when traveling for particular state laws that I need to know and/or reference while traveling etc.

I also have a vehicle camera that is based on android and when I am in range of a WiFi AP that I have configured on the camera it uploads recordings to the server via Syncthing. This way I don't have to pull the SD card and upload it manually, just make sure it's plugged into an always on power source when I have had a trip and let it run overnight.

 

[nojohnny101]

I also have a vehicle camera that is based on android and when I am in range of a WiFi AP that I have configured on the camera it uploads recordings to the server via Syncthing. This way I don't have to pull the SD card and upload it manually, just make sure it's plugged into an always on power source when I have had a trip and let it run overnight.

That's clever. Thanks for sharing, I have never heard of that. I'm going to be getting a dash cam in the next 6 months so I will look for one that is an AP so if I want that capability, then I have it.

 

[nightshade00013]

That's clever. Thanks for sharing, I have never heard of that. I'm going to be getting a dash cam in the next 6 months so I will look for one that is an AP so if I want that capability, then I have it.

The dash cam is actually Android based so I just load the Syncthing app and sync the directory with recordings to the server. The mirror has WiFi built in but does not act as an AP itself.

 

[Bhoot]

For SSH I use Mobile SSH. Found it to be lightweight and accurate. Something isn't clicking with my new setup. FTP doesn't seem to be responding well but I can live with that.

So now I do not have to pay for Plex in order to watch on my Android devices (at least in my house).

Within the house (or outside) plex is free on the browser.
<plex_jail_ip_address>:<port>/web

for eg I use
http://192.168.1.3:32400/web to access plex within my network
and http://***.***.***.***:*****/web to access it from outside my network
I am not paying and haven't paid them a penny or subscribed to their plex pass. It is absolutely free.. Please try and let me know how it goes. :)

However I think they charge for the app but I don't mind the web browser player. Android browsers always supported flash and thus I could never think of apple. No Offense. :)

 

[ccssid]

Within the house (or outside) plex is free on the browser.
<plex_jail_ip_address>:<port>/web

for eg I use
http://192.168.1.3:32400/web to access plex within my network
and http://***.***.***.***:*****/web to access it from outside my network
I am not paying and haven't paid them a penny or subscribed to their plex pass. It is absolutely free.. Please try and let me know how it goes.

 

[ccssid]

Within the house (or outside) plex is free on the browser.
<plex_jail_ip_address>:<port>/web

for eg I use
http://192.168.1.3:32400/web to access plex within my network
and http://***.***.***.***:*****/web to access it from outside my network
I am not paying and haven't paid them a penny or subscribed to their plex pass. It is absolutely free.. Please try and let me know how it goes. :)

I shall try it out and keep you posted....thanks, Not to sound dumb or anything but would the ***.***.***.***/web, be my public address ?.

New to FreeNAS. Initial setup was easy, But regarding evrything else (especially script) I have a lot to learn. So feel free to enlighten me.

 

[nightshade00013]

I shall try it out and keep you posted....thanks, Not to sound dumb or anything but would the ***.***.***.***/web, be my public address ?.

New to FreeNAS. Initial setup was easy, But regarding evrything else (especially script) I have a lot to learn. So feel free to enlighten me.

Yes that would be your public address. If you are on a dynamic IP address you could use something like http://freedns.afraid.org:8080/ and then run a script in cron every so often on your FreeNAS to update the ip in case it changes. The script I use is something like

Code:

wget https://freedns.afraid.org/dynamic/update.php?XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's simple and runs when I want without any problems.

You will however need to forward port 32400 to the jail IP so you can access through. And remember even via IP you have to put in the port number unless you forward port 80 which is a whole can of worms you do not want. So you would do something like http://myhostname.here/32400/web/ or http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/32400/web/ to access the plex from a remote location.


The reason why I paid for a plex pass is twofold. I have a smart TV and the app is included for it as well as the android app and multiple users whom I don not want to give universal access to. My mother in law only needs to see stuff that is G, PG, or PG-13 rated nor does she need my phone pictures or my wife's among some other things. Makes it a lot easier than having someone ask what a particular picture is if you know what I mean. Plus if I am gone and a friend is watching the place/walking the dog while on vacation they only have access to a limited amount of content as well.

I was using the web browser version as well at one point but on mobile it is a bit more bloated than the app they provide and I can sync things for offline use and let the server transcode them for the device, for instance a 7 inch screen tablet does not need anything more than 720p quality. I could do it manually but trust me when you have to do something without having a lot of lead time letting the server do it over the 30 minutes you are using to get a shower, dressed and something to eat vs wasting 15 minutes to use handbrake or even just transfer a file that is 2 to 3 times the size the one plex will transcode with 8 cores and 16 threads vs the 8 in my fx8350 it's a lot faster.

 

[ccssid]

Yes that would be your public address. If you are on a dynamic IP address you could use something like http://freedns.afraid.org:8080/ and then run a script in cron every so often on your FreeNAS to update the ip in case it changes. The script I use is something like

Code:

wget https://freedns.afraid.org/dynamic/update.php?XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's simple and runs when I want without any problems.

You will however need to forward port 32400 to the jail IP so you can access through. And remember even via IP you have to put in the port number unless you forward port 80 which is a whole can of worms you do not want. So you would do something like http://myhostname.here/32400/web/ or http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/32400/web/ to access the plex from a remote location.
.

Great. thx. I think I will try out with :
http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/32400/web/.

(2) questions: is this a secure way to do things? and exactly how do I forward port 32400 to the jail IP?

I know ,I should probably know this, but it is an opportune time to ask.

 

[nightshade00013]

Plex has some security features so the risk is lessened, just don't put the whole jail in the DMZ or the whole FreeNAS or forward a port to the FreeNAS GUI, etc. https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/206225077-How-to-Use-Secure-Server-Connections

The other answer you seek: https://portforward.com/

 

[ccssid]

The reason why I paid for a plex pass is twofold. I have a smart TV and the app is included for it as well as the android app and multiple users whom I don not want to give universal access to. My mother in law only needs to see stuff that is G, PG, or PG-13 rated nor does she need my phone pictures or my wife's among some other things. Makes it a lot easier than having someone ask what a particular picture is if you know what I mean. Plus if I am gone and a friend is watching the place/walking the dog while on vacation they only have access to a limited amount of content as well.

I was using the web browser version as well at one point but on mobile it is a bit more bloated than the app they provide and I can sync things for offline use and let the server transcode them for the device, for instance a 7 inch screen tablet does not need anything more than 720p quality. I could do it manually but trust me when you have to do something without having a lot of lead time letting the server do it over the 30 minutes you are using to get a shower, dressed and something to eat vs wasting 15 minutes to use handbrake or even just transfer a file that is 2 to 3 times the size the one plex will transcode with 8 cores and 16 threads vs the 8 in my fx8350 it's a lot faster.

I will probably end up purchasing a lifetime plex-pass, just because. But , unfortunately, none of my smart t.v.'s have built in plex app.

 

[ccssid]

Plex has some security features so the risk is lessened, just don't put the whole jail in the DMZ or the whole FreeNAS or forward a port to the FreeNAS GUI, etc. https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/206225077-How-to-Use-Secure-Server-Connections

The other answer you seek: https://portforward.com/

You hit the nail on the head. I set up my plex according to :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DnUWTliaOY

Plex points to a folder in a dataset which hold a windows share for music and video. My docs are in another dataset....so will this mean I am safe from my docs being exposed to the "outside". This happens to be one of the main issues I am having trouble wrapping my head around

 

[nightshade00013]

I will probably end up purchasing a lifetime plex-pass, just because. But , unfortunately, none of my smart t.v.'s have built in plex app.

Go on their forums and post it. My tv had a 3rd party one at first but not long after an official one was put out. https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/204080173-Which-Smart-TV-television-models-are-supported

Another nice thing is you can use a roku stick on a dumbtv with HDMI or a chromecast and a phone as a remote.

 

[nightshade00013]

I should also put out there that I have had zero issues with stopping a movie on plex and then restarting it fairly close to where I left off. To add to that if I stop a movie on my tv and then leave to get dinner with my wife I can start where I left off on the TV on my tablet so we can finish the movie while we eat.

 

[Bhoot]

I will probably end up purchasing a lifetime plex-pass, just because. But , unfortunately, none of my smart t.v.'s have built in plex app.

I have some old tvs as well. A Bravia 2010 (smart TV) and a Bravia 2014 (smart TV). Honestly paid through my nose to get them. They were the top of the lines (for that year) Bravia 1080p HDTV that year. TBH the manufacturers do not like you keeping TV for too long. After 4 years the smartness (ie youtube app and stuff) of the 2010 model was not supported coz sony didn't update the app. On calling them; they had a standard "Google updated their software so it won't be possible to code it with the existing hardware (kinda BS)" That was the final straw I checked a lot of options including the Nvidia Shield, Roku4, ChromeCast. I am still living under the rock with a N600 router so 2-3 chromecast would be an apocalypse. You don't want your shows stuttering when your wife is watching her favorite Movies/Shows; else you would hear "Instead of this box we could have bought a blu ray player". The shield was a good pick but again a little expensive and I didn't like the android tv experience and would have to shell out for the Plex app.
I took the bite and bought a Rpi3 slapped it with some old hardware lying around (sd card/hdmi/phone charger/hdmi etc etc) loaded it with rasplex and waited to see the results. They were remarkable. I tell anyone who can follow videos and use a computer to go see the video and believe me it's easier than it is in the video. In case you don't like the rasplex (really doubt if you could ever hate it) you could always repurpose the same chip as a standby desktop. It's a great piece of 'art'.
Today I have am running wired connections to 2 TVs. Most of the times both are running different content (HD DTS or HD DD5.1) along with the file transfers from/to laptop and I haven't seen them stutter for a second. I haven't benchmarked them or stretched to check their capabilities but a gigabit cable to the switch and to both rasplex is serving them well.
There are a few doubts about the x265 format floating around. Personally I have seen a few movies I have muxed to x265 (HEVC) as .mkv and .mp4. Right off the bat you would want to restrict the max resolution to 720p but when you dive deep down and find the sweet spot between your plex and rasplex transcoding you will be overjoyed to see x265 in 1080p. I also own a few 3d movies which run without a glitch.
Sorry didn't want to advertise much but for such a throw away price I would urge you to give it a shot. Btw I am no FreeNAS guru. I barely know any coding :P . There are quite a few of us here who have been lazy and look forward to others helping us. My FreeNAS server is nearly 2 years old and I am running it thanks to the awesome people of this community.

 

[Bhoot]

I just remembered starting a thread here.
This was the day I really had a bad day. We were planning a star wars night marathon and the DLNA on the TV decided to act all WONKY. We finally managed to watch the movies through the Blu-Rays on a friends PS4 (I think that was) but it was a really bad night. In short the tv might stop supporting the app on your tv as it grows older. Next time I am probably going to buy a non-smart TV and have 4-5 rasbpberry pi stuck on its back. :D

 

[nightshade00013]

I agree they don't want you using it too long. I actually got really lucky with mine. LG 55UB8500-UA Bought it in late 2014 and it was updated to a newer version of WebOS and has continued to receive updates to the OS and apps. Last one was a month or two ago. And with WebOS being open source I have a feeling it will stick around for a while.

I also have some 3D content and play it through the plex app as it is side by side. Hit the button on the tv and set it to side by side mode an then put some glasses on.

I probably really lucked out on that lottery.

 

[Bhoot]

I agree ... ~snip~

The 2014 is running everything else (youtube/fb/twitter). Just the DLNA decided not to show about 70% of my library on both the TVs simultaneously. I am guessing it had something to do with the plex update which I had updated recently. With this situation the only way would be to get the old pbi and reinstall the plugin. But I believe in "Problems paving new ways" :p. Guess who's playing contra on the 5th raspberry pi3 of the house. :D

 

[ccssid]

Go on their forums and post it. My tv had a 3rd party one at first but not long after an official one was put out. https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/204080173-Which-Smart-TV-television-models-are-supported

Another nice thing is you can use a roku stick on a dumbtv with HDMI or a chromecast and a phone as a remote.

I will never stop learning.....Now I have the Plex app on (3) T.V.'s.
Thank you so much for the tip