The web client is mostly for administration, but there are also online players for streaming music and video, and playback works perfectly well over the web. For now, select the Open Plex… menu item. The server will appear as a small black and gold icon in your system tray. You can safely click through using the default options. Once you’ve downloaded the Plex server, run it and start the install. It works best if there’s a physical connection, like a hard drive in the server or a USB storage device, but Plex can also be set for network storage over a mapped drive. You’ll need to install the server on a computer connected to your media storage device. Downloading and installing Plex serverĪfter you’ve signed up, you can download Plex here. Whether you’re buying a premium plan or not, the rest of the steps are the same except where noted. I do think the free features are complete enough to help you make up your mind about using Plex long-term.Ī full list of features for both the free and premium versions are available at. My recommendation is to purchase it all at once if you’re going to buy it. They do offer a premium plan, which you can either buy outright or subscribe to. You need to make one account that will be used with your server and all of the devices you stream Plex on. Plex uses a big central database of devices in order to make sure you can only connect to your own Plex server. Reader deal: Save up to 60% on IPVanish plans here Sign up for Plex Additionally it’s an easy VPN to install Fire Sticks, and a range of other popular devices. One of the few VPNs to fit both criteria is IPVanish. We recommend you use a VPN fast enough to ensure streaming is not interrupted and which keeps no logs of activity so your ISP and others cannot spy on your online activity or slow down your internet speed. Some ISPs are known to throttle speeds for customers who stream content online.

Like Kodi users, many Plex users will employ a VPN to protect their privacy and stop their ISP snooping on their activity or throttling their internet connection.

Here’s how to get started with Plex server. I use it every day, and I think you’d like it too. In my opinion, it’s one of the most complete and customizable streaming media servers on the market.

Hosting plex in the cloud