Jellyfin Android app can't connect to Diskstation Jellyfin server

[joe.attaboy]

This is an issue that I've seen described in other places, but I've yet to find a solution. This is an edited version of a post I left on Reddit.

tl;dr - The Jellyfin Android mobile app will not externally connect to the Jellyfin server in a Docker container on a Diskstation DS918+.

Here's the details:

• Jellyfin 10.8.9 runs in a Docker container hosted on the Synology Diskstation (DS-918+, DSM 7.1.1).
• Jellyfin's container runs on internal port 8096. Jellyfin can be reached on my internal network directly via that port.
• External access is configured to use Synology's reverse proxy. I have a "synology.me" domain host pointing to the NAS on the standard ports (80/443). There is a wildcard Let's Encrypt SSL certificate used for the host and domain. I have checked the SSL for validiy with Qualys tests. DNS resolution is handled via Synology's DDNS service and all resolutions work fine.
• External requests to http are redirected to https by the reverse proxy, then sent to the Docker container.

The issue here is the Jellyfin Android App (Version 2.4.4 - current), which simply will not connect to the server externally using the URL. The app attempts to connect on ports 443 (which is the only way in) as well as its own defaults 8096 (http) and 8920 (https). The latter two should not work anyway, but the first should and doesn't. I run the app on a Google Pixel 6.

However, if I try the mobile connection using any browser, it connects without a burp. I can log in and play any music I like (I'm only using Jellyfin to serve my music library). But I simply cannot connect to the same server with the app.

Please note that the issues are for external connections. When the mobile is on the local network, the app connects without a problem.

I scoured the various system logs for the proxy and other system things, and even dug into the container to see if anything showed up there, but I can't seem to find a hiccup logged anywhere. I have reinstalled the app, cleared the stored data and cache, still no joy. One Reddit user suggested replacing the Google Play store app with an open source build from F-Droid, but the results were the same.

I read some posts about possible issues with the Let's Encrypt certs, but none of them make sense in the wake of the successful browser connections.

If anyone has experienced this or can point to a potential solution, please let me know. Any insight is appreciated.

 

[Anastasia Burk]

Hi, I read your post and honestly I still don't quite understand it. I am also getting Jellyfin Android error not connecting externally to Jellyfin server in Docker container on Diskstation DS918+. I still don't understand why it is. Do you have a solution for it? Or is this the fault of part of the techloky.

 

[Rusty]

If anyone has experienced this or can point to a potential solution, please let me know. Any insight is appreciated.

While I am not a Jelly or Android user, my friend from work is. We just tested this and while he did not had it published, after he did over NPM (not the built in Syno reverse) it all worked just fine in terms of connection.

Using the same android 2.4.4. version connecting to the server was no issue at all.

The only problem was actual streaming that was "buffering" video but not audio. Same fine from the same remote location and connection but via Plex had 0 issues.

So not sure what to say here but maybe have a look at the reverse proxy logs and see if there are any potential answers there.

 

[Akira]

I've done it all via NPM, Traefik and SWAG reverse proxies with absolutely no issues.
Using Jellyfin/Emby and Plex.
N.B. Also only using containers and not the Synology packages or reverse proxy.
Whilst I haven't followed it and I don't use his guides:

https://mariushosting.com/synology-how-to-allow-jellyfin-to-work-over-an-https-connection/

May help

 

[Telos]

May help

Instead, consider Wundertech, SpaceRex, MyDooDads, or other reliable resources for NAS needs... Here are two:

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_ZrMKIJ_yw&pp=ygURc3lub2xvZ3kgamVsbHlmaW4%3D

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View: https://youtu.be/XzwFMqp_b_c

 

[Coop777]

I've done it all via NPM, Traefik and SWAG reverse proxies with absolutely no issues.
Using Jellyfin/Emby and Plex.
N.B. Also only using containers and not the Synology packages or reverse proxy.
Whilst I haven't followed it and I don't use his guides:

https://mariushosting.com/synology-how-to-allow-jellyfin-to-work-over-an-https-connection/

May help

so you're disclaiming that you don't use his guides, but provided one for reference as an answer?

 

[joe.attaboy]

Using the same android 2.4.4. version connecting to the server was no issue at all.

The only problem was actual streaming that was "buffering" video but not audio. Same fine from the same remote location and connection but via Plex had 0 issues.

So not sure what to say here but maybe have a look at the reverse proxy logs and see if there are any potential answers there.

There is nothing in the RP logs that indicates any connection issues.

-- post merged: 4. Apr 2023 --

Instead, consider Wundertech, SpaceRex, MyDooDads, or other reliable resources for NAS needs... Here are two:

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View: https://youtu.be/XzwFMqp_b_c

There is literally nothing in either one of these videos that provides a clue regarding the issue I described. These are setup and configuration tutorials. I'm not having setup or configuration issues.

The mobile app doesn't connect. Period.

 

[Akira]

so you're disclaiming that you don't use his guides, but provided one for reference as an answer?

I don't use his guides as I use a decent reverse proxy. I said it may help. Other than Rusty there had been no helpful response and to be honest I'm not sure what you actually brought to the conversation.
As far as I can see from that guide it's how to set up reverse proxy for Jellyfin. I ran through it and it all looked like it made sense and was something that could point the OP in the direction of what was going wrong.

 

[Rusty]

There is nothing in the RP logs that indicates any connection issues.

Hmm that kinda raises more questions tbh. Are there registered sucessful connections via browser for example? Reason I am asking is that lack of entries in a log could also indicate an issue.

Considering that you are able to connect from a mobile device using a browser, I would say all is working as it should. Really have no clue what could be the reason for the app not to work.

Do you maybe have any other mobile device to test this on? Maybe a different brand or Android model?

I said it may help

Guys, please, lets not get into another "marius" discussion here. Please try and stay on topic. Thank you.

 

[joe.attaboy]

Hmm that kinda raises more questions tbh. Are there registered sucessful connections via browser for example? Reason I am asking is that lack of entries in a log could also indicate an issue.

Considering that you are able to connect from a mobile device using a browser, I would say all is working as it should. Really have no clue what could be the reason for the app not to work.

Do you maybe have any other mobile device to test this on? Maybe a different brand or Android model?


Guys, please, lets not get into another "marius" discussion here. Please try and stay on topic. Thank you.

The container logs show nothing more than routine informational messages.

Actually, I do have another device. I have an older Google Nexus device that I use when I host local trivia games (to play songs during games using Spotify). I can't test it from home because it has no cell service or SIM card. I installed the Jellyfin app from the Play Store using wifi, and I'm going to test it out this evening when I'm connected to my show's wifi. I'll update tomorrow.

LOL on the "maruis" comments. That site is initially helpful for a setup, but not with this issue.

-- post merged: 5. Apr 2023 --

Hi, I read your post and honestly I still don't quite understand it. I am also getting Jellyfin Android error not connecting externally to Jellyfin server in Docker container on Diskstation DS918+. I still don't understand why it is. Do you have a solution for it? Or is this the fault of part of the techloky.

I'm still looking, tweaking and testing. No joy yet, except in my house.
Stay tuned. I'll post here when I get this fixed.

 

[Telos]

Have you tried simply to use the browser interface? Who needs an app?

 

[joe.attaboy]

Have you tried simply to use the browser interface? Who needs an app?

Yes, that was a thought. But I use Android Auto in my truck, and Jellyfin (allegedly) works as an AA app (it can attach the the vehicle's AA interface and play directly from it). I can't do that with a browser, not easily or safely, anyway. You can do this with Plex as well, but there's the whole open source thing in JF that I like. Synology also has an Audio app for Android that can be used through AA, but the interface is brutally bad and the capabilities are severely limited.

This is one of the primary reasons I'm trying to get this working.

 

[Akira]

Are you definitely putting in that it is https? What is the error message on the jellyfin app screen when you try to connect. I've installed the jellyfin app to test which informs me that the standard ports (8096 and 8920) are closed and that when trying 443 the server is unsupported (this is due to me running emby not jellyfin).

Can you connect via a web browser to jellyfin on your android when external? Have you tried copying that url and pasting it into the jellyfin app?

 

[joe.attaboy]

Are you definitely putting in that it is https? What is the error message on the jellyfin app screen when you try to connect. I've installed the jellyfin app to test which informs me that the standard ports (8096 and 8920) are closed and that when trying 443 the server is unsupported (this is due to me running emby not jellyfin).

Can you connect via a web browser to jellyfin on your android when external? Have you tried copying that url and pasting it into the jellyfin app?

Yes, it's an https connection request.
Yes, I can connect using a browser (Chrome and Firefox work on the mobile device).
I tried the full URL used by the browser connection on the app. The results are the same.

I've attached a screen cap of the app connection attempts. As you can see it tries 443 (standard) and it's own ports (which are closed).

I'm convinced this is an issue with the app and this is apparently not something new. Others have posted this to the Jellyfin App github as well as other forums and Reddit (as I have). I cannot find any reasonable or logical solution to this, and I've spent a lot of hours on this. Getting to the point where I'm ready to give up on this. This should work. I spent 30 years in IT and saw lots of applications and systems with odd or strange issues, but this is becoming a time sink, and I'm not as young as I used to be, so I'm getting frustrated over all the time I'm wasting.

All I'm trying to do is get the app working so I can access my music library from outside my home, mostly in my truck. The app is supposed to work with Android Auto; you can add it to the AA interface, though I understand the controls are limited. Yes, I could probably play the music on my truck system using the browser, but that means I'd have to use the phone to control it as opposed to the touch screen in the vehicle, which kind of defeats the purpose of having AA in the first place.

I have used Plex for some time, but it's capabilities have been really spotty for me and half the time I open it in AA, it can't or won't connect correctly. I've also used the DSAudio app from Synology, which can also attach to AA, but it's practically useless in that environment: you can't access albums or folders in any sensible way, and even trying to make playlists as a workaround is just convoluted.

I use Spotify and one might think that should be enough, considering the size of their available content. But there are a lot of things I have in my library that Spotify doesn't have, so this would have filled that gap for me.

Anyway, appreciate the vent session, and I guess I'll keep poking at this until it comes to life.

 

[Akira]

What if you try without the
/web/index.html (and everything after?)
If it's just music have you tried airsonic?not sure if that had an AA app as I don't have AA but that may work?

 

[joe.attaboy]

What if you try without the
/web/index.html (and everything after?)
If it's just music have you tried airsonic?not sure if that had an AA app as I don't have AA but that may work?

Yes, that's how I usually do it. I pulled the full URL from the browser and tried that since you mentioned that in your previous post. Didn't work either way.

I have looked at airsonic, but I will take a look. Appreciate the suggestion.

 

[Telos]

Keep it simple... Does the local LAN IP link work in a browser... if so, try it in the app...

http://192.168.1.42:8096 [Not https]

If that works, solve the DDNS/reverse proxy issue next.

 

[joe.attaboy]

Keep it simple... Does the local LAN IP link work in a browser... if so, try it in the app...

http://192.168.1.42:8096 [Not https]

If that works, solve the DDNS/reverse proxy issue next.

Sorry for the delayed response; had a little mishap at home last week,

As I mentioned previously, the issue doesn't seem to be with the RP or DDNS, but with the Jellyfin app. I can connect on the internal network all day. I can connect through the reverse proxy from an external network with any mobile browser I tested (Android Chrome, Firefox and Brave). But the official Jellyfin app cannot get through the reverse proxy from an external network, no matter how I try to connect.

Here's something interesting: I decided to see if any other client apps would be able to access the Jellyfin media library from a remote connection. I installed both Finamp and Symfonium. The former is still in a development mode, as it is pretty basic and awaiting a number of features to be fleshed out. The latter is more fully developed and is really very nice. Both appear to work OK with Android Auto (which is the impetus behind all this for me), though due to my recent injury, I haven't been driving, so my vehicle testing has been limited.

However, both of those apps are able to successfully access my Jellyfin server externally through the reverse proxy. Synfonium works really well; the artwork is all there, the content is sorted correctly based on the Jellyfin sever's configuration, and the media plays great. Again, my testing has been limited, but this may be the solution for me. The app is not free, but the small payment (about five bucks) would appear to be worth it when the trial is up.

We'll see how this goes moving forward.