As you said it’s not the default but a simple check box to disable local auth.
Re:End the Streaming Struggle with Plex
by ASalazarMX on Tuesday April 05, 2022 @08:57PM
(#30927116)
It a bit more complex, you have to go to
Settings | Network | List of IP addresses and networks that are allowed without auth
And add your local LAN range, like 192.168.1.0/24
I'm still annoyed that by default it requires a login to their cloud to stream locally, which I found when my Internet failed and Plex refused to stream locally. Also the useless third-party stream channels, and the insistence on enabling DRM on Firefox when none of my media needs it to play.
I've installed Jellyfin in parallel, and I agree it lacks polishing compared to Plex, but it gets the job done without getting in your way.