Guardian is a lightweight companion app for Plex Media Server that lets you monitor, approve, or block streaming devices in real time. It enables enforcing per-user or global access policies, automatically terminating unwanted sessions, and granting temporary access, all through a clean and simple web interface. In this step by step guide I will show you how to install Guardian on your UGREEN NAS using Docker and Portainer.

💡Note: This guide works perfectly with the latest Guardian v1.3.4 release.

💡Note: Check out my guide on how to Install Guardian on Your Synology NAS.

• STEP 1

Please Support My work by Making a Donation.

• STEP 2

Install Portainer using my step by step guide. If you already have Portainer installed on your UGREEN NAS, skip this STEP. Attention: Make sure you have installed the latest Portainer version.

• STEP 3

⚠️Mandatory. Install Plex on Your UGREEN NAS with Hardware Transcoding. If you have Plex already installed on your Synology NAS, skip this step.

• STEP 4

Connect to your Plex instance and go to Home. Press F12 on your Keyboard. A new window will open. Expand the window until you see the Network tab. Click on the Network tab. In the apposite field, type in library. Click Stop on the red record button. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 5

Click Start to start the record.

• STEP 6

Click Reload page. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 7

Click on the first Name in the window. Copy your Plex Token between = and & and save it in a safe place. You will need this Token later at STEP 17. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 8

Go to Files and open the docker folder. Inside the docker folder, create one new folder and name it guardian. Follow the instructions in the image below.
Note: Be careful to enter only lowercase, not uppercase letters.

• STEP 9

⚠️Mandatory: Add Read & Write Permissions to the Docker Folder.

• STEP 10

Log into Portainer using your username and password. On the left sidebar in Portainer, click on Home then Live connect. Follow the instructions in the image below.

On the left sidebar in Portainer, click on Stacks then + Add stack. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 11

In the Name field type in guardian. Follow the instructions in the image below.

Note: Copy Paste the code below in the Portainer Stacks Web editor.

services:
  backend:
    image: hydroshieldmkii/guardian-backend:latest
    container_name: Guardian-BACKEND
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
      DATABASE_PATH: /app/data/plex-guard.db
    volumes:
      - /volume1/docker/guardian:/app/data:rw
    restart: on-failure:5

  frontend:
    image: hydroshieldmkii/guardian-frontend:latest
    container_name: Guardian-FRONTEND
    ports:
      - 3037:3000
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: production
    depends_on:
      - backend
    restart: on-failure:5

• STEP 12

Scroll down on the page until you see a button named Deploy the stack. Click on it. Follow the instructions in the image below. The installation process can take up to a few minutes. It will depend on your Internet speed connection.

• STEP 13

If everything goes right, you will see the following message at the top right of your screen: “Success Stack successfully deployed“.

• STEP 14

🟢Please Support My work by Making a Donation. Almost 99,9% of the people that install something using my guides forget to support my work, or just ignore STEP 1. I’ve been very honest about this aspect of my work since the beginning: I don’t run any ADS, I don’t require subscriptions, paid or otherwise, I don’t collect IPs, emails, and I don’t have any referral links from Amazon or other merchants. I also don’t have any POP-UPs or COOKIES. I have repeatedly been told over the years how much I have contributed to the community. It’s something I love doing and have been honest about my passion since the beginning. But I also Need The Community to Support me Back to be able to continue doing this work.

• STEP 15

The installation process can take up to a few seconds/minutes. It will depend on your Internet speed connection. Now open your browser and type in http://ugreen-ip-address:3037 Create your administrator account. Click Create Admin Account. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 16

Click Go to settings. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 17

On the Custom Plex URL area, type in http://NASLOCALIP followed by :32400/web
On the Plex server token, type in your own Plex Token that you have previously got at STEP 7.
On the Plex server IP address, type in your own NASLOCALIP followed by :32400/web without http:// at the beginning.
On the Plex server port, type in 32400

Click Save Now then scroll down the page.

Click the Save Now button after you add port 32400. Click Test Plex Connection. Follow the instructions in the image below.

• STEP 18

Your Guardian Device Management at a glance!

• STEP 19

Your Active Streams at a glance!

Enjoy Guardian on Your UGREEN NAS!

🆘TROUBLESHOOTING

Note: If you want to run the Guardian container over HTTPS, check out How to Run Docker Containers Over HTTPS on Your UGREEN NAS.

🆙Note/Update/Container: How to Update Your Docker Containers on UGREEN NAS Using Portainer.
🐳Note: How to Create Docker Shortcuts on Desktop.
🆕Note: How to Update Portainer to the latest version.
🆕Note: How to Clean Docker.