I’d be glad to provide a comprehensive guide on setting up a Jellyfin server on Windows, integrating it with qBittorrent, Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr, and Flaresolverr and accessing it from your mobile device:
I have excluded port forwarding and setting up a reverse proxy as I want to stream over my local network and these weren’t needed as per my research.
Prerequisites:
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit recommended)
A computer that will stay on most of the time to act as the server
External storage (optional, but recommended for your media library)
Internet connection
Software Downloads:
Jellyfin Server:
Visit the official Jellyfin downloads page: [Jellyfin Windows Download]
Download the latest stable version installer (".exe").
qBittorrent:
Go to the qBittorrent website: https://www.qbittorrent.org/download
Download the latest installer for Windows.
Chocolatey Package Manager:
Download the Chocolatey installer from https://chocolatey.org/.
Docker Desktop: (Required for Flaresolverr)
Download and install Docker Desktop from https://www.docker.com/ products/docker-desktop/.
Installation:
Jellyfin:
Run the downloaded Jellyfin installer.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Important points:
Choose a strong password during setup.
Consider leaving the default port (8096) for now.
It's generally not recommended to install Jellyfin as a service on Windows.
qBittorrent:
Run the downloaded qBittorrent installer.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Key points:
Choose a download directory for your torrents.
Chocolatey:
Run the downloaded Chocolatey installer.
Follow the on-screen instructions (mostly Next buttons).
Sonarr and Radarr:
Open a command prompt (search for "cmd" in the Start menu).
Run the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
choco install sonarr
choco install radarr
Chocolatey will download and install Sonarr and Radarr.
Prowlarr:
In the same command prompt, run:
choco install prowlarr
Flaresolverr with Docker:
Ensure Docker Desktop is installed and running.
Open a Docker terminal or command prompt.
Pull the Flaresolverr image:
docker pull haugene/flaresolverr
Run Flaresolverr in a detached mode (background):
docker run -d --restart unless-stopped haugene/flaresolverr
This downloads and starts the Flaresolverr container in the background, automatically restarting if it crashes.
Jellyfin Library Setup:
Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:8096.
Complete the initial Jellyfin setup wizard.
In the Libraries section, add your media folders by clicking the "+" button and browsing to your media files' locations.
Integration with Download Tools and Services:
qBittorrent:
Open qBittorrent's web interface (usually http://localhost:8080).
Go to Settings -> Downloads.
Under "Default Save Path," set the path to the folder where Jellyfin expects your downloaded media to be.
(Optional) Enable "Automatically add torrents to Sonarr/Radarr" if you want these applications to automatically manage your downloads.
Sonarr/Radarr:
Open Sonarr's web interface (usually http://localhost:8989) or Radarr's (usually http://localhost:7878).
Complete the initial setup wizard for each application.
Configure download clients (like qBittorrent) in Sonarr/Radarr settings.
Set the path to your media library (the same folders added in Jellyfin).
Prowlarr:
Open Prowlarr's web interface (usually http://localhost:9696).
Prowlarr Setup Completion: Prowlarr setup is a bit more involved than the previous steps. It requires adding indexers (sources for finding torrents), configuring them, and potentially setting up authentication. I didn't want to overwhelm you with all the details at once, and it's best to complete the basic setup of the other services first.
Flaresolverr Configuration: There might be additional configuration required for Flaresolverr depending on your setup. For example, you might need to link it with Prowlarr or set up environment variables within Docker.
Here’s how to continue with the setup:
Prowlarr Setup:
Open Prowlarr's web interface (usually http://localhost:9696).
Complete the initial setup wizard.
Add indexers:
In Prowlarr, navigate to the "Indexers" section.
Choose a relevant public indexer or search for a private one you have access to. (Note: Using public indexers might have legal implications depending on your location and the content you're searching for. It's recommended to research copyright laws in your region.)
Follow the instructions for adding the chosen indexer, which might involve providing an API key or username/password.
Configure Sonarr/Radarr to use Prowlarr:
In Sonarr/Radarr settings, navigate to the "Search" section.
Add Prowlarr as a search provider.
Provide the URL of your Prowlarr server (usually http://localhost:9696) and the API key you generated during Prowlarr setup.
Flaresolverr Configuration (Optional):
If you encounter issues with resolving torrent URLs, you might need to link Flaresolverr with Prowlarr or set up environment variables within Docker.
Refer to the official Flaresolverr documentation (https://github.com/FlareSolverr/FlareSolverr) for detailed configuration steps.
Mobile Access:
Download the Jellyfin client app for your mobile device (Android/iOS).
Open the app and tap "Add Server."
Enter the server address (your computer's IP address or hostname) and port (usually 8096 by default).
If you set up a username and password during Jellyfin setup, enter those credentials.
You should now be able to access your Jellyfin library from your mobile device.
Additional Tips:
Consider using a VPN if you're concerned about privacy while using public torrent indexers.
Regularly update your applications (Jellyfin, qBittorrent, Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr) to ensure security and performance.
Back up your media library regularly to prevent data loss.
If you encounter any difficulties during the setup process, feel free to ask for further assistance. Remember, some steps might vary depending on your specific configuration***___***
Have you tried the official guide from the jellyfin website?
As for the guide this AI generated: it bothers me that they instruct you to use chocolatey for the *arrs, but still advice you to install docker, qbittorrent and jellyfin manually (all of which have chocolatey packages). I disagree with the comment that external storage would be recommended, as internal storage is generally more reliable (depending on a lot of factors of course). Also, I believe the “adding a library”-section of the jellyfin setup is a bit too short to be of any use, and would recommend referring to the jellyfin docs instead.
This guide also doesn’t explain how to make jellyfin accessible outside of your LAN. Once again, I’d recommend referring to the jellyfin docs if you want to do this.
I personally have only set up qbittorrent, jellyfin and docker (not the *arr suite), so I can’t comment on the completeness of the guide, but I wouldn’t trust it too much (seeing the previous oversights).
And finally, as someone who started their selfhosted server journey on windows: don’t. There is a reason why almost all guides are written for linux, as it is (in my humble opinion) vastly superior for server usage once you get used to it.