Plex Server on XR1000

[hazzehh]

So I've seen online that the other Nighthawk models have Plex Server functionality built-in, but I'm not seeing anything on the XR1000. Am I blind? If it's possible can someone explain how to set up?

The best I've got is to run a server on my PC and have the library link to \\readyshare\USB_Storage\, which works fine, but obviously that requires my PC to be on.

 

Thanks!

[Bert]

It's only the XR700 that can run Plex.

 

For the other models it would not be the greatest since you only have 1Gbit to your devices. The XR700 has a quad core CPU and can do 2G link aggegration and 10G SFP+ for this reason.

 

The NAS options on XR500 will do about 85 MB/s when connected as router (so it leaves space for internet traffic) and 110 MB/s when used as AP and using the readyshare function while XR700 can do 200 MB/s when connected as router. 

 

I stopped using Plex since it does not play nice with my Philips TV's but I would rather just get a cheap mini PC and run your media server off that.

[hazzehh]

Ahh that's a shame. Do you know where I can find the readyshare MB/s specs for the XR1000? I've tested some high bitrate content using my PC as the server (the latest LOTR remux for example), with the storage connected to the router and it seems to cope quite well. There's a bit of delay when you first start watching, but no performance issues once it gets going.

I have an LG CX and Nvidia Shield which both have great support for Plex, no complaints!

What's the ELI5 for 2G link aggregation and 10G SFP+?

 

[Bert]

I'm not sure but in AP mode the XR500 basicly maxes out the 1Gbit port. In router mode you need to keep some bandwith available for internet use. I would expect the XR1000 to be in the same ballpark. This was tested with a Samsung SSD so no bottleneck on that end.

 

TV's often have 100 mbit LAN ports anyway so it rarely causes a performance issue. The only time I have issues with this is when you play really high bitrate content like Blue Ray rips that is 80GB lol. And then it's the TV LAN port that can't keep up. But since you have a Shield as well, they have 1Gbit ports so no issue there.

 

Just what you need to be aware of is that is uses your link between switch and router. (also internally) So say you play a movie on your shield and you play a game on a separate device it can congest your network when you are buffering data, ie when spooling ahead etc. Or when transferring files to the disk. This is why I suspect it's capped to 85MB/s, it leaves roughly 25 MB/s for internet which is about 200 mbit.

 

I used the generic Readyshare DNLA media server so you basicly go straight from drive to device. But in your case I am guessing you read from the drive, let your PC do transcoding in plex and then forward it to the TV or Shield. That's a bit inefficient since you transfer to the PC first, and then back to the switch/router and then to the device. In this way you would be better off attaching the USB drive to your PC or use a standalone box for Plex and attach the drive to that.

 

XR700 was meant as a all in one Router/wifi/NAS/media streaming platform. So you connect the drives to the XR700. Use the more powerfull CPU to do transcoding and transferring files. And then use the 10Gbit link or 2G aggregation ports to connect to your network, either to a switch via SFP+ uplink port or LAG group. In this way, if you have standard 1Gbit equipment there should never be a bottleneck, in theory. It has a CPU that is basicly a NAS CPU lol.

 

I am not sure how strong the CPU in the XR1000 is but if you let it do transcoding you could possibly run into issues when transcoding and routing at the same time, maybe that's why they omitted the Plex install.

[BIG__DOG]

As above. You really need a NUC or a NAS in order to get the best experience with Plex. Plex works absolutely fine on every device I can stream to including both mu 55" LG 4K tv\s which have built in plex client apps available. 

 

An a side note, I still have a Nvidia Shield TV which is fantastic as a plex server but you would need the more expensive model rather than the budget version.

 

 

[Delirious1983]

I have ran a Plex server for a good few years now.  At first I started using NAS functionality, but if anything required encoding on the fly it would struggle.  Point a reasonable desktop / laptop / server at a NAS and you won't be able to fault it.