Few questions about NAS

[regulus]

I would appreciate some insights from those very experienced in these matters. I'll just give the highlights without waffling on.

I've been running a PLEX server streaming from my PC directly to my Sony TV. Interface is a bit ugly but it works well enough.

I've since moved house and now my PC is about 5 walls away from my TV. I get good internet reception but streaming is a bit sketchy. So I'm looking at a NAS drive. There's so many available that I'm getting a bit lost in the jargon.

I'll also need some pointers on the best way to set it up.

My router is situation in my bedroom with the TV room being two walls away.

Now the question. Can I run a NAS wireless to the TV if plugged into the router or does it want to run off a wired connection?

2nd, how do I go about installing PLEX/Kodi or whatever on the NAS as my interface? Do I just set it up, format the drive, plug it in to my main PC via USB and install it that way?

3rd. Would it show up on my main PC as a separate drive where I can just drop in new movies as I get them and they'll show up on my TV?

many thanks

 

[LazyManc]

If you're having problems streaming wirelessly to the TV from your PC, then it'll be due to poor wireless signal strength = low bandwidth. You'll almost certainly have the same issues trying to stream from a NAS via the same wireless connection. You probably want to identify whether it's the TV <-> Router connection or the Router <-> PC connection that is restricting your bandwidth (it could be both).

If you definitely can't install a fully wired network, first look at wifi range extenders, or the Homeplug type network devices that use your power sockets to transmit data. If that solves the sketchy streaming, then you might not need a NAS if you're happy using your current setup.

Another option would be to keep a NAS physically near the TV, create a small wired network between the two, and then use a wireless bridge to connect to the rest of your network. Your file transfers from the PC to the NAS will still be slow, but streaming to the TV from the NAS won't be an issue.

A NAS is basically just a file server, they usually come with a web admin interface you access via a web browser over the local network. They usually run a cut-down version of linux, so you can't just install regular software on them, it has to be ported for the NAS itself.

Most if not all NAS devices will provide DLNA access to the media stored on them, and some of the better brands (e.g. Synology, QNAP) may also have a Plex Media Server app available. The Synology models have an App Store style interface in the web admin that lets you install software - I imagine it's similar for other NAS brands.

In my setup I have Plex Media Server running on a Mac Mini and I store the media on a Synology NAS. I mount 3 network shares (music, film, tv) from the Synology on the Mac and PMS works exactly the same as if they were local drives.

 

[regulus]

thanks for the post man.

I am quite happy with my setup. I'll look into the range extenders first to see if it helps. Or I might try the powerline adapters I've just been reading about.

A fully wired network is going to be very difficult due to the layout of the house (1920s build - they didn't take wired NAS networks into account it seems) therefore I'd ideally want to go wireless.

Also like the idea of a NAS near the TV. Been looking at the Intel NUC or QNAP boxes. Transfer from PC to NAS wouldn't bother me as I'll do it overnight.

Just to confirm. When setting up a NAS, do I plug it into the TV to set up or the PC?

 

[LazyManc]

thanks for the post man.

I am quite happy with my setup. I'll look into the range extenders first to see if it helps. Or I might try the powerline adapters I've just been reading about.

A fully wired network is going to be very difficult due to the layout of the house (1920s build - they didn't take wired NAS networks into account it seems) therefore I'd ideally want to go wireless.

Also like the idea of a NAS near the TV. Been looking at the Intel NUC or QNAP boxes. Transfer from PC to NAS wouldn't bother me as I'll do it overnight.

Just to confirm. When setting up a NAS, do I plug it into the TV to set up or the PC?

They don't usually have a video out port. Usually you plug in power / network and then browse to the web admin page, like you would with a router.

 

[regulus]

They don't usually have a video out port. Usually you plug in power / network and then browse to the web admin page, like you would with a router.

Ah right gotcha. Ok that makes more sense now.

Think I got the hang of this now. Just need to figure out the best way to run the network

 

[KraniX]

I have Powerline adapters running from my router in the lounge to my PC in the back bedroom as the wireless signal is so poor.

I have 100MB internet with Virgin and the PC upstairs usually gets around 60MB according to Speedtest.net by the time its buzzed around the house, so definitely worth it in my opinion.

If you have any doubts then purchase from somewhere with a decent returns policy and just try them out.