What's new

Plex Media Server running on AsusWRT Arm Routers!!!

  • SNBForums Code of Conduct

    SNBForums is a community for everyone, no matter what their level of experience.

    Please be tolerant and patient of others, especially newcomers. We are all here to share and learn!

    The rules are simple: Be patient, be nice, be helpful or be gone!

Folks, with a powerful enough router such as the RT-AC87U or RT-AC88U, I can highly recommend Plex over Minidlna. I am running Plex on a Bananapi presently, connected directly to my RT-AC88U over the 1Gb ethernet link. Runs great.

This is a full featured media server, much more intelligent with managing media/databases.

I am going to give TeHashX plex instructions a go. My dual-cores need some workout!
 
I am on day 4 with no problems. When first installed, I pointed Plex to my USB disk with ~200 movies and thousands of audio file (mp3's). My AC88u got a bit busy for a while as Plex went to get fanart and subtitles.

Be sure to setup a swap file, this was the first time I have ever seen the AC88u use swap.

By the next day, Plex is running happily with very little load on the dual core processor and memory back to normal.

I am streaming a 1080p movie right now and the cores are bouncing between 1% and 5% and memory is running around 37%!

Anyone with a dual core 1Ghz+ router like the AC87u or AC88u, I would ditch minidlna and go with Plex. You won't look back.

Nice job TeHashX and Entware-ng team. (and of course Merlin for letting this all be possible!!!)
 
I am on day 4 with no problems. When first installed, I pointed Plex to my USB disk with ~200 movies and thousands of audio file (mp3's). My AC88u got a bit busy for a while as Plex went to get fanart and subtitles.

Be sure to setup a swap file, this was the first time I have ever seen the AC88u use swap.

By the next day, Plex is running happily with very little load on the dual core processor and memory back to normal.

I am streaming a 1080p movie right now and the cores are bouncing between 1% and 5% and memory is running around 37%!

Anyone with a dual core 1Ghz+ router like the AC87u or AC88u, I would ditch minidlna and go with Plex. You won't look back.

Nice job TeHashX and Entware-ng team. (and of course Merlin for letting this all be possible!!!)
I got dozens of requests about installing PMS but this is the really first feedback, thank you.
 
It's convenient, but is running media, or any high-load services on your most important networking device a good idea (assuming the device is the gateway router)?
 
It's convenient, but is running media, or any high-load services on your most important networking device a good idea (assuming the device is the gateway router)?

Very good point. I had connected a BananaPi (like a Raspberry Pi but with Gb Ethernet) as a co-processor to my RT-AC88u for running Plex and an NTP server. Works well and, like you said, is not in the routing path.

I didn't have much enabled on the AC88u and noticed that it was typically running at very low CPU load and memory usage. So, I gave it a shot.

My initial impression is positive - again, I don't have App Analysis, Adaptive QoS, any of the USB Applications running so your mileage may vary if you enable other applications.

I will say, after struggling for years with Minidlna (with all due respect to the authors) I felt the time is right to give a more heavy duty media server a shot - dual core 1.4Ghz processor should be able to handle Plex. So far it does. The memory size is the real issue - but a swap file hanging off the USB 3.0 seems to work fine.
 
I have a WD Mycloud(gen 2)4TB drive
can I use this service to remotely connect to it thru ddns?
Thanks
 
WD Mycloud already had official plex media server support, why do you mean remotely connect to it thru ddns?

I don't want to use the wd app to access it from my phone or laptop when not inside my lan
Thank you
 
I don't want to use the wd app to access it from my phone or laptop when not inside my lan
Thank you
Also,I don't have a mycloud mirror, so I can't add apps to it like the mirror

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk
 
Perfect post. I've managed to install plex on a RT-AC87U. Thank you very much.
Running as expected.
There 's a NAS in the same network, sharing video. It seems Plex isn't very fond of using a UNC path.
Is there any way to mount a network share, using UNC with username and password authentication?
I already tried
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video/Misc /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
without success.
Also
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
didn't help. Mount was succesfull this time, but in Plex no files where found.
 
Also,I don't have a mycloud mirror, so I can't add apps to it like the mirror

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk
Sorry, I'm still confused, if you install plex media server directly on you WD mycloud mirror will work more reliable than router version.
 
Perfect post. I've managed to install plex on a RT-AC87U. Thank you very much.
Running as expected.
There 's a NAS in the same network, sharing video. It seems Plex isn't very fond of using a UNC path.
Is there any way to mount a network share, using UNC with username and password authentication?
I already tried
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video/Misc /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
without success.
Also
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
didn't help. Mount was succesfull this time, but in Plex no files where found.
In /opt/etc/init.d/S99debian script, ext_dir should be:
EXT_DIR=/tmp/mnt/sda1/media
Now create a new library in plex that point to /mnt, because inside debian /tmp/mnt/sda1/media = /tmp
 
In /opt/etc/init.d/S99debian script, ext_dir should be:

Now create a new library in plex that point to /mnt, because inside debian /tmp/mnt/sda1/media = /tmp
Hi,
the EXT_DIR is available, and pointing to sda1.
Until there no problem.

What I would like to arrange is a connection to a network NAS. This NAS (Synology) has IPadress 172.20.14.22 and a share called "video", containing some subfolders.
Somehow the files are not shown in Plex. I assume my way of mounting a share (putty on router) is not the right one.
 
Hi,
the EXT_DIR is available, and pointing to sda1.
Until there no problem.

What I would like to arrange is a connection to a network NAS. This NAS (Synology) has IPadress 172.20.14.22 and a share called "video", containing some subfolders.
Somehow the files are not shown in Plex. I assume my way of mounting a share (putty on router) is not the right one.
After mounting your share, enter debian and see if is mounted with ls /mnt
 
After mounting your share, enter debian and see if is mounted with ls /mnt
I've tried mounting the share the normal way and by first starting debian.
ls /mnt unfortunately doesn't show any files.

However (not in debian) ls /tmp/mnt/sda1/media does actualy show my folders and files.
But no luck in Plex.
 
I've tried mounting the share the normal way and by first starting debian.
ls /mnt unfortunately doesn't show any files.

However (not in debian) ls /tmp/mnt/sda1/media does actualy show my folders and files.
But no luck in Plex.
Plex can't see media files if folder media is not mounted in debian
Try to create folder /tmp/mnt/sda1/media/movies and put some video files inside
Mount /tmp/mnt/sda1/media like you did previously
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
In S99debian script EXT_DIR should be /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
Now restart debian
Code:
debian restart
Enter debian
Code:
debian enter
See if mounted folder is there
Code:
ls /mnt
If yes, create a new library in plex which point to /mnt/movies
 
Plex can't see media files if folder media is not mounted in debian
Try to create folder /tmp/mnt/sda1/media/movies and put some video files inside
Mount /tmp/mnt/sda1/media like you did previously
Code:
mount -t cifs -o username=<username>,password=<password> //172.20.14.22/video /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
In S99debian script EXT_DIR should be /tmp/mnt/sda1/media
Now restart debian
Code:
debian restart
Enter debian
Code:
debian enter
See if mounted folder is there
Code:
ls /mnt
If yes, create a new library in plex which point to /mnt/movies

Thank you very much for your time.

At last I figured out the mounting of a share should be done within Debian.
So that was the first mistake I made.
My second mistake: In the installationprocess I changed the EXT_DIR path to /tmp/mnt/sda1/Media instead of .... media.
Changed that one to.
Now restarted debian two times (the first time generated an error).

After a clean restart I went to the Plex GUI.
Now I've added a new library, pointing to /mnt

This time the movies DID appear in plex ;-)

Again, thank you very much for starting this theat.
I will test Plex on the RT-AC87U, and give some feedback.
 
Has anyone tried this on .58 alphas yet? I'm still on official merlin, but was contemplating upgrade

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

Similar threads

Latest threads

Sign Up For SNBForums Daily Digest

Get an update of what's new every day delivered to your mailbox. Sign up here!
Top