Plex Media Server on AC68U in debootstrapped debian

[GG7]

I have my Macbook, iPad and iPhone. I don't need any desktop. Buying an mac mini (or any desktop PC) only to run PMS on it is like buying a car only to listen music on it's sound system.

So I bought an Odroid single-board and I'm happy now

Glad you found a viable solution other than the router.

 

[GG7]

The version for ARM doesn't do transcoding....it will only serve files it can deliver in 'direct' format.

But, personally, I still wouldn't do it.

Ahhh! A somewhat gimped version of the media server then. That makes sense, since I couldn't believe they would get the full featured version I use to run on something so low powered. Not after watching my machine's CPU use with 6 HD streams running at the same time.

 

[Nullity]

Ahhh! A somewhat gimped version of the media server then. That makes sense, since I couldn't believe they would get the full featured version I use to run on something so low powered. Not after watching my machine's CPU use with 6 HD streams running at the same time.

Do your devices not support natively decoding the media? My Plex server rarely, if ever, needs to transcode.

 

[ColinTaylor]

My host/media server machine is a 27" Apple iMac under OSX Snow Leopard with two 9TB raids attached running RAID 8. (4 x 3tb drives each)

RAID 8 - That's not a real thing is it. Or is it another non-standard Apple thing?

 

[GG7]

RAID 8 - That's not a real thing is it. Or is it another non-standard Apple thing?

Its a RAID mode.

It uses the fourth drive as a backup, so if a media drive fails, you don't loose anything. Thats why I have 9tb per unit instead of the 12 that are actually in the box.

The units are made by OWC, so that could be a proprietary RAID mode for these boxes. I don't know. I think RAID 5 is the same thing.

 

[toufiq47]

so no hope :'(

 

[ColinTaylor]

The units are made by OWC, so that could be a proprietary RAID mode for these boxes. I don't know. I think RAID 5 is the same thing.

Very strange. It certainly sounds like RAID 5.

It's definitely not an "official" RAID type. I can find no reference of such a thing existing on the internet. Even OWC's own web site only lists "RAID 0, 1, 4, 5 and 1+0".

Maybe it's this:

Quite possibly a translation error or typo.

 

[JGrana]

I have spent a number of years trying to get Asus routers running a full featured media server. Great routers, great software (when you add in Merlins enhancements and Entware-ng).
But, not the best platform for media servers or other "non network infrastructure" applications.
The Linux kernel is going on 6 years old (2.6.36) and the memory footprint is fairly light. Fine for routing, switching and light services. But, when you try to add functions like a DLNA server for large amounts of media - it struggles.

What I ended up doing was adding a co-processor to my RT-ACXX router!

I had originally started with a Raspberry Pi. I am now using a Banana Pi. These little boards cost around $40. Add a case for approx $8, a USB power supply and an SD card. Other than the case, I had a few SD cards and USB power supplies in drawers!

I have moved over to the Banana Pi due to the fact it has 1 GB of DDR3 DRAM and a 1Gb Ethernet. The Banana Pi also has an external SATA connector and a dual core 1Ghz ARMv7 core, the Raspberry Pi a quad core 900Mhz Armv7 core with a 10/100 Ethernet port.

Both run Raspbian (a Debian tuned for the Pi's and Linux kernels in the 3.4 and higher vintage).

https://www.raspbian.org/

I plug the Pi into the AC-RTXX router and give it a static address. Now, I can add all kinds of applications, services etc. There are more then 35,000 software packages available.

I am running the Plex Media Server on the Banana Pi. Works well. Very easy to install:

http://www.htpcguides.com/install-plex-media-server-on-banana-pi-with-bananian/

Like I said, love the RT-ACXX products, but for more heavy duty applications, I believe a "Pi" for roughly $50 is a great compliment to Asuswrt-merlin.

 

[L&LD]

EDIT: I misunderstood the original question. I didn't realize that the OP was attempting to run Plex on a router! I have commented on that idea further down the thread.

In short... Bad idea!

My host/media server machine is a 27" Apple iMac under OSX Snow Leopard with two 9TB raids attached running RAID 8. (4 x 3tb drives each) Connected to the Mac via Firewire 800 and then out to our LAN.

end of edit...

We have had no issues running any Plex based media to any connected device that can run the Plex app. I am using the latest public release of the Plex Media server for OSX.

I don't think your issues are related to the router or its firmware.

What is RAID 8? Never heard of that one.

 

[L&LD]

Its a RAID mode.

It uses the fourth drive as a backup, so if a media drive fails, you don't loose anything. Thats why I have 9tb per unit instead of the 12 that are actually in the box.

The units are made by OWC, so that could be a proprietary RAID mode for these boxes. I don't know. I think RAID 5 is the same thing.

That's called RAID5 with a hot spare.

No such thing as RAID 8, even if OWC thinks they invented it.

 

[ColinTaylor]

That's called RAID5 with a hot spare.

Actually it's not. The "spare"/4th disk in the OP's case is used for parity (it's part of the RAID). A hot spare is something different.

No such thing as RAID 8, even if OWC thinks they invented it.

I believe I said that in post #47

 

[L&LD]

Actually it's not. The "spare"/4th disk in the OP's case is used for parity (it's part of the RAID). A hot spare is something different.

I believe I said that in post #47

Yes, you did. Sorry.

Oh, I thought it was just waiting for a drive to fail. Must not assume...