Well it is snowing so I know Santa will be here soon with my Fiber Optics!!! (Aug/Sep) This week my excitement has me reading about setting up a Flex Server to centralize all the movies etc. we will be getting. Of course I have no idea just how that works either but it seems like a good idea to have a place to store them without taking up space on the different streaming boxes. I discovered that the Shield has it already installed so now I’m wondering what to use for the actual storage. Does anyone have a Network Accessible Storage (NAS) unit attached to their shield? If so what do you recommend? How large? I did see an NAS that shows it being plugged directly into the router? Thanks to all.
Confused As Usual.
Love my Plex server. I run it through a desktop PC/Windows. You technically can use the Shield, but I haven’t used mine for that. You may not need to use an actual NAS for it, just a quality external drive.
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The shield has a built in plex server, works with emby also just not officially. Works well as a bare bones media hub. It is not powerful enough to do transcoding like a larger server but works great as a media hub for movies, music etc.
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If I were to run it through my desktop or laptop, wouldn’t that unit (pc) have to be running in order for the streaming boxes to access it?
Yes, it would have to be running for the satellite Plex apps to access your content. They also have mini PCs that may be a good option for that, and then you can save the Shield for streaming.
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My Plex server is as very old, used PC that I converted into a Linux Mint machine. I store my media on a small, used 1TB SSD in a $4 case. For me, this is more than sufficient. I have hours of content that remain unwatched to this point.
Unless you’re ripping DVDs and Blu-rays or high quality photography without compressing anything, I don’t see a real need for large high quality external drives.
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Ron, if I were to look for a mini computer to set up as the Plex Server what would be the key elements i.e. cpu etc. Again, put the VPN on the router and all is good?
check out the n100 models, best bang for yer buck
heres some good prices. I use a n5105 as my server and I have a 5tb external drive connected for storage. Depending on your needs some have 500-1000 mb built in. The external is nice in case you have server issues you can disconnect and not lose any recordings.
Thank you gentlemen. I went with a mini pc and external drive. I’ll use the guides to do the setup.
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I don’t think it was mentioned, but another option would be to run your Plex server though a plex capable router.
This would eliminate the need to have a connected pc powered on all the time - an example of such would be the netgear R9000 Nighthawk X10. Not sure how fast it would be, as most Nighthawk routers use dual core processors - transcoding tasks “should” be ok?
I think the miniPC is a good route. Many plex users like using NUCs as their server base also. Lots of them on ebay.
It is a cool idea, but looks like only really one option for the Plex compatible routers. I just wonder how well that router would actually run a Plex server, too?
I was mistaken regarding it’s onboard SoC. It uses a Quad core 1.7ghz chip. Plex server performance seem to look hit and miss with reddit testimonials from owners. Though many are comparing it against PC plex performance.
The router itself, overall, seems to to be quite a beast. I think having native plex server support baked in is really good forward progress in today’s router features.
I don’t know if this might work for you, but for most all of the movies I’ve collected and downloaded (and want to watch again) I put them on a portable Seagate 1TB External drive and I just plug it in directly to my tv through the USB port. It works. Can’t get any easier than that, I don’t think.
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Some TVs USB facilities won’t allow play-back for movies or TV.
But if yours does, that’s a great option.
If the TV’s port doesn’t support play-back, a thumb drive with a OTG cable into a ONN cheapie works also. If a box has a USB port, you’re good-to-go.
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try to go with a mini at least 2ghz<<works best for multiple streams. At least 4gb ram ddr4 or 5…5 is really fast and newest. My 5105 has 32gb ddr4…a little overkill but I had the ram in top drawer 
Mine has played everything, be it .mkv .mp4 or .avi format. It is a Haier Roku TV, not real new, not real old. But I know some older tvs had compatibility issues with certain file formats. But yeah, it works fine for me and will only set you back around $60. (for the 1TB Seagate external portable drive)
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Thanks to all for the replies. I’ve got the server set up and now I’m installing the Plex app on the boxes. I’m also putting them on the Kodi’s. I assume I need it on the Kodi installs.
If you have or get Plex Pass, one of the perks is to be able to have Plex app on your mobile phone. I also have my local channels hooked up through Plex, so I can use my phone to access the live, local channels from anywhere.