Advantages of running plex and plexConnect on Unraid?

[bdee1]

I am currently running Plex Media Server on my unraid server.  I use AppleTV 3's as clients so I am also running PlexConnect on my unraid server.  Plex works pretty well in general but I seem to have lots of problems with plexConnect.

 

1) very often, hulu and netflix are very slow to load and sometimes will not load.  If I change the DNS IP back to hat of my ISP, disabling plexConnect, HULU and netflix run nice and fast and reliable like they should.

 

2) every once in a while i have problems where netflix and hulu just won't load at all and Plex is very very slow.  Usually I can restart the PlexConnect plugin on unraid and most of the time this resolves it.

 

3) sometimes I reboot my AppleTV and I just ge the computers and the settings icon.  Usually If I restart plexconnect on unraid and then reboot the appleTV it will resolve this.

 

so in general it is just kinda buggy.  My wife hates it because when this sort of thing happens she has to call me to fix it.

 

so I am wondering if I would be better off to install Plex Media Server and PlexConnect on my macMini and just run it from there instead of unraid.  My Mac Mini is always on so that wouldn't be a problem.  I am wondering what I would be losing by doing this. 

 

 

[rjstott]

I feel your pain. I think Plexconnect from the unRaid server is slow too and I wonder whether I wouldn't be better running it elsewhere. I'm pretty happy with running PMS but it sometimes is a bit slow to respond. In my case I think the problem lies with me not having a Cache drive and having to run PMS from the array and having to keep the index file on the array. I've opted to have a copy of my Movies on my HTPC with a second PMS running there at least while I can keep the movies on a single drive. Can't do this with TV Shows though I could keep recent shows there.

 

I pin my hopes on VM when all the bugs are ironed out and then I can run each server application in its own VM.

 

Anyway why not move Plexconnect to your macmini as a test, you'd just need to change the DNS address in the AppleTV as you can use the same certificate.

[jevans04]

1) very often, hulu and netflix are very slow to load and sometimes will not load.  If I change the DNS IP back to hat of my ISP, disabling plexConnect, HULU and netflix run nice and fast and reliable like they should.

 

In the default PlexConnect config file, the DNS server for accessing external websites like Hulu and Netflix is set to use Google DNS server (ip_dnsmaster = 8.8.8.8 ).  You could change this to your ISP and that may fix the issues you are experiencing with Hulu/Netflix while also keeping PlexConnect working.

 

PlexConnect with AppleTV 3's have worked great for me and is the only Plex client my wife will use.  The other options we have tried in my house:

• Rasplex (too slow and buggy)
  
• Chromecast (hate having to use phone or tablet to start a video)
  
• Fire TV (Plex app not ready for prime time yet, but I have high hopes for the future)
  

I do have the Plex Server and PlexConnect running on a SSD cache drive so that may help with the performance and speed.

And I never power cycle or reboot my Apple TV devices or the unRaid server so that might help with stability.