Need help selecting a cloud drive to set up Plex

Can you access your files away from
Home?

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Why would you set up a cloud instead of simply opening a port on your router to your server?

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OP is considering a personal "cloud" for storage.

Because OP doesn't have a Plex server currently and wants to use one of the "personal cloud" NAS drives as storage for a new Plex build. At least that's how I understand it.

Get an nVidia Shield. It has a built-in Plex Server.

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But would I be able to access it from another location?

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Yes, you can do that running Plex server on your laptop right now if you want to.

I see now that you're getting confused on what "cloud" means in the context of storage devices and how Plex works. I'm not knocking you, all these companies are throwing the word around for everything these days. For example, the devices you linked are just NAS (network attached storage) boxes, but obviously they are marketing them as "cloud" devices. This is confusing.


Plex doesn't need any sort of cloud device or service in order to allow you to view your content from anywhere. It uses a client-server setup, plain and simple. You can run your Plex server in the cloud now, but let's ignore that since you have been running your server locally. Since you're getting rid of the laptop, though, you're going to need a machine to run the server on, and Hubba's suggestion of a Shield would be great. You would also need one of the NAS boxes you've been looking at for storage, and you would just point the Plex server running on the Shield to where to find the files on your NAS.

I'm probably forgetting some of the details of setting this stuff up, but that's the gist of it. You will have a very nice media box (Shield) running Plex server, and it will pull media from your NAS box. The Shield can also be used as a Plex client (like your smart TV does currently). The Shield's main use is actually for Android TV (think FireTV or Roku), it's just that it's also powerful enough to run the Plex server as well.

And that's it. You should be able to log in to a Plex client from anywhere and access your server. I'm pretty sure I didn't even have to set up any port forwarding on my router, though it may be necessary in some cases I guess.

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Korkstand

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Great post.

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I would like a server and a HD with 4 TB minimum contained all in one if possible.

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you would then need to purchase a NAS device that can serve as your Plex Media Server, as well as hard drives for the NAS. The problem with a lot of NAS devices though is that they are limited by processing power when it comes to transcoding multiple streams, or so i've been told.



i just purchased a used small form factor computer, like this HP, that had an i5 processor, and was about the size of a dvd player, and was around $200 used. I then plugged external storage into the HP, and set up the plex media server on the HP. when you're setting up the Plex server, and the folders for movies/tv shows you just map the location of your media.

but it sounds like you want more storage, and a device that acts as the plex server in one, which pretty much means you want a QNAP or Synology type NAS, unless you wanted to build your own server. but again the processor used in nas devices is limited from what i've been told, however if it's just you and one stream at a time you might be ok. i'll leave that up to someone who uses as NAS device as their Plex server to answer.

Can I attach my external drive via a usb cable to the Shield?

Thanks