WiFi to stream blu-ray encodes to tablet using plex

neonplanet40

Hi folks,

What I am trying to do: I have been trying to upgrade my wifi so that I can stream HD media using Plex to my tablet. Is this possible? Video streams at original quality can use around 25 Mbps or more.Equipment - Microserver with Intel i5 connected via ethernet to my lan, PLex is on this. Synology diskstation also connected via ethernet to my lan which supplies Plex with videos.Switches to connect various points (all gigabyte connection), Asus Ac68u and Netgear Nighthawk r78004x2 - Both used as wireless access points , connected to network via Cat 6 ethernet cables.House- New build, so all plaster walls, no concrete. Timber frame etc. Router is currently on ground floor in bottom right corner (due to Ring pro being useless at range). Room I am using to watch tablet is top left room. I would say it is about 14 meters or so away as the crow flies.

I had tried to do it using my old Asus AC68U and found that it sometimes worked, but would often need to buffer, citing poor network speed. I assumed because it was downstairs and I was only getting 2 bars in 5G that this was the reason.

However, I bought a Netgear Nighthawk r7800 4xs and installed it yesterday as an access point. Despite putting it beside the old router, the signal was no better. I thought, given it was newer and supposedly better, I would notice an improvement in range and speed. I didn't (despite choosing an unclustered channel etc). Does that mean it's faulty or did I have unrealistic expectations from this well reviewed router? I am thinking of changing it to an Asus Ac86u.

So, my next step is to trapse ethernet cable across the house to the room beside me upstairs and put the AP in there (a real faff to be honest, but if it works, fine!)

Before I do that though, is Wifi capable (or is this Netgear capable) of transmitting these speeds that I need? I don't want to transcode if I don't HAVE too, hence the wifi upgrade. The tablet is a Huawei Mediapad M5 10 - (Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz).


So, should moving the AP closer help or do I have unrealistic expectations from Wifi?

Thank you for your help and advice.

mickevh

A bottleneck could be the NIC in your tablet. Just because an AP is capable of transmission as rate X doesn't mean your client is capable or receiving at that rate. You need to check what the NIC in you clients is capable of and cross match that against your AP's capabilities. However, if you've got an AC capable NIC, it's probably more than up t the job.

As you've discovered, there's no magic routers with "much better signal" than everyone elses: Wi-Fi transmit power is limited by law and most kit is, and always has been, at or very close to the permitted max. The differences really aren't worth worrying about.

You've alighted on the best solutions (short of using cabled ethernet) - install additional AP's closer to where the clients are with a cabled "backhaul" link between the outpost AP's and the rest of the network. The 5GHz protocols (A, some N and AC) work their best with line of sight as 5GHz is more readily attenuated by "stuff" (walls, doors, air,) than 2.4GHz, though of course the latter fall off too with obstructions and distance.

There's too many variables with Wi-Fi to make any useful predictions for any given use case, but certainly with the right kit, a good signalling environment and low contention, Wi-Fi is capable of some fairly impressive throughput.

Even the lowly 72mbps single stream N NIC in my laptop in a flat with dozens of neighbours can manage 40-45mbps when running bulk file tranfers a few meters from my 300mbps capable router. But it gets worse if I head to a bedroom 6m and (more importantly) 4 stud walls and a hot water tank away, it falls off markedly. Ultimately, you just have to suck it and see.

Of course, it's also possible that it's not the network transport that's the problem - it may be that the tablet doesn't have grunt to render the files. You might care to copy them onto the tablet and see if the play OK directly.

neonplanet40

I have copied them to the tablet and they work fine. So the problem appears to be network related. I will move beside the router when I get home to see if that works. If it doesn't, I'm not sure what to do!

next010

See if laptop can play them over WiFi if it has a decent WiFi network adapter built in or use one via USB, if laptop can play them then as mickevh says it may be the network adapter in the tablet itself is not up to the task (if Android tablet then those odds increase).

Given that your server has an i5 CPU you could go into Plex management console and tell it to generate optimized copies of the movies, this will make a more streaming friendly hidden version of the movie that will be streamed instead to mobile clients. Your unlikely to notice the difference on a tablet screen.

neonplanet40

Well, moving it closer to router has solved the issue.

However, the router needs to stay where it is. So, I need a new one to act as a wireless access point.
Any recommendations? I was thinking the rt86u. However, most places are out of stock. I can order with amazon but it isn't due to arrive until August.

bubblegum57

Have you tried Very RT-AC86U AC2900 AI Mesh Gigabit Wireless Router

maddy

Are Homeplugs an option you've looked at?  You could then place the AP near to where you want to watch on your tablet, saving you from running cables around the house.

neonplanet40

I have an 86u coming tomorrow. Will see how it gets on!