I have my media server running on my Windows desktop computer, which is connected to the home network via WiFi. The media is stored on a hard disk attached to the desktop. For the most part, playing 1080p video files from the desktop over Wifi has worked pretty well, though occasionally a file will stutter because the Wifi can’t keep up.
I just got a new 4K TV, which is connected to the home network via Ethernet. Playing 4K files over Wifi doesn’t work at all … picture constantly freezing. I’m thinking that if I could send the signal from the storage drive to the TV over Ethernet, that would solve the problem.
The TV has a Plex app, but the actual media server is still running on the desktop.
Here’s my question. If I put the media on a NAS drive attached to the home network via Ethernet, will the signal go from the NAS to the TV entirely over Ethernet, or will it still have to go back through the desktop because that’s where the server software is running, keeping Wifi in the signal path?
Hope the question is clear. Thanks for any advice.
The signal will always go through your Plex Media Server. Plex apps don’t directly connect to the media itself.
As for 4K and WIFI… this might actually be a better option than streaming over ethernet – at least for the TV. Most Smart TVs only offer 100 Mbit LAN ports while 4K movies can easily have a bitrate beyond that.
Your setup will however probably benefit from having a wired connection between your router and the server.
Connect your Windows desktop via wired, 1 Gbps Ethernet.
If 4K media still buffers, connect the TV via 5 GHz WiFi.
To directly answer your question.
All streams flow through the Plex Media Server. The Plex Media Server will read the media from the NAS then re-send it to the TV (or any other Plex client).
If your Plex Media Server is connected via WiFi, adding a network drive will only compound your problems, as it would add additional traffic to the WiFi network.
Additional Details:
TV connection: The Ethernet port on TVs is 100 Mbps. High bit rate media, such as 4K HDR remuxes, can burst above 100 Mbps. The bitrate you see in Plex, MediaInfo, etc is only an average for the entire file. It does not show the peak bitrate.
Most new TVs support 5 GHz 802.11ac, aka WiFi 5, the most basic version of which is faster than 100 Mbps. If your WiFi router supports the same and you have a strong signal at the TV, you may get better streaming results by using the TV’s WiFi connection.
Server Connection: If at all possible, you want a wired, 1 Gbps Ethernet connection to your network. This is not in conflict with the above comments regarding the TV. WiFi is a shared medium. Having both the client and the server on WiFi doubles the traffic on the WiFi network and can cause a “traffic jam” if you will. Placing the server on a wired connection relieves this contention. It is preferable to have the server using wired, as a) any recent desktop will have a 1 Gbps Ethernet port (not 100 Mbps like the TV); b) the server may stream to multiple clients (being on WiFi would make things even worse); c) you could place your media on a NAS if desired, as wired Ethernet can handle the traffic.
