Hi all, I used to run Plex from my PC pointed to a file storage NAS which just died.
I have just got hold of a Synology DS916+ with 8Gb RAM. I am checking that it is still going to perform well enough as a Plex Server. I am a Plex Pass user so know I can turn on Transcoding. I also have a few family and friends that log in to watch my films and play my music.
Am I likely to run into any issues? and guidance very welcome.
That’s excellent feedback and thank you. Yes, the one I have got coming is 8Gb RAM so that’s a blessing.
I tend to only download 720 versions of films so at this stage 1080p let alone 4K is not a priority for me.
I did read somewhere that I shouldn’t use the PMS version on the Synology app server but to get a version from Plex.com for Synology. Is that still valid or is the Synology version okay?
So with my setup, and fast home internet, how many people concurrently watching a film am I likely to be able to handle?
Again, many thanks in advance
Thank you and I am sure all your advice is useful.
Guessing the vesrion I download will be installed onto Synology’s on-board Ubuntu installation?
I have another issue, not sure if this is the right forum or not. I had a previous NAS which had 2 2Tb drives in a Raid 1 Mirrored configuration. Having done lots of research, built an Ubunto laptop, got a SATA USB 3 adaptor, wrote loads of code (not knowing what I was doing) and somehow managed to mount it. Connected a 1Tb external drive and managed to retrieve some of my data off. All except my movies folder that is 1.3Tb in size. So question is, is there any way to be able to mount half of that old (not Synology) Raid so that I can copy files off of it to a newly formatted drive on the Synology.
If I made it sound complex, thats becuase to me it was 
OK great, just need to find the site where I found the command lines to mount it again. I had it connected through a USB 3 port. Was just kind of hoping I could connect it to a USB 3 port on the NAS and use a tool to be able to see the files on it to then copy across, but if thats not possible, I will look at doing what you suggested.
Many thanks again
Again thanks, I have been happy Plexing for many years and have since got so many to sign up for Plex Pass, I live by it. This NAS is a major upgrade for me
If I may augment here but perhaps already answered.
If the volume has not “hard crashed” (more physical disks failed than the parity allows), the entire array can be placed in external enclosures and mounted in Linux natively provided it is RAID 5 or RAID 6. SHR volumes are proprietary and may not mount automatically.
The linux mdadm utility will assemble the RAID volume and mount it
Hi Chuck, so are you saying if I have enough disks in the NAS to create a RAID 5, I could put my HD with the data on onto an adaptor, connect it to USB 3 on the NAS, that the Linux on the NAS mdadm utility would mount it for me? Or are there commands I could need to type in that NAS Linux to do that?
I am a Linux novice so sorry if I am confusing the matter
Yes. When I first started, I had 4 external USB enclosures.
Before I got too far into the NAS, I had it create the RAID 5 volume.
I then pulled the 4 drives, put them back into individual enclosures, plugged them all into the computer and let it find all 4 drives.
Lastly, I had mdadm --assemble find the drives and recreate the raid volume. It was flawless.
That could work. So I guess my issue is that my data currently sits on 2 x 2Tb drives in a RAID 1 configuration. I don’t currently have any further disks. I don’t suppose there is a way around that?
If you want, as an experiment,
Do NOT modify it because of how the RAID 1 works. Both disks must be perfect sync with each other.
Am I making sense?
Indeed you are as thats what I did. The 3rd partition was the largest that had the files, however I couldn’t browse it. I googled and googled and eventually found something that ran me through a process.
good thing I know how to find help stuff? 
mdadm assemble scan
if you can put two in AND the RAID volume will come back together.
Thanks for that, I could go that route but that means I have to buy another 2Gb drive.
By mounting one disk from the raid, I can put one in the new NAS, format and set up as blank disk. Mount the other ones file partition on the Linux machine and then copy the files from that to the drive in the NAS. Thats the plan anyway.
In order to do that, I need to find those command lines that allow me to do that.
It’s been a frustrating but steep and fun learning curve
True. Keeping them single for now allows you to transition.
If you buy Synology or QNAP, you can always add the PC-based drive later.
If Synology, I recommend: SHR and EXT4 formatting (do not use BTRFS – waste and dangerous)
If QNAP, Adjust the inode (Volume size for the Max number of disks * Max disk size you think you’ll put in it (e.g. 8 x 8TB = 64TB volume). Then you can setup a pool and go from there.
So yes, thats exactly what I am hoping to do. Once the data has been moved to the new NAS, reformat the other drive and add that back to the NAS doubling its capacity.
The drive I have coming is the Synology DS916+ so your formatting guidance is appreciated
all you need do to “reformat” before putting it into the NAS again is to delete the partition table.
or dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdxx bs=1M count=10 (zero the initial cylinders)
Excellent, thank you
Welcome 
If I manage to find those command lines to mount one of the disks from a two disk array, I will let you know
It’s been a while but I should be able to recall it myself.
We can post and compare LOL
