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Retail routers versus home plex servers for managing many devices

Retail routers versus home plex servers for managing many devices

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Yoharsnaps
Junior Member
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37
11-22-2016, 03:25 PM
#1
Seeking some guidance on network setup... With six devices in the house—four Chromebooks, four phones, two Wi-Fi gaming PCs, two wired gaming PCs, two Rokus, a Nintendo Switch, and a dedicated Plex server—all connected to the same network. I’m currently using a Netgear R7000p as the main DHCP server and a Netgear R6260 as an access point extension, which is plugged directly into the R7000p. Each device runs on its own SSID, with distinct labels for each Wi-Fi band, such as: R700p Wi-fi 2GHz, R700p Wi-fi 5GHz, R6260 Wi-fi 2GHz, R6260 Wi-fi 5GHz. My kids’ hardware is all on the R6260—Chromebooks on the 5GHz band, two phones on the 2GHz band, and the two Rokus also on the 2GHz band. The gaming PCs connect to the R7000p (both wired and 5GHz), plus the Plex server and the N-Switch. My wife and I use our phones on the same 2GHz network. My goal has been balancing the load according to device type and traffic volume. While everything functions, file sharing is inconsistent, and the LAN can slow down during peak times. Speed tests for the WAN/internet are solid, and coverage works well outside and inside the house. The Plex server runs an Intel i5-6500 with 16GB RAM (using the GPU), which handles its tasks quietly. All devices stream content via DirectPlay, and I only need one remote viewer, so the iGPU is more than sufficient. I’m wondering if converting or upgrading the Plex server into a dedicated router would improve performance and reliability. Would a full desktop PC, a network switch, and a single access point provide better speeds than a consumer router with built-in features? Mostly it feels like the iGPU is underutilized, and if I could make the network faster and more stable, it’d be a great project for the summer. But only if it’s worth the effort. I’d also appreciate looking into Ubiquiti APs and switches instead of Netgear’s interface, which often forgets settings. What advice would you give?
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Yoharsnaps
11-22-2016, 03:25 PM #1

Seeking some guidance on network setup... With six devices in the house—four Chromebooks, four phones, two Wi-Fi gaming PCs, two wired gaming PCs, two Rokus, a Nintendo Switch, and a dedicated Plex server—all connected to the same network. I’m currently using a Netgear R7000p as the main DHCP server and a Netgear R6260 as an access point extension, which is plugged directly into the R7000p. Each device runs on its own SSID, with distinct labels for each Wi-Fi band, such as: R700p Wi-fi 2GHz, R700p Wi-fi 5GHz, R6260 Wi-fi 2GHz, R6260 Wi-fi 5GHz. My kids’ hardware is all on the R6260—Chromebooks on the 5GHz band, two phones on the 2GHz band, and the two Rokus also on the 2GHz band. The gaming PCs connect to the R7000p (both wired and 5GHz), plus the Plex server and the N-Switch. My wife and I use our phones on the same 2GHz network. My goal has been balancing the load according to device type and traffic volume. While everything functions, file sharing is inconsistent, and the LAN can slow down during peak times. Speed tests for the WAN/internet are solid, and coverage works well outside and inside the house. The Plex server runs an Intel i5-6500 with 16GB RAM (using the GPU), which handles its tasks quietly. All devices stream content via DirectPlay, and I only need one remote viewer, so the iGPU is more than sufficient. I’m wondering if converting or upgrading the Plex server into a dedicated router would improve performance and reliability. Would a full desktop PC, a network switch, and a single access point provide better speeds than a consumer router with built-in features? Mostly it feels like the iGPU is underutilized, and if I could make the network faster and more stable, it’d be a great project for the summer. But only if it’s worth the effort. I’d also appreciate looking into Ubiquiti APs and switches instead of Netgear’s interface, which often forgets settings. What advice would you give?

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stealthstorm
Junior Member
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11-23-2016, 01:12 AM
#2
A consumer router should manage those devices easily, though you can attempt setting up your own if desired. Keep it distinct—opt for something like a UDM if you prefer unification, or an edge router. Running a VM with tools such as untangle might be too advanced for most configurations.
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stealthstorm
11-23-2016, 01:12 AM #2

A consumer router should manage those devices easily, though you can attempt setting up your own if desired. Keep it distinct—opt for something like a UDM if you prefer unification, or an edge router. Running a VM with tools such as untangle might be too advanced for most configurations.

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