Media Server Availability on Orbi or Nighthawk

[okocakaya]

Hi,
Does netgear provide media server support either on their Orbi series or Nighthawk series for their Mesh products?
I have a Asus router that supports media server where I use everyday. I need to switch to a mesh system to get rid of dead wifi spots in my house but I cant live without Media Server.
Thanks,
Okan

[CrimpOn]

If by Media Server you mean attaching USB disk drives to the router, then Nighthawk appears to support that feature and Orbi definitely does not.  (And is not likely to ever since all new Orbi products do not even have a USB port on them.)

The consensus on the forum appears to be that using USB drives for media servers is no longer (cool?  practical?  relevant?).  Most users who comment appear to have ethernet connected Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions.  Most Orbi and Nighthawk routers have ethernet ports and can support NAS.

[michaelkenward]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

The consensus on the forum appears to be that using USB drives for media servers is no longer (cool?  practical?  relevant?). 

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To add to that, recent firmware updates from Netgear are removing this sort of DLNA feature from some routers in an attempt to make room for features, such as Armor and Circle, that can earn it money.

[okocakaya]

So can you guys educate me on this ethernet powered NAS? Is this basically an external hard drive connected via ethernet rather than USB? I would like to use my external hard drive connected to Orbi or Nighthawk to access, files, documents, videos, pictures from my phone, my computers and my tvs.

[CrimpOn]

Exactly. Usually 2 or more drives to allow for error recovery. Google NAS storage. 

[michaelkenward]

Yup. An NAS is just about a computer in its own right.

An NAS comes with its own operating system and can run various programs, such as backup routines, download operations, media servers and so on.

Some NAS can turn themselves on and off according to a schedule, they can even host websites. You just have to pick what you want and what you are prepared to pay.

The downside is that NASs are more expensive then USB drives, but the price is worth it.

[okocakaya]

So basically it is a upgraded version of a USB3.0 external hard disk. Rather than a USB connection, it connects with LAN which makes it faster and it provides upgraded or better functionality.

Ok so, ORBI doesnt have USB on it so USB external harddisk is not an option. Does Nighthawk have any? If yes, can someone confirm whether they can play video, audio, JPEG files on their TV by connecting a USB 3.0 External Hard Drive to a Nighthawk?

Thanks,

Okan

[CrimpOn]

My understanding is that Nighthawk routers have supported USB drives in the past and probably still do.  That's really a topic to post in one of the Nighthawk community forums.  If someone who participates in this forum has a Nighthawk, it is likely to be an old one (like my old R7000).  There are forums for Nighthawk routers, for WiFi6 Nighthawk routers, and for "mesh" Nighthawk routers.

The Product Data Sheet usually mentions media streaming capability if it exists.  The R7800, for example, mentions USB 3.0 and streaming.

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/datasheet/en/R7800.pdf 

Good Luck

[michaelkenward]

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@okocakaya wrote:

So basically it is a upgraded version of a USB3.0 external hard disk.

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No. Nothing like.

USB comes nowhere into the picture. That is a red herring.

Completely different technologies.

It can't be an "upgraded version of a USB3.0 external hard disk" at the same time as "Rather than a USB connection".

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@okocakaya wrote:

If yes, can someone confirm whether they can play video, audio, JPEG files on their TV by connecting a USB 3.0 External Hard Drive to a Nighthawk?

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I do it all the time on my R7000P.

[okocakaya]

Thanks for the confirmation. The Nighthawk I was refering to was the Mesh system, not the router kind R7000P.

I'll go ahead and post it to the Nighthawk forum but thanks for confirming that Orbi doesnt support USB connections or has Media Server capabilities in order to stream the content that is connected to the Mesh system other than the NAS storage solutions.

Before we close the topic, can someone confirm if ORBI can stream/DLNA/media server the content on a TV if a NAS is connected via LAN?

Thanks,

[FURRYe38]

NAS should be your go to for media services and streaming. I highly recommend inventing in something NAS. It will last longer, have little problems and won't require changing out when a router dies or becomes out of date. I have NAS from 8 years ago and just got another for backup only operations. Once you go NAS, you'll NEVER go back to USB. 

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@okocakaya wrote:

Thanks for the confirmation. The Nighthawk I was refering to was the Mesh system, not the router kind R7000P.

I'll go ahead and post it to the Nighthawk forum but thanks for confirming that Orbi doesnt support USB connections or has Media Server capabilities in order to stream the content that is connected to the Mesh system other than the NAS storage solutions.

Before we close the topic, can someone confirm if ORBI can stream/DLNA/media server the content on a TV if a NAS is connected via LAN?

Thanks,

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[michaelkenward]

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@okocakaya wrote:

Before we close the topic, can someone confirm if ORBI can stream/DLNA/media server the content on a TV if a NAS is connected via LAN?

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Not sure if the answer from @FURRYe38 answers your specific question. My experience is that the router isn't really involved in the streaming. It just provides the connection between the NAS and whatever device you are streaming to. The USB thing works in the same way.

The NAS hosts the server and DLNA bit. You'll need to check the "packages" installed on your NAS to see what it can do, and then ensure that the clients can handle the media.

In my case, I have several NAS things. They have something called twonky. Setting up and managing these things may need a bit of effort.

[FURRYe38]

Another item that @michaelkenward reminded me of, take any NAS or streaming problems out of the troubleshooting hassle and connect the NAS and any wired streaming devices to a Gb LAN switch. This will help in ensureing good streaming performances over wired connections. Try to limit use of wireless streaming if possible as wireless can be a factor in streaming performances and operations. 

[michaelkenward]

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@FURRYe38 wrote:

Try to limit use of wireless streaming if possible as wireless can be a factor in streaming performances and operations. 

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You could even go a step further, limit use of wireless if possible for anything. In my case I have Powerline ethernet to join things together. Not just more reliable, but easier to set up.

[FURRYe38]

Yep. Wire connect the RBS as well.