Local WiFi network for Roku and Plex server?

[MarkEHansen]

The Alpha R36 sounds interesting. I was looking for a way to get a local Wi-Fi network while still being able to get (perhaps limited) access to the Internet. So even when there is no Camp Wi-Fi (Internet) connection for the Alpha R26 to extend, the devices on the local network can still talk to each other?


I don't think plex will care whether there's an internet connection. It just won't be able to look up metadata for content, but it caches all that, so once you look everything up (at home, presumably) it should be good to go.

[ADQ K9]

Well the way I do it is pretty simple, I use an "Action Tec Screen Beam Mini 2" and mirror from my tablet or laptop. Plugs into the HDMI port on the TV and a power supply. No need for a LAN.
Not sure if you can do it from a Plex server, Not sure what a Roku is and I will take my rasberry pie ala mode

[RoscoeV]

I have a Mede8er 1000x3D with a 4TB hard drive that I store ripped DVDs to and connect it directly to a HDMI port on my TV. It works great, it shows all the movie art and provides all the movie information. They may be difficult to find now days, here is a link with more information on them. You could also use a Popcorn hour network media server as well.


http://www.mede8er.com/mede8er_product_med1000x3d.htm

[chubasdad]

This subject is so interesting & important to us. We have spent $2,000 + buying and installing our Direct TV dish on our 5r, Also a super heated subject is trying to get local tv signals when you are camped 100 miles or more from home. Our Direct TV Bill is always north of $125.00 monthly, and have threatened to be a cord cutter for a long time. So we have a Verizon ‘hot spot’ thinking we just could use that for our WiFi
source to connect Roku. #1. You have to have a expensive unlimited plan to gain enough data strength to get a quality signal, then they say you can’t use it to tether
external devices, if you do then you are subject to being throttled. Direct TV wants you to pay additional fee to use their DNS (distant network service) to receive any
ABC, NBC, CBS etc, which only gives you ‘West or East’ of the Mississippi River. We don’t enjoy watching LA news on Pacific Time Zone. If you call and request local service from where you are camped you are a 50/50 chance of getting it depending on the mood of the rep you are talking to, then you must go thru a 20 question bombardment. It has been suggested to get a WiFi extender mounted on the roof of the trailer ($300-$400) many full timers have one, not sure how that would work with Roku, but again you might be camped somewhere with a weak signal. I don’t know anything about Plex Media, but as stated you need a Strong Signal source to Stream.
Looking forward to any response that has the affordable answer.

[cookinwitdiesel]

Plex can run a local server that does not require streaming over internet if you are accessing locally stored content. That is what I plan to do. The server in my trailer will be redundant to my main one in my home server farm, with a copy of all the same media.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by chubasdad

This subject is so interesting & important to us. We have spent $2,000 + buying and installing our Direct TV dish on our 5r, Also a super heated subject is trying to get local tv signals when you are camped 100 miles or more from home. Our Direct TV Bill is always north of $125.00 monthly, and have threatened to be a cord cutter for a long time. So we have a Verizon ‘hot spot’ thinking we just could use that for our WiFi
source to connect Roku. #1. You have to have a expensive unlimited plan to gain enough data strength to get a quality signal, then they say you can’t use it to tether
external devices, if you do then you are subject to being throttled. Direct TV wants you to pay additional fee to use their DNS (distant network service) to receive any
ABC, NBC, CBS etc, which only gives you ‘West or East’ of the Mississippi River. We don’t enjoy watching LA news on Pacific Time Zone. If you call and request local service from where you are camped you are a 50/50 chance of getting it depending on the mood of the rep you are talking to, then you must go thru a 20 question bombardment. It has been suggested to get a WiFi extender mounted on the roof of the trailer ($300-$400) many full timers have one, not sure how that would work with Roku, but again you might be camped somewhere with a weak signal. I don’t know anything about Plex Media, but as stated you need a Strong Signal source to Stream.
Looking forward to any response that has the affordable answer.

In the camper we look forward to quiet generally....but, that is what we do most of the time. Puppy gets alarmed if either of us speaks up or says more than a few words thinking something is wrong, but.....that's us. At our normal campground, where we stay for 4 or more months, we have a broadband loop installed.

We had Dish at our 4 houses and dropped them all. The pricing was about what you are saying Direct is and we got SO tired of regular tv carping. Double check that unlimited cell plan. I thought about doing that with Verizon but they advised that after 15mg, even unlimited, they throttled back your speed to where you could not stream anything.

I installed a wifi extender when we got to this new campground. It has been awesome. The strength of the signal was iffy and access was spotty so pulled it out (I had bought it before leaving due to worries about the wifi performance) and plugged it in....poof!! Haven't had anything but full bars since and no constant bogging down and dropping...not once. It was only $100 and sits inside.

[Mover480]

We can watch local tv through a Slingbox connected to a Tivo from anywhere in the world that has internet access. Works well through cell data too. You don't need the Tivo, but it is nice to record the local news and then watch it whenever you want.

[champyun]

We use an AT&T Velocity device (mobile hotspot) for streaming our TV, Netflix, Prime Video and our Wifi internet service for computers, etc. We got it as a 'other device' and added it and an unlimited data plan to our AT&T account. I use DirecTV Now as our TV provider. We pick up local channels, etc. Granted, there is some buffering, but at least it is what we wanted since we may not be 'stationary' all the time.

[Jchism759]

I would definitely never connect directly to the park wifi! I would go thru my own router/hotspot. There is a YouTube video from David Bott of “Outside Our Bubble” showing how to connect to the park wifi, or any local public wifi for that matter and re-transmitting the signal thru your RV. His videos are pretty good.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGLwwREDzNQ&t=329s

[Guywood]

Originally Posted by MarkEHansen

I'm pretty sure I don't need the Internet to serve movies via a local Plex media server, unless I'm missing something. I would like to be able to stream from the Internet, but that's not the point of this question. I have locally-running Roku and Plex system and I need them to be able to talk to each other. For that, I just need a local network.

How are you getting the movies into the plex server? If you are not ripping them, then you will have to have some form of internet to download into the plex server before you can stream via your Roku.

[NorthwestGuy]

The router you are buying should set up a WiFi network and work as you want. I have setup simular configurations in my trailer. Keep in mind you need the devices to be in the same IP address range to communicate on the network. I have two WD boxes that are simular to your Roku, the simplest way is to load some movies on 64G thumb drives and plug it into the WD box usb port and access local source. This way I don't need a network at all. If you have a smart enough TV you can plug it right into a usb port on the TV and access the drive to play content. You can also connect with a smart tv over a network to the plex without the Roku. With the router you can access the internet with a computer or other device and send streamed content over your network as a bonus. Some Tv's let you "cast content from a device directly to the TV. My TV in the bedroom allows me to connect my tablet wirelessly to the TV and "cast" content to it(I think it was bluetooth). There are many ways to accomplish what you want these days as long as you can understand the capabilities and process.

[MarkEHansen]

Originally Posted by Guywood

How are you getting the movies into the plex server? If you are not ripping them, then you will have to have some form of internet to download into the plex server before you can stream via your Roku.

I definitely ripped all the content I have from my personal discs. These files exist in a drive at home and are used by my home Plex Media Server. I just wanted to do the same thing in my trailer.


I purchased a 2TB USB drive and mounted it on my Raspberry Pi. I copied all my scrapped files to the external drive and now the Plex on the Pi can see and serve them.


So far, no Internet connection will be needed (desire is another thing).

[bbells]

I just use my phone as a hotspot.

[AbHDToyHauler]

Plex requires an internet connection to "serve" it's data. Is the local plex server storing all the content on you local pc /Plex server? I don't think so as that would be copyright infringement which would put them out of business . I believe the plex server is just a "repeater" in essence. So in other words it sits at your home connects to all your media sources and then "Repeats " whatever content you want at some remote location via the internet. Now, if it was a giant video recorder and could "store" all the things you tell it to while you are hooked up to the internet and then when you get on the road "play it back" then I could see it working. By the way , I didn't read through all the previous msg's so I may be repeating something someone else has said or I may be completely wrong and have missed a point. If so, my apologies.

[MarkEHansen]

Plex Media Server can do many things, but certainly one of those is serve local content. This is how I normally use it.

[MattHelm21]

The WRT54GL will do exactly what you need. However there is one thing you might consider if you are tech savvy. There is an opensource firmware available for Linksys routers which will allow you to turn the device into a range extender. In this way you can have all the benefits of using your Plex server on your local WiFi network and attach this network(still isolated) through the router to a park/CG WiFi for internet access. We do this with a WiFiRanger core router. The project is called dd-wrt. Just add .com to the end to get to the web site to download the firmware. Obviously, the disclaimer is that any warranty on the router is void so it is generally done with old ones.

[MarkEHansen]

Sweet, yes. I was looking for a way to inject the Park's Wi-Fi into my local network (it was next on my list).

[chubasdad]

Hold it !! Hold it !!! This week Verizon has just announced a new unlimited package.
I almost stumble over myself to get to the computer to read it. Yes, a Wi-Fi
total unlimited data...no caps, no throttle, So you get there new plan &65.00 a month,
get a MiFi Jet Pack, marry up the jet pack to your Wi-Fi Router and bingo your Roku will
now give you your Amazon, Netflicks, Spectrum, Hulu etc, anything can be streamed
with NO Restriction. So before you buy a whole bunch of fancy stuff please look into this..I will definitely will. Safe Travels

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by chubasdad

Hold it !! Hold it !!! This week Verizon has just announced a new unlimited package.
I almost stumble over myself to get to the computer to read it. Yes, a Wi-Fi
total unlimited data...no caps, no throttle, So you get there new plan &65.00 a month,
get a MiFi Jet Pack, marry up the jet pack to your Wi-Fi Router and bingo your Roku will
now give you your Amazon, Netflicks, Spectrum, Hulu etc, anything can be streamed
with NO Restriction. So before you buy a whole bunch of fancy stuff please look into this..I will definitely will. Safe Travels

I'm not sure where you are, but that "deal on internet service" is not available in all regions. In northern Michigan, Verizon's "Above Unlimited" plan includes 75 GB/month unlimited service (with phone) after which "some slowdown during peak times may occur". As for "MIFI" limits, a "mobile hotspot" added to the plan will be allowed 20GB/month, after which the device will be throttled back to 600 MB for the duration of the billing period.

The difference between the current plan and this new "Above Unlimited" is an extra $20 a month for an extra 5GB of "mobile hot spot data". That's about one "standard definition movie" if you're burning DVD's or saving to view later. Now, if you use your phone as a "hot spot" that data increases from 22BG to 75GB, a significant increase, but once you reach that limit, your phone can be "throttled back" and may not be functional for intended purposes. So if you rely on your phone to check the thermostat/security at home, you may not be able to access that feature at the reduced speed.

Maybe your region is different, but we don't have a "true unlimited Verizon plan" in this area. Hopefully, "SOMEDAY" we'll all have "true unlimited internet availability" but for some regions, this new Verizon offering "just ain't it".....

[rarmst02]

I am using a Sprint Mifi to do exactly what you are wanting to do. Someone told me about The Calyx Institute https://www.calyxinstitute.org which provides unlimited data to it's members. The first year is $400 and that includes the Mifi device. That is $33 a month for unlimited data. The second year I think is $300 which is $25 a month. Not bad for unlimited data. It's not supper fast but we have a Roku TV and it works fine. As long as you have a decent Sprint signal where you at then you should be good. We have been doing this for about a year and we are very pleased with how it works.