PART2: Stream away to an Android device
One
solution to take your stuff with you
1.
Install
the Plex Server
We've
used Plex as our streaming server. It's available for Android, iOS, LG Smart
devices and Windows and Mac OS X desktops. Go to www.plexapp.com, grab a copy
of the server for your version of Windows and install it on the system that's
going to be the server. You'll need to point it to your media folders and let
it scan them.
2.
Install
Plex on a device
We're
looking at Plex on the Android platform, since that covers the widest range of
available phones and tablets. The app itself costs just £3 and it's also
available on iOS for £2.99, so no one actually needs to miss out. Fire up the
Wi-Fi on the device, connect it to the network and allow it to detect the
server and connect.
3.
Configure
Plex
On
the server, Plex lives in the Notification Area. Double-click it and the
browser-based interface appears. Click the 'Preferences’ button in the top
right and then select ‘myPlex’. There's an option to create a Plex account so
servers can be automatically allocated. We recommend that you do this.
4.
Ports
forward
If
you have a terrible router (we mean one that says it supports UPnP but
doesn't), then it's likely you'll need to forward ports on it yourself. You'll
need to be able to access your broadband router, usually by entering its IP
address in a web browser. The site http:// portforward.com has specific
instructions for a range of models.
5.
Hotspot
testing
We're
going to assume you have enough wherewithal to stream content on your local
server. The system is designed to auto detect and play nicely. To test it from
the outside world if you have a mobile phone with a data allocation, fire it up
and either run Plex directly on it if it's an Android device or use it as a
Wi-Fi hotspot.
6.
Bandwidth
testing
Now
try streaming video. If testing HD you'll run into bandwidth and decoding
issues. The Plex server provides transcoding to help reduce bandwidth usage,
and on the device you're able to specify the rates used for 3G transfer,
alongside Wi-Fi connections, but anything external to your network shouldn't
exceed the upload speeds.
