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Remote or Multiple Network Path Substitutions Possible?


hooraah
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hooraah

So I have a handful of friends and family all pretty happily using my Emby server at their various locations, but some of my users are stuck with some pretty slow DSL internet.  That, and sometimes there is congestion even to users that have fast internet.

 

I'd like to be able to give these users with slow internet a local cache of some or all of the files on my server, and use network path substitution so they can play the file from their local network share.

 

I'm wondering, if the file naming structure is the same, can I have multiple file servers and have the remote client attempt to use the UNC path, even if its going to a different place?

 

For example:

 

My house, which has the main emby server, has \\server\movies\hd movies\ on, say, a 4TB drive.

 

My mothers house, with slow DSL internet and a TV with a roku app, has a local server, also called 'server', that shares the path \\server\movies\hd movies\ and has an identical copy of the data.

 

If I want to direct play a file on emby at my mothers house, will it try to access '\\server\movies\hd movies\movie.mkv" ?  Or will it assume that because she is connecting through the internet that there is no point in attempting a UNC path, and go straight to streaming?

 

My follow up idea is asking if multiple network path substitutions might be possible in the future, which would eliminate the need to have identical naming/folder structure.

 

For example, \\server\movies might have \\asusrouteratmomshouse\movies, \\netgearrouteratsistershouse\movies\, or \\serveratoffice\movies, and emby makes a few attempts to direct play the file from the network share before reverting to HTTP.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi, we don't have settings for this right now but it wouldn't matter anyway because Roku cannot play from file paths, so it will get an http url from the server anyway. This substitution feature is only used by a few apps - Emby Theater, Emby for Windows Media Center, and Emby for Kodi.

 

Please let us know if this helps. Thanks !

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hooraah

it wouldn't matter anyway because Roku cannot play from file paths, so it will get an http url from the server anyway.

 

Thanks, I appreciate the answer.  I did not know that about the Roku, but that is good info to have.  Disappointing, but I assume its a limitation of the Roku?

 

 

Anyway, that said, is there a published list somewhere of which apps/clients can sync or cache files?  I remember when I first looked into syncing months (maybe years) ago, it was only the android phone client that could, but I suspect there are more by now.

 

The unfortunate reality is that its taken forever to teach my mother the roku interface on her TV, and she finally gets it.  Switching to another client is not likely to work, but for other users that are more adaptable I might start suggesting a different client.  I am hoping that someday the roku app will allow caching.

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Yes it is a limitation of Roku. The Roku app does have its own built in cache mechanism but it is private to the device and not shared. That is how most of our apps work.

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hooraah

Interesting, thanks.  

 

Since my mother is unlikely to change from roku, I think Im just going to do a separate emby installation for her and just work out an internet file sync system to backup my library to hers.  

 

Thanks for the responses.

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laie_techie

Why is that even necessary? Why not just use one server?

In the very first post of the thread hooraah talked about slow internet connections or congestion. His example included at least 3 addresses with which he'd like to share movies (his house, his mother's house, and his sister's house). Streaming quality would depend on two internet connections. By mirroring / caching, streaming can be much faster (eg. staying in the LAN),

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Why is that even necessary? Why not just use one server?

 

Because of the extremely slow internet at some of the locations.  My mother has 3mbps DSL, which offers poor results streaming.  We are currently working a deal on a faster internet bundle, however, I am trying to gather data on the likelyhood her neighborhood will be built out with fiber any time soon.  I'd prefer not to sign a year contract on DSL only to find out fiber is coming in 2 months.  Even still, I think the best she can get is 6-12mbps.

 

Even if she were on a faster plan, users on the local DSL isp report worse streaming than users that have cable (the ISP my server is on).

 

Anyway, bottom line is I'm trying to load balance to off-peak times.

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