Direct Connection to Apple TV?

My Cloud OS 3 Personal & Network Attached Storage My Cloud
1

Hi everyone,

I have an old school, 1 bay My Cloud, a 4th generation Apple TV and an Airport Express as a router.

In the past I had the My Cloud plugged in to the back of Airport Express router, with the My Cloud then streaming media to the Apple TV via PLEX, though I’m wondering…would it work if I plugged the My Cloud in to the Apple TVs Ethernet port instead? If so, would this make any perceptive difference when streaming media to the ATV?

Thanks!

2

How is the Apple TV connected to the router at the moment? Wired or WiFi?
Does the Apple TV need access to the router, e.g. for Internet access?
If so, can it support both wired and WiFi access? (Since you would be replacing the wired connection to the router with the NAS)

I suspect the Apple TV expects to act as a client to a DHCP server (the router), and may not be able to connect directly to a NAS; see the Apple TV manual for the answer, probably.

It might be able to connect to the NAS using a 169.x.x.x “can’t find a DHCP server” IP address.

3

Right now the My Cloud goes directly in to the Airport, and the Airport talks with the Apple TV via WIFI.

I guess I’m wondering if it would be better to plug the my cloud directly in to the ATV instead, and if I went that route maybe even plug the Apple TV directly in to the Airport? I’m obviously very dense when it comes to this basic networking sort of stuff, and trying to figure what will be the fastest, most reliable connection.

4

Yes, and I’m wondering if it’s possible.

I guess you have to ask yourself: is the current seup causing problems?

If not, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”…

5

I mean it’s mostly fine, though things do get a little clunky from time to time. Just curious if I have things set up the “optimal” way, as it were. Thanks for the input!

6

Can you connect the My Cloud direct to the Apple TV? Possibly yes, if the Apple TV has a networking port and will auto default to use an IP address in the same 169.254.xx.xx range that the My Cloud should default too when no DHCP server is found to obtain an IP address from. Do you gain anything by doing so? Who knows, depends on the network speeds of the WiFi router, the Apple TV WiFi and Networking port.

If worst comes to worst, connect it and find out. Worst that happens is it doesn’t work and you revert to connecting the My Cloud back to the network router.

Generally for the best throughput one should use Cat 5 or better Ethernet wired cable/connections to a Gigabit router where and when ever possible. WiFi will always have a bit of latency to it for a number of reasons.

7

‘clunky’…? Stalled video/audio? Some other problem? I’d suspect the WiFi environment.

The best would be wired connections all round, with all connected to router. Consistent performance for ATV and MC, and MC visible to entire network, rather than just the ATV.