Hi, as I said above - there is a slight increased risk but the added controls should be adequate.
The server running your streaming server on your network, use as a dedicated device. Close all ports on that device using the server firewall other than the essential ports required for your streaming application. Dont run any other user applications on it. Change all default passwords - and set up access controls - and ensure the Admin username and password are strong passwords and names. Change all default passwords and accousts for all devices on your home network (you should have done this anyway)
Ensure all the OS security patches and any anti malware / virus software you have on the server is up to date, and keep up to date. The same for any devices on your home network - again you should have done this anyway.
Ensure your streaming application is kept regularly updated by the manufacturer on the server.
On your router set your ingress address/port forwarding to that server address (that becomes your DMZ)
That should be fine for normal domestic internet security.
If a streaming service uses some sort of cloud proxy hub service (ie your server application connects to the cloud hub, and your remote access connects to that cloud hub )- then this would keep security simpler for you and puts the onus on the cloud hub service - but I am not aware of any doing this currently and could be a little expensive to offer - but that would get around needing to open up an ingress route into your home network.
Understood, but my media server also functions as my file server, so Iād have to buy another machine. On a cost/benefits basis itās not worth it. I am thinking of getting a DAP to use with my 1TB card..
Yes - it would be best to have a dedicated machine - it could be a very small machine/micro server and have specific access credentials for it on your separate NAS .
But yes having that ingress server sharing a home file server that is no doubt used by other clients on your network is not really that sensible unless it has a suitably configurable server firewall where you can lock the ports right down to what is required - for any flows coming from your routerā¦ but I would still recommend physical separation with consumer grade software.
I use Plex Media Server on my Terramaster NAS (Plex was a bundled App) and Plexamp. Iāve had Plex MS ever since I purchased the NAS (2019) but - although installed and running - never used it as it seemed to me to be very Film/Video orientated. Then just a couple of weeks back I came across a Darko YouTube post from a year or so ago that featured Plexamp - a music player only. Had never heard of it. So I thought I would give it a go - and it seems to work and at present it is free even if you are not on the home network. Only issue I had is that the way I have my music stored on my NAS to suit the way my Auralic and Bluesound streamers index did not give an initial great result with Plex MS - but a few hours fiddling with the way it handles metadata (but leaving my NAS directory structure intact) pretty much sorted this. A bonus is that - whilst not Roon by any means - Plexamp does have some good album and artist descriptions. I think that if you are a Tidal user (Iām not) then you can display your Tidal and NAS sources as one library.
I purchased my lifetime subscription in 2019, and it seems to improve continuously! Roon 1.8 was one of my preferred versions; it did not require very high hardware specifications. Last year, I resolved my issue by purchasing a Nucleus One. I wonder how long that will last. It seems that my SkyQ box might not work after 2030 because Sky wants everyone to switch to their streaming platform; life goes onā¦!