Hey All - sorry, new to using one of these setups, and looking for some noob guidance.
We run webcasts through our studio, but frequently need to travel and produce on site. Hotel hardline internet costs are killing our budget, so we want to go with a cellular + wifi bonded solution that our computer sees as a internet source so we can stream from there. We’ve seen lots of production solutions where you push your switched feed to their bod for rebroadcast, but we frequently utilize platforms where we do switching & playback on the computer, so it needs to just appear as a network. Ideally it could connect to the hotel wifi (which we will have access to from the conference event) and bond it with 1-2 cellular services
I really only have a basic conceptual knowledge here, so really would love guidance on:
Which modem/router and why
Which cellular service & plan you recommend for best nationwide coverage (we’re generally in major metro areas, but may be buried inside a conference room in a hotel or event center)
What don’t I know/Am I not considering that I should be aware of?
is it a live webcast ? Also what is the typical throughput ?
Not sure if bonding Wi-Fi an LTE is the best option due to latency difference. This would need to check and see. Hard to tell. Maybe other community members can share their experience.
Next, which router to choose really depends on budget and your expectation. If you want to save, then I would think about Transit Duo Pro. The US version comes with 2x Cellular modems (CAT7 + CAT12). It also has Wi-Fi 6 which you can use as Wi-Fi WAN or as AP or as both. For other options I would think about is BR2 Pro 5G or 2xBR1 Pro 5G or you can go even up to MBX Mini. It all depends.
In case you want a full solution then here you can find pre-made cases for rapid installation and deployment. These guys also made a video explaining in more details and you can catch some ideas as well.
For a cellular service and plan I can not answer, but maybe someone else from community can help you
Depending on speed requirements, you may want to go with a 5G solution - starting with the BR1 PRO 5G. You can get an unlimited 100mb speed verizon line for under $100 (we sell them for $90) or 200m speed for $140.
The advantage to a setup like that is you are free to use it as primary - you would only use hotel wifi in unlikely event that you have no coverage.
Depending on where you operate, you can install multiple sims from different carriers. Obviously higher cost, but with a verizon and a t-mobile or AT&T unlimited sim you have as close to 100% coverage as you are going to get in the US.
FYI - we have about 2,000 customers all over the US. Metro, rural, way-the-hell-out-in-the-sticks…95% are on verizon, the others on Peplink’s MVNO (multi-carrier) plans. They do not have an unlimited one, which may or may not be an issue - you did not indicate how much data you use.
if you had an unlimited verizon 5G (which falls back to 4G when 5G not available) backed up with a pay-as-you-go multi-carrier sim you are covered.
