How to Live Stream Remotely without Wifi or Ethernet in 2024

By Max Wilbert | Posted on May 16, 2024May 17, 2024 by Max Wilbert | 14 min Read

Broadcasters must stream in the highest quality possible to attract and maintain viewers today. While many live in areas that allow for high-speed internet connections which facilitate great viewing experiences, many do not. This is particularly true for those in more remote locations in the world.

For all your users’ access to be as equitable as possible, you need to provide a stable connection for all when live streaming remotely. You need a solid computer and network traffic setup, as well as network channel bonding. This requires some knowledge and the proper configuration.

In this article, we cover how to livestream remotely when neither a high-quality wired nor wireless connection is available. We begin with a review of common situations where network availability is a factor. Then we discuss the best solutions related to network bonding. Finally, we detail how to stream without WiFi and make your remote streaming broadcasts simpler and more affordable.

Table of Contents

Remote Live Streaming with Poor Network Conditions

Several live-streaming situations may be affected by poor network conditions and video bandwidth.

When streaming live, there are many situations in which network conditions and availability are not ideal for remote guests. In these situations, broadcasters typically require alternative remote live-streaming support to make their outdoor broadcasts possible.

A major factor that affects many large events is the possibility of saturated airwaves. In the past, you may have noticed that your cell phone might not work at a sporting event, but the professional camera crew could livestream the event just fine. That’s because cell networks get saturated quickly, but most professional arenas and stadiums will be wired with high-speed Ethernet networks.

However, smaller venues are often not wired with high-speed Ethernet networks. This poses an issue for broadcasters who depend on the internet to get their streams out to the fans at home.

For certain sports (such as rally racing), much of the action takes place in remote areas. Outdoor events and other happenings in rural areas may also fall into this category. When too many people try to use the cell networks simultaneously, speed collapses, and latency skyrockets. In these conditions, streaming live over cell networks is challenging or impossible. In these environments, you need to know how to live stream without WiFi or cellular data.

Breaking news coverage is another instance where broadcasters may face difficulties. Media journalists often need to visit remote sites at the drop of a hat to cover rapidly developing situations. This could include things like natural disasters and other tragic events. In those scenarios, the network infrastructure may be powerless, overwhelmed, damaged, or even destroyed. When the infrastructure is damaged, you need to know how to stream without an internet connection so that breaking news can be covered.

With that context in mind, let’s turn to consider some feasible solutions for streaming live in low bandwidth situations. Let’s figure out how to stream without WiFi.

How to Live Stream Remotely

Compare your options for remote live-streaming support.

There are several ways to overcome the internet connection issues that come with remote . Some are simpler and cheaper, while others are complex. Yes, you can stream without WiFi.

Let’s look at a few of the most popular methods to secure network access that is capable of streaming when it’s otherwise unavailable.

Ethernet Cable Runs

Any single Ethernet cable is generally no more than 328 feet (100 meters) long. With cables that are any longer than that, signals will attenuate and degrade. However, you can install a piece of hardware called a repeater to extend the length of cable runs. With four repeaters, you can stretch a Cat5 Ethernet cable to 9,168 feet (2,800 meters).

With that streaming setup, your maximum transfer speeds will be limited to about 10 Mbps. Still, that’s enough for streaming live in high definition. Using a long ethernet cable with an extender allows you to stream without WiFi.

Satellite Truck

Using a satellite truck for streaming live is “the nuclear option.” It’s overkill in most situations, but it’s sure to get the job done. Satellite trucks provide extremely fast internet connections from anywhere with sufficient sky coverage. They are also nearly impossible to interrupt. Only the worst weather conditions can temporarily block transmissions.

However, satellite trucks are also incredibly expensive. Renting one costs thousands of dollars, and renting access to a satellite adds several hundred dollars more per hour. Satellite trucks are great solutions for large-scale broadcasting, but broadcasters with small budgets may not be able to access these.

Network Bonding

Another reliable method is network bonding, also known as cellular bonding. This method uses dedicated hardware devices to combine multiple network connections into one faster, more robust connection.

These bonding devices can combine Ethernet connections, cell networks (via Wi-Fi hotspots), and USB cell network dongles. Typically, you mount the hardware device on top of your camera and connect it to the HDMI or SDI output. Connections then happen between the various networks.

With this approach, you can deliver a reliable stream from areas with unreliable internet connections. With network bonding, you don’t need WiFi for live streaming; you can combine an Ethernet connection and cell networks to get the coverage you need.

Mobile Hotspots

Perhaps the simplest solution for internet access in a remote area is to simply use a mobile hotspot. Depending on the strength of the local signal, this can be sufficient. Modern 4G LTE networks can exceed 5 Mbps upload speeds. That’s enough bandwidth for streaming live in HD, but not at true broadcast quality.

5G networks, on the other hand, will reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps for download. In addition, 5G networks have extra-low latency. When 5G becomes more commonplace, the field will become much easier.

However, mobile hotspots are hindered by mobile hotspot’s limited battery life and wildly fluctuating signal speeds. Overall, it’s a quick-fix solution that can be used in a last-resort situation, but it is still relatively unreliable. WiFi hotspots for live streaming are an evolving technology.

Network Bonding: A Reliable Remote Streaming Solution

Network bonding offers performance improvements by increasing the network throughput with video bandwidth.

Network bonding is one of the most reliable options for remote video delivery. There is one particular type of network bonding that we recommend trying: Teradek‘s ShareLink.

ShareLink is a feature on the Teradek VidiU Pro that helps to increase bandwidth availability if connections are slow or increase redundancy on shaky connections. With ShareLink, you can stream live video in high quality from even the most remote locations.

The VidiU Pro is a small, shoe-mounted unit that functions as both network bonding technology and an H.264 encoder. With a camera or cameras outputting to HDMI, the VidiU Pro, and several internet connections, you and your team of viewers should be able to live stream from almost any location.

The VidiU Pro is one of many broadcasting tools from Teradek. Teradek offers a variety of cameras and other wireless video devices for remote capture, camera control, real-time monitoring, color correction, and webcasting.

About ShareLink

ShareLink is a cloud service that allows users to combine many different network connections via a VidiU Pro.

Essentially, ShareLink rents access to Teradek servers. Each network connected to your device sends a portion of your stream data to these servers. There, Teradek software stitches together video content from your different internet connections into a coherent stream. In addition, all of this happens automatically and without user input.

ShareLink is the first example of professional broadcast technology that is available to the public with a simplified setup at an affordable price. It’s much easier than the old approach, in which servers had to be manually configured to construct the original video stream.If you need to engage in remote live streaming, or if you are just live streaming somewhere without a solid internet connection, ShareLink makes it easy to livestream.

ShareLink Pricing

ShareLink is a cloud service that allows users to combine many different network connections via a VidiU Pro.

Essentially, ShareLink rents access to Teradek servers. Each network connected to your device sends a portion of your stream data to these servers. Teradek’s software stitches together video content from your different internet connections into a coherent stream. In addition, all of this happens automatically and without user input.

ShareLink is the first example of professional broadcast technology that is available to the public with a simplified setup at an affordable price. It’s much easier than the old approach, in which servers had to be manually configured to construct the original video stream. If you need to engage in remote live streaming, or if you are just live streaming somewhere without a solid internet connection, ShareLink makes it easy to livestream.

How to Live Stream Remotely with the VidiU Pro

Are ready to start streaming from remote locations without wifi?

VidiU Pro supports a variety of network interfaces, including Ethernet, USB cell modems, Wi-Fi, and cell networks. ShareLink also supports the “hot-swapping” of networks while streaming live. If one of the multiple network connections goes down, you can continue broadcasting on your other sources while you get another one up and running.

Also, note that the VidiU Pro has two settings. The first setting is the Client mode. In this client mode only, VidiU Pro can connect to a Wi-Fi network itself, but it can’t use iPhone cell connections.

The second setting is the AP (Access Point) mode. In AP mode the device broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal. You can connect up to four iPhones (or cell-enabled iPads) to this access point to share their bandwidth with VidiU Pro. Ideally, each phone should use a different carrier network to provide the best possible bandwidth.

You can also use one supported USB modem and one Ethernet connection in either mode. With AP mode enabled, you can connect four iOS devices, a USB modem, and an Ethernet cable for a total of six network connections. The VidiU Pro will automatically deal with changing network conditions, delivering the best available video quality at any given time.

Finally, ShareLink also has advantages over traditional cellular bonding methods. The latter of these approaches mostly uses USB modems, which require dedicated data plans. ShareLink is flexible, allowing you to use iPhones that are likely to be already readily available rather than dedicated hardware. However, you need to charge any iPhones with sufficient power and remain in the range of the VidiU Pro unit.

Configuration and the ShareLink Dashboard

The latest VidiU Pro model makes configuration much easier via a companion app called VidiU. Once you download and install this app from the App Store, you can connect to your device via Bluetooth.

One great feature of the VidiU Pro is the ability to monitor your network connections via an iOS app. This dashboard allows you to observe the speed of each internet connection at your disposal in real time. It also displays info on latency, dropped frames, and other details about your stream.

Streaming Live with VidiU Pro: Supported Formats and Specs

Below, let’s review a few of the basic specs of the VidiU Pro:

Output video at up to 1920 x 1080 full HD
50 or 60 fps output for a 720 p50/p60 input
Output bitrates up to 5 Mbps
Supports Base/Main H.264 compression profiles
Video scaler and deinterlacer included
Audio encoded using AAC-LC
Audio bit rates of 48 – 256 Kbps supported
HDMI input for video and embedded audio
Mic/line input
Multi-camera support via Live: Air iPad production app

The VidiU Pro doesn’t support SDI inputs natively. However, you can use an adapter to make this possible.

The VidiU Pro features a small built-in battery for up to two hours of mobile streaming. Additionally, it supports external power via a 6-18V DC plug. Battery adapters are available so you can use your camera batteries to power your VidiU Pro.

In addition to recording to streaming, the VidiU Pro can also record to an SD card to ensure your footage is backed up.

Integrating ShareLink with an OVP

Since it’s designed for mobile live streaming from the field, Teradek has strived to make it easy to connect the VidiU Pro encoder to your (OVP). The VidiU Pro integrates easily with partners like Dacast, IBM Cloud Video, and many others. Facebook and YouTube are also supported.

Whether you have a mobile application such as an iOS RTMP streaming app or a portable RTMP encoder, the RTMP protocol then delivers your live streams back from the ShareLink servers to your OVP. From there, you can distribute your live video to all your viewers in real time.

The Cube 655TeraLink: A Remote Streaming Upgrade

If you’re looking for an upgrade from the VidiU Pro, Teradek’s Cube 655 provides several additional features. These premium features include:

Support for 3G-SDI connections
Upgraded 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi support
Bi-directional IFB
iPad monitoring
Color grading

The Cube 655 supports network bonding via the ShareLink service, which connects to the Teradek Core platform servers. This device and sharelink service allow you to manage IP video from multiple sources simultaneously.

Conclusion

Live streaming from a remote local network interface with a spotty connection is challenging. However, as we’ve described, using the right mobile streaming equipment makes it still possible to stream high-quality videos in these scenarios.

Using this guide, you can still broadcast live—even without WiFi. Properly equipped, you can tap into all possible signals to ensure you can still live stream remotely. With network bonding technology, you can stream live video by fusing a few internet connections into one seamless link. You can even stream HD-quality broadcasts from the remotest locations with this method.

Now it’s time to pair this knowledge with a professional-grade live-streaming platform—like Dacast. With Dacast, streaming live remote content is a breeze. Always in the highest quality with robust video security and 24/7 support, your viewers will have the best viewing experience wherever they are.

You can try Dacast by signing up for our 14-day free trial.

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What do you think about streaming live from remote locations? Have you tried any of these methods? Have you used VidiU Pro or a similar device? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Let us know in the comments, and we will get back to you! For more articles on related topics, you can check out the full Dacast blog archive. And for tips on streaming live video, you can also join our LinkedIn group.

Please note that this post was originally written by Max Wilbert. It was revised in 2021 by Emily Krings to include the most up-to-date data and information. Emily is a strategic content writer and storyteller. She specializes in helping businesses create blog content that connects with their audience.

Max Wilbert

Max Wilbert is a passionate writer, live streaming practitioner, and has strong expertise in the video streaming industry.