Networks are one of the most important pieces of a reliable streaming setup, yet can be one of the most confusing and hard-to-approach steps in setting up a stream. Read on for some explanations of common terms and hardware, and then for some troubleshooting steps to see if your network is causing your ministry streaming issues.
Common Terms
Let’s start by going through the common parts of a network. Your network will likely consist of the following:
Modem: This connects your building’s network to your Internet Service Provider.
Router: This routes and manages traffic within your building’s network and connects your devices to your modem either via a WiFi connection or via ethernet cables.
Switch: These are devices that distribute the signal received from the router to other routers or hard-wired devices.
These are the core parts of a network, and are generally in place with all networks that connect to the internet (though, sometimes the modem and router are built into the same device).
There are also some common terms that you should know about your network:
Bandwidth- This is how much data your network can handle at once. This is generally measured as a data rate; i.e., 2 Mb/s (2 megabits per second).
Packets- These are very small portions of data that get sent over a network. When streaming, your stream will be “packetized” into tens of thousands of packets before being sent to our servers and reassembled.
Ports- These are a way to further subdivide traffic on a network, the way room numbers subdivide the space in a hotel. Usually, ports are handled automatically, and most internet users never need to think about them; but sometimes, such as when streaming, specific ports need to be used for specific tasks.
Firewall- This is software or a hardware device that filters internet traffic as a security measure.
What Are the Minimum Network Requirements for Streaming?
1000 kb/s is equal to 1 Mb/s. So, streaming at 2000 kb/s will consume 2 Mb/s of your available upload speed, and streaming at 6000 kb/s will consume 6 Mb/s of your available upload speed. Because available upload speeds fluctuate so much, we recommend having at least double the upload bandwidth on your network as the bitrate used in your stream, so the requirements would be as follows:
4 Mb/s for a stream at 2000 kb/s
8 Mb/s for a stream at 4000 kb/s
12 Mb/s for a stream at 6000 kb/s
While you are looking at speeds, we do recommend that you take into account other network usage, such as a guest network, wireless mics/in-ear monitors, remote controllers for soundboards, presentation software, or anything else that requires a network connection. If you use a lot of these devices/software, it is encouraged to have a higher upload speed on your network.
What Are Some Network Best Practices?
Whether you are troubleshooting your network, setting up a network for the first time, or upgrading your network, here are some best practices for a network setup!
Use Quality of Service (QoS) settings. QoS settings are available within most routers that allow for different programs or devices’ traffic to be prioritized. In this case, we recommend using this to prioritize your computer (if running a software encoder) or your hardware encoder. Some networks also allow for programs to be prioritized, so if you are using a software encoder you may be able to prioritize that specific program.
Use ethernet instead of a wireless connection. Ethernet is a wired connection that offers much more stability than a wireless connection, and can improve the reliability of your stream immensely!
Make sure that the ports on your network are open. This can manifest in the inability to connect to Subsplash. For Subsplash, the following ports will need to be opened:
For RTMP streaming, port 1935 must be open for outbound and inbound traffic.
For SRT streaming, port 8080 must be open for outbound and inbound traffic.
If your connection still seems unstable after checking the other steps, your firewall is a great place to look, so that you can make sure that the firewall is not blocking the connection. There are some troubleshooting steps you can take here, but as you are going through them, make sure that you are keeping your network and data safe by not removing the firewall’s protection. If you need help testing this, either reach out to your Internet Service Provider, firewall manufacturer, or Subsplash Support.