Use a Raspberry Pi as a Bonded LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot for Your IRL Streaming Camera on Facebook Live with Speedify
For those streaming on Facebook Live, the biggest issue is finding a reliable Internet connection that doesn’t drop when you’re in the middle of the action.
The reason for Facebook Live stream problems is most likely a poor connection to the Internet. You can solve this by joining your main Internet connection with another Internet source like a Starlink or DSL, 4G, 5G. Whether at home, work, or on-the-go, Speedify works with all live streaming software and social platforms to get you faster, more reliable and secure Internet.
In this article we'll show you an essential element of your Facebook Live IRL streaming equipment based on a Raspberry Pi, in order to be able to stream without any issues.
Quick answer
Should you have a backup 4G, 5G, Starlink, or cable internet connection?
Yes — every internet connection goes down, including Starlink, which drops for ~34 minutes a day on average. A backup connection from a different provider means one outage never takes you fully offline. The most common options are a 4G/5G cellular hotspot, a cable or DSL line, or a second satellite dish.
4G/5G cellular
Works anywhere. Just a SIM or hotspot — no installation needed.
Learn more →Cable / DSL
Best for fixed locations. Different network, so outages rarely overlap.
Learn more →Second Starlink
Adds redundancy and throughput for remote sites or heavy usage.
Learn more →Speedify bonds any two connections into one — automatic failover, more speed, no dropped calls.
Try free →Speedify
Speedify gives you faster, steadier internet by combining Wi-Fi, cellular, and Starlink
Speedify bonds Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, and Starlink into one connection at the same time, giving you more speed, automatic failover when one drops, and AES-256 encryption on every link.
Download Speedify ›More speed
Upload and download speeds combine across every active connection on your device.
Automatic failover
If a connection drops, Speedify moves your traffic to another in milliseconds. Calls stay connected.
Always encrypted
Every link runs through an encrypted tunnel, including public Wi-Fi, cellular, and Starlink.
Speedify Feature · Pair & Share
Speedify Pair & Share: share cellular between your devices, both ways
Most hotspots give. Speedify's Pair & Share gives and takes. Two devices running Speedify pair up and each uses the other's cellular connection simultaneously, so you both get faster uploads, faster downloads, and a steadier connection. No extra hardware, no new data plans, no setup beyond a tap.
Learn how Speedify's Pair & Share works ›More speed
Every device you pair with adds its cellular to yours, and yours to theirs.
Stays connected
If a paired device drops out, Speedify keeps you online on the remaining links.
Always private
Every shared connection runs through AES-256 encryption. Your traffic is yours.
No new gear
Runs on devices already running Speedify, over your local network. Pair once, reconnects automatically.
Facebook Live Streaming Issues
Many will argue that Facebook Live IRL streaming can be done with just your smartphone. You could use cellular data or your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot for your Go-Pro or video camera. This is true in some cases, but not in all of them.
Cellular coverage is not homogenous or ubiquitous, especially when you’re at the outskirts of a city, or in an area that’s prone to poor mobile signal, like an underground passage or inside a building. That’s why it’s important to get your Internet from at least 2 different cellular carriers. This way, if one’s network fails, you can use the other.
But there’s one more thing: suppose you have 2 Internet sources with you. What will you do when one of them fails? Stop the Facebook Live IRL stream, setup the other connection and then resume it? That’s a big no! You need a channel bonding service that can combine BOTH sources into one solid and stable connection. You need Speedify bonding VPN to create a Facebook Live IRL streaming hotspot by bonding connections from 2 smartphones!
What You Need for Your Raspberry Pi Powered Bonded LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot
To get uninterrupted IRL streaming on Facebook Live, we used the following parts:
- Raspberry Pi 4
- Smartphones that you will tether to the Pi via USB
- Portable USB-C battery pack – to power the Raspberry Pi and, if needed, the smartphones you’ll use for connection bonding
- Smartphone or other WiFi-enabled camera to record – Go-Pro, etc.
- Backpack to carry the devices
5 Steps to Get Stable Internet for Your Facebook Live IRL Stream
We will turn the Raspberry Pi into a bonding Wi-Fi router. Here’s what you have to do:
- Setup the Raspberry Pi by installing Speedify.
- Ready to IRL stream on Facebook Live? Plug the Raspberry Pi into the battery pack.
- Connect as many smartphones or cellular adapters as you can to the Pi and enable tethering. Make sure you leave the Pi’s internal Wi-Fi card not connected so you can use it as a connection sharing interface.
- Start the Wi-Fi hotspot – turn on Speedify and enable sharing.
To share over a Wi-Fi hotspot, select wlan0 as the sharing interface. Set a custom SSID and password for your hotspot and restart Speedify to apply the changes. If you’re using Speedify on the Pi graphically, you should see the connections show up as connection bubbles on the Speedify dashboard. - Connect your Facebook Live video streaming device to the Wi-Fi hotspot.
If you’re using a smartphone as your Facebook Live streaming device, you can also run Speedify on it. This way, you’ll combine the bonded connection from the Raspberry Pi via Wi-Fi with your cellular connection!
Use the Facebook app to customize your live streaming settings. While connected to the hotspot, you should be able to IRL stream in HD on the go, without worrying about weak signal.
Get started with Speedify today!
With Speedify you can combine Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and other satellites into one bonded super-connection to improve livestreaming, video calling, gaming, web browsing, and everything else you do online.
Speed
Stability
Security
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