The Ultimate Virtual Conference Connectivity Checklist

Virtual Conferences are here to stay.  Sure, they have been around for a while, but were made mainstream since 2020 in all walks of life.  It’s a time saver too - even as we get back into commuting to work or school, this will be an easier way to make and keep our network going and growing strong. So, after the agenda and guest list is set, be sure you check into another major facet which is the internet connection your guests will use.

When you get that checklist set up for the virtual conference, be sure you don’t miss a thing. Along with those, you should remember that if your internet is lagging or cuts you off randomly, there goes the flow and some of the attendees too.  You internet connectivity that doesn’t fail you so that your guests and potential business partners are kept engaged during the sessions. Keep reading to discover the best internet connectivity virtual conference checklist. 

Most company campuses have high speed broadband, if you are planning to have a "central" place where you can moderate without any issues. And, if that's how you chose to run it, all speakers should be able to hold their presentations without being interrupted. But if you’re holding the corporate event outside the company campus, it might become difficult to get fast and stable internet. To ensure that your virtual conference goes smoothly, you’ll need to bond various internet networks. This will take care of issues such as network congestion.

Depending on your internet provider, you can visit their coverage map to see the level of service they can offer in a specific area. For example, you can see the AT&T coverage map here.

If you need more bandwidth than what’s provided by the internet company in a single connection, you’ll need to combine multiple internet channels. This results in a faster online experience that’s required to run any successful virtual conference.

Another advantage of using bonded internet is its reliability. If one connection fails, there are others to serve as a backup so you won’t go offline.

If you won't have  "central" base for your virtual event, then you should equip yourself and your speakers with fast, stable and secure connectivity. This can be done by using the solution above - using multiple internet connections at once.

The virtual conference connectivity checklist doesn't have to be an extensive one. There are a few key elements:

1. Using wired connections as much as possible - if you're using a computer / laptop to speak or watch the virtual event from, it makes sense that at least one of your connections is via wired Ethernet.
2. Using Wi-Fi closer to the hotspot, if using a mobile device. This will minimize the chances of slow internet or disconnects because of poor signal strength.
3. Using at least 2 internet connections simultaneously, from 2 different providers. Those can be your home / office Internet connection and a cellular connection, for example. That way, if one drops, the other one will pick up the traffic.

Comining multiple Internet connections at once is usually done with the help of dedicated bonding hardware. There are devices that can plug in various internet connections. Here’s what you need extra along with the hardware:

• pay to rent the equipment. After the event is over, bonded Internet is gone.
• specialist engineers to manage and run that hardware. The companies that offer channel bonding services on rent generally send their own people and hardware for your event.

But now, several companies have started using software channel bonding services that are easier and cheaper to run. They are more efficient and don’t require a special setup. Speedify is one such channel bonding software option.

At the bare minimum, you should use software channel bonding for the organizers and the speakers at your virtual conference. And, of course, if those attending find themselves with slow, unreliable Internet, they can get it as well. And it's very simple to do it - there's no need to rent equipment, sign contracts, etc.

Speedify provides channel bonding services at no extra costs – there is no hardware setup and you don’t need extra engineers for all the work. There are no special VPNs required to keep your data safe. Speedify is one app that performs all these functions. It bonds several channels and encrypts your traffic. And it’s so easy to use that even an internet novice can use it. It offers enterprise-level coverage providing your team with the necessary bandwidth.

As a fast bonding VPN, Speedify acts like a power-up for your device. Instead of only using a single Internet connection at a time, Speedify allows your device to use multiple connections simultaneously. You’ll get more bandwidth and more stable livestreams.

Speedify constantly monitors the quality of your Internet connections. If the Wi-Fi becomes unreliable, it’ll automatically reroute data through cellular data until Wi-Fi is available again.

Moreover, it will automatically identify audio and video streams, and provide quality of service (QoS) by prioritizing streams over other traffic. Web browsing and software updates can’t mess up your calls and live streams.

Now you have your ultimate virtual conference connectivity checklist - start implementing it!