Build a bonding router kit for IRL streams
Combine several uplinks such as LTE modems, Wi-Fi and Ethernet on a mobile router – and why app-level SRTLA makes the difference.
SRTLA bonding for stable IRL streams
Short answer: SRTLA bonds multiple network paths – for example 5G/LTE and Wi‑Fi – into a more resilient connection to the relay. That is especially useful for mobile IRL because other active links can compensate when one path becomes weak. For IRL.com.de, we recommend keeping SRT latency at roughly 2,500 ms or below whenever possible, because higher values increasingly make the stream feel less “live.” This is a practical UX limit, not a technical SRT maximum.
When bonding helps
- On the go with fluctuating mobile coverage
- Two or more usable networks (for example two SIMs or SIM + Wi‑Fi)
- You need more stability than a single SRT connection can provide
On a stable wired network or a very good single link, classic SRT is often enough – less complexity, same panel workflows.
Setup (short)
- Create a stream in the panel with ingest SRT / SRTLA.
- Copy the SRTLA URL and stream key from the panel – or use one-tap in Moblin / IRL Pro.
- In the app, enable bonding and add every interface you want to use.
- Start streaming and watch packet loss and latency in the panel.
Buffer and expectations
- For mobile apps, 1,000–2,000 ms can be a sensible conservative starting range depending on network conditions.
- For relatively good networks, SRT documentation suggests roughly 4× RTT as a starting point; burst loss can require substantially more recovery time.
- For IRL.com.de, about 2,500 ms is a sensible practical upper limit when you still want the stream to feel genuinely live. More recovery time can help technically, but it further increases the total delay already introduced by encoding, transport and playback.
- Technically, there is no universal 2,500 ms maximum; higher values are possible when stability matters more than low delay.
- Bonding does not replace good encoding – bitrate and codec still matter.
Reading metrics: Rising packet loss despite bonding → increase the buffer, check weak links, or lower bitrate. See SRT latency and buffer and statistics for more detail.
What bonding does not fix
- All links dead at the same time (tunnels, deep indoor with no coverage)
- Wrong stream key or wrong protocol in the panel
- Bitrate that permanently exceeds the combined available capacity
- Destination platform limits – the relay can only forward what arrives