Internet and Upload Speed for Camming
Your stream quality is limited by your upload speed, not your download speed. Many home plans advertise fast downloads but much slower uploads.
Test your connection
Run a speed test at the time of day you usually stream, and repeat it a few times. Look at upload speed and at stability: a connection that drops for a few seconds can freeze your show.
Wired beats wireless
Use an Ethernet cable whenever possible. Wi-Fi adds latency and dropouts, especially with walls or neighbors' networks in the way.
Match your bitrate to your connection
Set your encoder bitrate comfortably below your measured upload so there is headroom. If you multistream, you need enough upload for every stream unless you use a relay service; see multistreaming tools.
Reduce competition on your network
- Pause cloud backups and large downloads during shows.
- Ask housemates to avoid heavy uploads while you are live.
- Restart your router before long sessions if it tends to slow down.
Have a backup
A phone hotspot can keep a show running if your main connection fails. Know your data limits first.