What happens to your broadcast if your connection goes down?
You can use OpenMPTCProuter (openmptcprouter.com) to bond multiple LTE connections, aggregating them into a single connection. OpenMPTCProuter is an open-source solution that bonds up to eight connections – I was running three up until I lost my kit following TwitchCon 2019.
I was using a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ as host. It has four USB ports, a wireless adapter, and RJ-45.
One minor issue with the Pi’s WiFi chipset is that it can’t use its 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously – I used the built-in radio as a 5GHz WAP.
The official Raspberry Pi 3 B+ starter kit includes a 16GB microSD, 2.5A power supply, and a case.
- https://www.newark.com/raspberry-pi/rpi3-modbp-starter/starter-kit-raspberry-pi-3-model/dp/50AC9967 $62.98
- https://www.alliedelec.com/product/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-3-b-kit/71240745/ $66.66
I purchased an open-box V-Kits Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ (Plus) Basic Starter Kit with Aluminum Alloy Pi Cooling Case for $47.90 (Amazon.com). The metal case also acts as a heatsink for the Pi, and while it may soak up some spectrum, it worked well for my purposes.
You may want to explore the other Raspberry Pi 3 B+ starter kits on Amazon.
Build Notes
https://github.com/Ysurac/openmptcprouter/wiki/Router-install
I placed my new Raspberry Pi 3 B+ into the enclosure, flashed the image onto my microSD card, and inserted the card into the Pi’s slot.
I set up my OpenMPTCProuter from my dormitory, where I had very limited networking equipment available to leverage. For initial setup, I used my Nighthawk M1.
Knowing that the OpenMPTCProuter would assign itself the IP 192.168.100.1, I set Nighthawk M1 to 192.168.100.254, and connected the two using an Ethernet cable.
Upon connecting to the Nighthawk M1 over WiFi, I could then resolve 192.168.100.1, where I began configuring the OpenMPTCProuter.
To start, I enabled the wireless radio on the Raspberry Pi and assigned it to the LAN group. This is what I will connect to in order to interact with the Pi in the future.
At this point, I began configuring my WAN connections.
Network overview (System > OpenMPTCProuter > Status tab)
http://192.168.100.1/cgi-bin/luci/admin/system/openmptcprouter/status
Usage Notes
I experienced power-cycling with three USB hotspots connected to the Raspberry Pi simultaneously, but I was able to overcome this by introducing a powered USB hub, specifically an Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Ultra-Slim Portable Data Hub (A7518, Amazon.com).
I hope you found my writeup useful. If you need a hand setting up your own OpenMPTCProuter, reach out to me, and I might be able to help you out.
H/T @reedog117 (Twitch, Twitter) for pointing me in the right direction
Documentation
OpenMPTCProuter configuration https://github.com/Ysurac/openmptcprouter/wiki/OpenMPTCProuter-configuration