IRL Backpack build
The best 5G modem for IRL streaming
Your modem is the most important box in the bag. The right one has an ethernet port and the bands your carrier uses.
Holds 1080p60 on Twitch (standard)
Your encoder tops out at 1080p60. A higher-end encoder would go further.
Hardware total
$1,137
+ ~$35/mo upkeep
| Component | Pick | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera | DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Gimbal cam with great low light, USB webcam mode, and DJI mic pairing. The IRL favorite. Buy on Amazon | $512 | Buy on Amazon |
| Encoder | Orange Pi 5 + belaBOX Dedicated HDMI-in encoder running the free, open-source belaBOX firmware with SRTLA bonding. The DIY backpack heart. Buy on Amazon | $150 | Buy on Amazon |
| Connection | Netgear Nighthawk M6 5G mobile router with an ethernet port, so you wire it straight to the encoder. Buy on Amazon | $400 | Buy on Amazon |
| Data Plan | Visible Unlimited Truly unlimited data on the Verizon network. The IRL favorite for a cheap single line. Learn more | ~$25/mo | Learn more |
| Bonding | belaBOX SRTLA Bonds several connections to your relay, built into the belaBOX encoder. Free. Learn more | Free (with belaBOX) | Learn more |
| Relay / VPS | belaBOX Cloud Managed SRT relay plus phone control to start/stop the encoder. The cheap, popular choice. Learn more | ~$10/mo | Learn more |
| Power Bank / Portable Battery | SHARGEEK 140 (20K, 140W) High-capacity, high-wattage bank that runs a power-hungry encoder all day. Buy on Amazon | $75 | Buy on Amazon |
Your modem decides whether the stream holds. The right one has an ethernet port so you wire it straight to the encoder, and it supports the bands your carrier actually uses.
- An ethernet port, so you skip an extra wifi hop to the encoder
- 5G sub-6 support for real upload speed
- Long battery or the option to run on external power
- Unlocked, so you can swap carriers
Netgear Nighthawk M1
The budget workhorse. 4G with the ethernet port you want, often cheap secondhand.
$150
Buy 
Run two modems on different carriers and bond them. The ethernet-port modem wires to the encoder; the second feeds in over USB or wifi.
The Reddit take: searching best 5G modem for IRL streaming on Reddit? The r/streaming, r/Twitch, and r/IRLstreaming communities largely land on the same gear, and this build reflects that consensus, not just our opinion.
Build on this in the configurator