Mobile Gaming Network

[Networknoobster]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a network I am considering setting up. I have no real experience in setting up networks other than the home basics so this is like a mine field to me.

My basic idea is to set up a network of 16 PS4's I wish to play on LAN and online with these systems. These will move to a number of locations throughout the week, I cannot be dependent with on-site internet connection so I have chosen to be dependent on 4G connections instead.

My initial idea was to have all 16 connections go through a LAN Switch then connect to the internet via a 4G modem / router. Although unlikely, I would imagine having 16 PS4's all running through a 4G router to be terrible. Through no technical calculations and a mere guesstimate I felt a ratio of 2 PS4's to 1 4G Router be the best option by way of trying to reduce costs yet maintain smooth game play. When I attempted to research this, I found that people had combined two internet connections but I was struggling to find anything more than that. Also the Osprey 2 does not have cat 5 and is designed for more wifi purpose? I am not even sure what to use to connect to the internet.

I have decided to turn to the forums as I am stuck, honestly my head hurts so much from trying to figure it out.

Any advice is appreciated, Thanks for your time.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Combining multiple internet connections on one device doesn't really work. What tends to happen is you assign one pool of devices to one connection and another pool to another connection, or use failover.

Putting too many 4G modems nearby will lead to them drowning each other out. Ideally, you'd have them widely separated and on different networks. I wouldn't use more than two on each network.

Note that you're extremely unlikely to be able to do any kind of port forwarding on a 4G connection. Most likely your consoles will be behind strict double NAT, and there'll be nothing you can do about it.

What I'd probably do is start with them all on one network (buy a 24-port ethernet switch) and see if that's enough. If it is, great. If not, we'll talk further. As long as you're not downloading anything, game traffic is pretty low bandwidth.

Note that many higher-end routers have a USB port you can stick a 4G modem into, which will make things easier if you need to do more advanced stuff.

 

[Networknoobster]

Wow, thank you for such a fast response.

I am maybe considering the D-Link WebSmart DGS-1210-28P Ethernet Switch as per your advice. I know I need a switch anyhow, what it can do, I have no idea, it comes with good reviews. Some people may chose to stream. I am wondering if it would be simpler in the short term to provide the Lan for on site games and mifi for online, just a matter of switching the settings within the PS4. It seems a simple solution but if 5 - 10 people want this to happen at the same time, it could prove testing.

It will take a number of months to establish a 16 system network, I will be setting up in 4's and increasing numbers as / if demand increases. My biggest concern is I buy some equipment now then having to buy something completely different as the system grows.

Thanks for your Response

 

[Someone Somewhere]

I don't think you'd need any particularly smart features, so you could probably just get the cheapest one.

Streaming is a big no-no. No way you'll get enough bandwidth for anything beyond maybe one person.