For a live Avatour meeting, your 360° camera needs an active internet connection at the capture location. The bandwidth required depends on how the camera is being used:

• 1 Mbps — sufficient when the camera is stationary and the video has stabilised
• 5 Mbps — recommended when moving the camera around the site
• 10 Mbps — ideal, providing comfortable headroom for all scenarios

In practice, even a modest connection works well for many use cases. The three options below cover the full range of site situations, from well-connected offices to the most remote locations on earth.

Not sure what connectivity you have available? Start by running the free Avatour Connectivity Test before your first meeting.

Option 1: Local Wi-Fi

Connecting the camera to your site's existing Wi-Fi network is the simplest option. It gives you full control, requires no additional hardware, and a standard guest network is usually more than sufficient.

When it works well: Any site that already has Wi-Fi coverage in the areas you want to show — offices, warehouses, production floors, retail locations.

What's needed: In most cases, just the Wi-Fi password. For corporate networks, your IT team may need to whitelist the camera's MAC address or open specific ports. See What are the ports, protocols, and IP addresses used by Avatour? and How do I connect my PanoX V2 camera to Wi-Fi?

Potential challenge: Some areas of a site may not be covered, or access to the corporate network may not be possible due to IT firewall policies.

Option 2: Starlink (Satellite Internet)

Starlink is a satellite internet service that delivers reliable, unthrottled broadband wherever there is a view of the sky — completely independent of any local network infrastructure, mobile coverage, or IT department. In terms of bandwidth consistency and reliability, it is closer to a good Wi-Fi connection than to a cellular hotspot.

Crucially, Starlink does not just replace missing connectivity — it creates Wi-Fi where none existed before. A Starlink dish paired with a small Wi-Fi router provides a fully self-contained connectivity bubble that can be deployed permanently on a site or shipped as part of a portable kit.

When it works well:

• Construction sites without permanent IT infrastructure (the camera connects to Starlink-powered site Wi-Fi from day one)
• Remote or offshore industrial sites where cellular coverage is absent
• Large-scale distributed audit programmes — a portable Starlink kit ships to each site in turn, with no dependency on local IT or network access
• Supplier or third-party site audits where connecting to the host's network is not possible due to firewall or policy restrictions
• Any brownfield or legacy site where Wi-Fi was never built out

What's needed: A Starlink dish and router (procured separately from SpaceX). Once set up, the Avatour camera connects to Starlink-provided Wi-Fi exactly like any other network — no special configuration is required on the Avatour side. The Starlink Mini is particularly well suited to portable deployments: it can be placed near a window or outside, with a small travel router creating a private Wi-Fi network indoors.

Investment to consider: Starlink requires upfront hardware cost and a monthly subscription. For sites where connectivity is a recurring blocker, this is typically a straightforward business case. For occasional or one-off use, a cellular hotspot may be more practical.

For a detailed guide including hardware options, setup steps, and deployment scenarios, see How do I use Starlink with Avatour?

Option 3: Mobile Network (Cellular Hotspot)

A cellular hotspot is the most immediately accessible fallback when local Wi-Fi is unavailable and Starlink has not been set up. The Avatour Turnkey Kit includes the GlocalMe Numen Air 5G hotspot for exactly this purpose.

When it works well: Sites with good mobile coverage where you need a quick solution without any upfront investment — third-party sites, outdoor locations, urban construction.

What's needed: A hotspot device and a SIM card (either the global SIM included in your kit, or a local SIM). The camera connects to the hotspot just like any Wi-Fi network.

Limitations to be aware of:

• Mobile signal may be poor or absent in remote areas, basements, or buildings with metal cladding
• Operators may throttle data speeds, particularly on busy networks
• Data usage costs and SIM procurement can be complex in large organisations
• APN settings may need adjustment when travelling between regions

For setup guidance, see How do I use the GlocalMe Numen Air Portable WiFi 5G hotspot?

How to choose

Start with the decision that fits your situation:

• Site has Wi-Fi and IT access is not a barrier? → Use local Wi-Fi.
• Site has no Wi-Fi, or IT firewall access is a problem — and you are willing to make a small investment for reliable, independent connectivity? → Use Starlink.
• Need a quick solution with no upfront hardware, and mobile coverage at the site is reliable? → Use a cellular hotspot.

If you are unsure about available bandwidth on any of these options, run the Avatour Connectivity Test before your meeting. See How do I interpret the results of the Avatour Network Test? for guidance on reading the results.

Recorded sessions: no internet required

If internet connectivity at your site is not reliable enough for a live meeting, recorded 360° capture is always an option. The camera records offline and the footage is uploaded to Avatour once an internet connection becomes available. Any 360° camera can be used for recorded sessions — no special configuration is required during capture.