Multi-connectivity for real-time streaming over Wi-Fi

A benchmark of NanoPing demonstrates how using multiple Wi‑Fi links simultaneously keeps a real‑time video stream smooth while a laptop walks a 30 m lab that no single access point covers. The test sent a 7 Mbit/s, 30 fps live stream for 60 seconds (43,980 packets) from one laptop over three independent APs (AP A: 2.4 GHz ch 9, AP B: 5 GHz ch 100, AP C: 5 GHz ch 36) using one Wi‑Fi adapter per radio; the same machine received the stream over Ethernet through the router. Packet timeliness was judged by a 100 ms limit and NanoPing’s measurements are end‑to‑end application times, while the per‑AP numbers show only each radio’s network portion.

Using all three links together, NanoPing delivered every packet within 100 ms (100.0% in time, slowest packet 91 ms) and produced zero late or lost frames out of 1,800, compared with individual APs which had 97.89-91.48% of packets in time and slowest packets from 208 ms to 1,137 ms; an AP on its own would have caused 3-12 stutters and up to 208 late/lost frames. NanoPing steered traffic away from weak links, sent almost no video over degraded radios, and recovered losses by retransmitting and sending repair packets over the other networks; no Wi‑Fi adapter ever disconnected. Results come from one 60‑second walk on 30 Sept 2026 and the per‑AP figures are a lower bound because each AP carried only a share of the stream.