The Mine Media M4 as an alternative to the Peplink Balance 310 5G
Anyone who works as a live stream professional knows the need: Fail-safe internet with bonding via cellular network. In this article, we compare two devices that are not comparable, but still go in a very similar direction: The Peplink Balance 310 5G and the Peplink alternative, the Mine Media M4 Mini .
First of all: It is of course not an “official” comparison. It is also important to know that both devices are NOT encoders, but pure bonding routers. You should also know that the devices are only “partially” comparable: The M4 Mini has 4 built-in LTE modems and a WAN Ethernet port and 2 LAN ports.
The Peplink has a 5G modem, an LTE modem and a USB port for a data stick, a WAN port and several LAN ports. The throughput is unencrypted up to 600 Mbit / s and encrypted up to 500 Mbit / s. The Peplink is operated with the two antennas supplied for LTE and a 4×4 MIMO antenna for 5G.
Peplink alternative for mobile use
Anyone looking for a bonding router in order to have internet access or a backup in the middle of nowhere or a location, to be able to bundle lines, but do not want an encoder, is well served with both devices.
Bonding server makes bonding possible in the first place
A remote station is required for both devices, which transfers the bundled traffic (with public IP) into the network. The M4 Mini uses a cloud service that is hosted by Hetzner and provided by livestream-shop.com provided with the device. This means that hosting in Germany can be guaranteed by the German provider.
The Peplink uses, for example, AWS for bonding. In addition to AWS, there are also “images” for Hetzner, Azure and other providers. There are instructions for the M4 Mini, if necessary. to be able to build this remote station yourself.
The advantages of the Mine Media M4 Mini:
++ built-in battery
++ simple user interface
++ no unnecessary ballast in the GUI
++ well suited for applications where it has to be done quickly and where there is no extensive network understanding
++ Color display with all important information – you can see the status immediately
++ Case with a neat, milled inlay is included
++ built-in WiFi
The disadvantages of the Mine Media M4 Mini:
– no UDP
– no NAT
Conclusion: Anyone who needs a TCP router with bonding Internet for typical TCP applications and no special network scenarios will find a first-class device with the M4. The built-in “UPS” (battery) makes the router completely mobile. The display offers a quick overview and the user knows immediately what he is doing without having to start a notebook.
The advantages of the Peplink Balance 310 5G:
++ can do a lot of network functions – but that also means: you have to know what you are doing. It is therefore certainly not the first choice for beginners
++ Network rules, NAT are possible
++ UDP support
The disadvantages of the Peplink Balance 310 5G:
– No battery and therefore only partially mobile
– Case not included, available as an extra
– currently no rackmount available, but should follow
– no display
– Compared to Mine M4, “only” 3 modems (one of which can be purchased separately as a USB device)
– no WiFi built in
Conclusion : The Peplink Balance 310 5G is a professional device intended for use cases such as backup, branch networking, etc. In connection with this, it can do things that a “normal” person will probably never need when streaming. The many setting options therefore always entail the risk that the configuration will give you a go at yourself. So if you don’t have in-depth network knowledge, you’re better off with Mine M4.
Of course, the two devices cannot be compared 1 to 1, but if you are looking for an alternative to the Peplink Balance 310 5G for the purpose of livestreaming, the Mine Media M4 is absolutely good advice.
