Each listener uses roughly 128 kbps of bandwidth. 500 listeners = 64 Mbps total. A modern enterprise access point has 1,300 Mbps of radio throughput — that's headroom for 10,000+ streams. The bottleneck is almost always client count per AP, not raw bandwidth.
Capacity Planning by Venue Size
| Event Size | Recommended Setup | AP Model Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 listeners | Any modern home router or venue Wi-Fi | Any 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 6 |
| 50–200 listeners | 1–2 enterprise APs on 5 GHz dedicated SSID | Ubiquiti U6-Pro, TP-Link EAP670 |
| 200–500 listeners | 3–4 APs across the floor + dedicated silent-disco SSID | Ubiquiti U6-Enterprise, Cisco Meraki MR46 |
| 500–1,000+ listeners | 5–8 APs, 5 GHz only, band steering on, DTIM 2+ | Ubiquiti U6-Enterprise-IW, Aruba AP-635 |
Key Network Settings
1. Dedicated SSID for the Event
Create a separate SSID just for silent disco guests, isolated from staff, POS systems, and general internet. This keeps the broadcast domain small and prevents unrelated traffic from consuming airtime.
2. 5 GHz Only
Force the silent disco SSID to 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is congested in any high-density environment (it only has 3 non-overlapping channels). 5 GHz has up to 24 non-overlapping channels and handles client density far better.
3. Disable Client Isolation (Important)
Many public/guest Wi-Fi configurations enable client isolation — this prevents phones on the network from reaching the DJ laptop. Disable client isolation on the silent disco SSID. Phones need a direct TCP connection to the laptop running Silent Disco WiFi.
Watch out: Hotel and conference center AV networks often have client isolation enabled by default. This is the #1 cause of "guests can scan the QR code but can't hear audio." Ask the venue IT team to confirm client isolation is off on your SSID before your event.
4. DHCP Pool Size
Make sure your DHCP pool has enough addresses. A /24 subnet gives you 253 addresses. For events over 200 people, use a /23 (510 addresses) or /22 (1,022 addresses) if the router supports it, accounting for phones bringing multiple devices (watch + phone simultaneously).
5. AP Placement
- Mount APs at ceiling height or on truss — not below 2m (crowd absorbs signal)
- Target 30–50 clients per AP maximum for best performance
- Overlap coverage zones by 15–20% so phones hand off without dropping
- Place one AP near the entrance for guests joining when they arrive
For Outdoor Events
Outdoor events need weatherproof APs with long-range antennas. Ubiquiti's outdoor U6-Mesh or similar gear covers large open areas. The DJ laptop should be tethered to the AP by ethernet rather than joining the Wi-Fi itself — this eliminates the DJ's upstream traffic competing on the radio.
Always wire the DJ laptop. Connect the laptop running Silent Disco WiFi to the AP or switch via ethernet. It's the source of all audio streams — it should never be on Wi-Fi itself, competing with guests for airtime.
Troubleshooting Checklist
- Guests can scan QR but hear nothing → check client isolation is OFF
- Audio drops on one side of the room → AP coverage gap, move or add an AP
- Audio works but lags or stutters for 10% of guests → those phones may be roaming between APs; enable fast roaming (802.11r) if supported
- Can't connect to Wi-Fi at all → check DHCP pool exhaustion (too many devices, pool too small)
Built for any venue size — from 10 to 10,000.
Pro license is unlimited listeners. One flat annual fee. No per-head pricing.
See Pricing