What is NOALBS? — Disconnection Protection Explained
What is NOALBS?
NOALBS (Not-Only-A-Link-Backup-Service) is the intelligent disconnection protection that keeps your stream alive — even when your connection briefly drops out. At FizzyPeak, NOALBS runs server-side inside your Cloud-OBS instance, so there's nothing for you to install.
The problem without NOALBS
An IRL streamer walks through a tunnel. 4G gets weak, then drops completely. Without protection, here's what happens:
- Your bitrate collapses to under 500 kbps
- Your OBS stream shows stutters and pixel mush
- Twitch shows "Stream is offline"
- Viewers close the tab and don't come back
That's not an option for an IRL channel.
How NOALBS works at FizzyPeak
Our server-side bitrate monitor measures your stream quality every 3 seconds. Based on a threshold system, we automatically switch between three scenes:
| State | Your Bitrate | Automatically switched to |
|---|---|---|
| Live | > 2000 kbps | Your Live scene — everything runs normally |
| Low-Signal | 500–2000 kbps | Your Low-Signal scene — e.g. "Weak signal — hang in there" |
| Disconnect | < 500 kbps or gone | Your BRB scene — your BRB video loops |
The switch happens within 3–5 seconds of the drop. Viewers don't see an "offline" screen, but a clear visual cue.
Where do I enable NOALBS?
NOALBS is available starting at IRL Pro (€19/mo). In the dashboard under IRL Pro → NOALBS settings:
- Threshold Low: At what bitrate to switch to the Low-Signal scene (default: 2000 kbps)
- Scene Normal: Your live scene name (default:
Live) - Scene Low: Scene for Low-Signal (default:
BRB) - Scene Offline: Scene on a full disconnect (default:
Offline)
What value should I pick for the threshold?
It depends on your streaming quality:
- 1080p60 at ~6 Mbps: threshold 3000 kbps
- 1080p30 at ~4 Mbps: threshold 2000 kbps
- 720p60 at ~3 Mbps: threshold 1500 kbps
- 720p30 at ~2 Mbps: threshold 1000 kbps
Rule of thumb: threshold = 50% of your target bitrate.
What is the "Low-Signal" scene?
A dedicated scene that you prepare — e.g. with an overlay saying "Weak signal, I'll be back strong soon". Viewers understand what's happening and stick around instead of bouncing.
You can create the Low-Signal scene in the Scene Editor, and it has to be named exactly as entered in the NOALBS settings.
How do I combine NOALBS with Privacy-Mode?
- Privacy-Mode = a video blackout you trigger deliberately (e.g. when using the bathroom).
- NOALBS = automatic, when your connection is poor.
Both features work independently. Privacy has higher priority — as long as Privacy-Mode is running, NOALBS does no scene switches.
Who invented NOALBS?
Originally an open-source tool by 715209/noalbs — we implemented the core logic server-side so you don't have to run any Node.js processes locally.
In short
- From IRL Pro (€19): full NOALBS with Live/Low/Offline scenes
- From Creator (€12): simple auto-reconnect + BRB fallback on a total disconnect (no Low-Signal intermediate step)
- Starter: no anti-disconnect
Try it: start your stream, briefly unplug your encoder's network cable, and watch on Twitch how the screen switches. That's NOALBS.
Noch Fragen? Öffne das Dashboard oder schreib im Discord #support.