CrewTalk
Available 4 min read

Local Mode

Local Mode lets your crew use CrewTalk over a local Wi-Fi network without any internet connection. Choose between two connection modes — Direct (device-to-device multicast) or Relay (Raspberry Pi server) — depending on your team size and reliability needs.

When to Use Local Mode

Local Mode is designed for environments where cloud connectivity is unavailable or undesirable:

  • Remote film locations — Backcountry shoots, desert locations, or anywhere without cell service
  • Construction sites — Jobsites in early phases before internet infrastructure is installed
  • High-security environments — Facilities that prohibit external network traffic
  • Field operations — Events, warehouses, or temporary venues with no reliable internet

Connection Modes

Local Mode offers two distinct connection modes. Choose the one that fits your setup:

Direct Mode (Multicast)

All devices communicate directly with each other over UDP multicast. No server required — just connect everyone to the same Wi-Fi router.

  • Simplest setup — Just a Wi-Fi router, no additional hardware
  • Best for small teams — Works well with under 10 users on the same subnet
  • Zero infrastructure — No server to configure or maintain
  • Limitations — All devices must be on the same network segment; some routers may need multicast settings adjusted

Relay Mode (Raspberry Pi)

A Raspberry Pi on the local network runs the CrewTalk relay server software, acting as a central hub for all audio and message traffic.

  • More reliable — TCP connections are more stable than multicast UDP
  • Supports more users — Better suited for larger teams
  • Full messaging — Text, images, and all message features work just like cloud mode
  • Requires hardware — A Raspberry Pi running the CrewTalk relay software on the local network
💡 Tip

Not sure which to pick? Start with Direct Mode if you have a small team and a single router. Move to Relay Mode if you need to support more people or want the reliability of TCP connections.

Setup Wizard

CrewTalk includes a guided onboarding wizard that walks you through Local Mode configuration step by step. The wizard helps you:

1

Choose Your Mode

Select Direct or Relay based on your team size and available hardware.

2

Configure Network Settings

For Direct mode, the wizard confirms your Wi-Fi connection. For Relay mode, you enter the Raspberry Pi’s IP address on your local network.

3

Test the Connection

The wizard verifies connectivity to confirm everything is working before you start using Local Mode.

You can re-run the setup wizard at any time from Settings to change your configuration.

Hardware Requirements

Direct Mode

  • A Wi-Fi router (no internet connection needed — the router just provides the local network)
  • Recommended router settings: Disable IGMP snooping, use a non-DFS channel (e.g., channel 149 on 5 GHz), and set channel width to 80 MHz
  • All devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network

Relay Mode

  • Everything from Direct Mode, plus:
  • A Raspberry Pi (Pi 4 or newer recommended) running the CrewTalk relay server software
  • The Pi connected to the same local network via Ethernet (recommended) or Wi-Fi

How to Enable

1

Open Settings

Tap the gear icon in the channel indicator bar on the PTT screen.

2

Toggle Local Mode On

Find the Local Mode section and flip the toggle. The setup wizard will launch automatically on first enable.

3

Complete the Wizard

Follow the guided steps to choose your connection mode and configure your network settings.

📝 Note

Local Mode is a premium feature available on paid plans. On the free tier, the Local Mode toggle is not available.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Both Direct mode and Relay mode work entirely over local Wi-Fi with no internet connection. You just need a Wi-Fi router to create the local network (and a Raspberry Pi for Relay mode). The initial CrewTalk login requires internet, but once authenticated, Local Mode operates fully offline.
Direct mode works best with under 10 users on the same subnet. UDP multicast traffic increases with each participant, and some consumer routers handle it better than others. For larger teams, Relay mode is recommended.
Yes. Simply toggle Local Mode off in Settings and CrewTalk will reconnect to the cloud servers. Your Local Mode configuration is saved, so you can switch back and forth without re-running the wizard.
In Direct mode, messaging uses UDP multicast — best for basic PTT audio. In Relay mode, messaging goes through the Pi’s WebSocket relay, which supports the full messaging experience including text, images, typing indicators, and DMs — identical to cloud mode.
Yes. Go to Settings > Local Mode and tap the configure option to re-run the setup wizard. You can switch between Direct and Relay mode or update your Pi’s IP address at any time.

Related Articles

Connection Problems

Troubleshoot audio and messaging connection issues.

Auto-Reconnect & Reliability

How CrewTalk maintains reliable connections automatically.