Starlink Satellite Internet Is Fast, but Needs Seamless Failover to Improve Reliability
A couple of months ago we got our own Starlink for RV. We all became obsessed with Starlink here at Speedify - putting it to the toughest real world tests for connectivity and live streaming. We’re still doing that - in fact, you can check out our live stream of the Philadelphia skyline on Twitch and play around with some interactive commands there.
The conclusion so far: Starlink is a great Internet option for those who live in areas with poor Internet coverage for the average user. However, if you are working remotely, doing video / voice calls or live streaming, you will need more than just your Starlink Internet connection. And that’s because the satellite connection is unreliable and can lead to disconnects. Read more below.
Quick answer
Should you get a backup connection for Starlink?
Yes. Starlink goes down every day — an always-on dish averages about 34 minutes of downtime daily from routine satellite handoffs. A second connection keeps you online when Starlink drops.
What’s the best backup connection for Starlink?
A 4G/5G cellular hotspot or SIM is the most practical backup for most Starlink users — it works anywhere Starlink works, requires no installation, and uses a different network so outages rarely overlap. Cable or DSL broadband is a strong option if you have it at a fixed location. A second Starlink dish is also possible if you need maximum throughput.
How do you use two internet connections at once with Starlink?
Speedify combines Starlink with any other connection — cellular, cable, Wi-Fi, or a second dish — into one bonded connection. Speedify runs on your phone, laptop, or router. When Starlink drops, Speedify moves your traffic to the backup instantly, so calls don’t cut out and downloads don’t stall. Speedify is free to try.
71% of Speedify’s Starlink users already run a second connection. Try Speedify free →
Speedify Starlink Index — real-world performance from 6,209 Starlink users: 2.4% downtime, about 34 minutes a day for always-on connections
Starlink goes down every day.
Here’s what that actually looks like.
Speedify passively monitors every connection it bonds. These figures come from 6,209 Starlink users over 14 days — compared in real time against the other connections on the same devices. No speed tests, no lab conditions.
Daily downtime
~34 min
2.4% of connected time unreachable
Median latency
60 ms
p90 spikes to 257 ms
Avg packet loss
0.17%
vs 0.08% on T-Mobile
71% ran at least one other connection simultaneously — 4,381 of 6,209 users. Cellular is the most common backup.
Use Speedify to stay online during satellite handoffs every 15 seconds
Research confirms Starlink switches between satellites every 15 seconds on a fixed schedule. Each satellite handoff is a potential dropout, and on a congested network or with any obstruction, those Starlink dropouts become real interruptions.
Speedify fixes Starlink connection drops by combining your Starlink internet connection with another satellite dish, Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, or wired Ethernet at the same time. When Starlink drops, Speedify keeps your traffic moving on the backup internet connection instantly.
Speedify alerts you about your Starlink dish status
Speedify software alerts you about your Starlink dish status as soon as your dish experiences an issue - e.g. when your actuator motor is stuck, the mast is not vertical or there's a thermal throttle.
Speedify's Starlink Control Center helps you monitor all your Starlink dishes, read obstruction maps, and align multiple dishes all in the Speedify app. Get a real-time view of each dish's health and optimize the position of each Starlink dish, so you get the best possible performance out of your Starlink connections.
Speedify Feature
Cellular sharing that goes both ways.
Explore Speedify's Pair & Share Feature
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Speedify Feature
Cellular sharing that goes both ways.
Speedify Feature · Pair & Share
Speedify Pair & Share: share cellular between your devices, both ways
Most hotspots give. Speedify's Pair & Share gives and takes. Two devices running Speedify pair up and each uses the other's cellular connection simultaneously, so you both get faster uploads, faster downloads, and a steadier connection. No extra hardware, no new data plans, no setup beyond a tap.
Learn how Speedify's Pair & Share works ›More speed
Every device you pair with adds its cellular to yours, and yours to theirs.
Stays connected
If a paired device drops out, Speedify keeps you online on the remaining links.
Always private
Every shared connection runs through AES-256 encryption. Your traffic is yours.
No new gear
Runs on devices already running Speedify, over your local network. Pair once, reconnects automatically.
How We Test Starlink Internet
We want to be transparent about our testing process here. We have our Starlink on the roof of our building in Philadelphia, near the Delaware Riverfront. Our engineers are gathering data on different usage scenarios, including downloads, uploads, streaming and gaming. We primarily look at the MOS score - a standard rating based on latency, jitter and loss of how well an internet connection will perform for voice calls - and KPIs derived from these metrics.
In the case of the live stream mentioned above, we combine the Starlink Internet (as the primary connection) with Comcast cable together with Speedify and look at the usage of each. We also record when Speedify steps in to compensate for the Starlink unreliability by pushing more traffic through Comcast.
Starlink Internet Reliability Test Results
As mentioned in the first section, if you’re doing any kind of Internet-sensitive activity such as voice / video calls or streaming, you’ll need a secondary connection to combine together with Starlink for uninterrupted performance.
Check out this video of one of the Starlink gurus on YouTube speaking about making Starlink faster and more reliable.
How to Best Setup Your Starlink for Uninterrupted Internet
Get started with Speedify today!
With Speedify you can combine Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and other satellites into one bonded super-connection to improve livestreaming, video calling, gaming, web browsing, and everything else you do online.
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