Improving Starlink Internet Reliability – What Users Do

So you're using (or thinking of getting) Starlink Internet - congratulations, you're one of the pioneers of the new age of satellite Internet. With up to 333 Mbps download speed, 38 Mbps upload and 27 ms latency (source), Starlink Internet is definitely much better than what you can get now in remote or rural areas.

The only major issue with Starlink is that it's currently in the works. Only about 1,300 of 12,000 satellites have been deployed so far, as of March 2021. That means that there are instances where you can experience Starlink Internet dropouts, more or less, depending on where you're located. And they're the ones saying that on their website: "there will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.

Luckily, some Starlink Internet users have already done the hard work - experiencing with different solutions to increase the Starlink Internet reliability. This article share some of the interesting solutions, as documented on the Internet and in Speedify Support.

A recent LinkedIn Pulse article written by Chris Bunch on how to get Starlink working caught our eye. Among all the interesting, hands-on details, he's also talking about a Starlink failover solution.

The problem he was having is an "odd blip for a second or so every now and again whilst on video calls". So he researched about load balancing WAN, but that doesn't work, as switching between connections can take even more than just waiting for Starlink Internet to resume.

He finally found Speedify channel bonding VPN which he uses to combine his reliable, but slow FTTC connection with his less reliabe but faster Starlink connection. This way, he gets uninterrupted and reliable Starlink Internet.

An interesting review of using Starlink with Speedify was published on Nelson's log. The whole idea is similar to the above - solving the Starlink Internet reliability issues by using an additional Internet connection at the same time.

The thing that Nelson noticed is that Speedify managed to significantly minimize the packet loss rate, until it became better than on either ISP alone - Starlink and Wi-Fi backup.

In terms of results he saw, the increase in the upload rate was meaningful - the Starlink satellite connection's limited upload was supplemented by Wi-Fi.

Where can you find unbiased reviews of products and services from real users if not on Reddit? Take this post, for example: prior to getting Starlink, someone had a "pitiful DSL connection" that they were going to cancel. But it turned out to be useful to pick up Starlink outages when used with Speedify.

On the same post, someone has a more complex setup, involving a 10/1 Mbps DSL connection, a 20/3 Mbps microwave connction and Starlink 50/15 Mbps. They are using a multi WAN router with the first two connections and bonding that together with the Starlink connection.

Here's another Reddit post under the same r/Starlink subreddit which talks about was to avoid Starlink disconnects. You'll find a lot of Speedify users there.

We got a lot of inquiries here at Speedify regarding using Starlink Internet together with a secondary connection. In fact, all the people who contacted us mentioned they will use Starlink with their already existing Internet service, at least until there will be no more down times. And if we're talking about their cellular connections, those will most probably be there for the long run, as they are used on the mobile devices outside of the household as well.

One thing is for sure: Starlink users realize they have to get reliable connectivity through failover protection. Currently, the main issue with Starlink is the fact that not all the satellites have been deployed. But it can very well be some bad weather or network congestion even after the system is complete.

Pro Tip: after you jump up and down for joy that Starlink finally has coverage for your area, think beyond that. Having a fast and reliable Internet connection is what makes and breaks many of today's activities, especially those involving live streaming, video calls, gaming etc. Get Speedify for maximum Starlink Internet reliability. You will have the flexibility of using your Starlink satellite Internet together at once with any other type of connection.