Speedify Uses a Backup Cable or DSL Connection Alongside Starlink on Ubuntu Linux to Keep You Online
This guide covers why a cable or DSL line is a strong backup for Starlink on Ubuntu, how Speedify manages both internet connections, and how to set up Speedify in three steps.
Starlink disconnects all the time for ALL Starlink users. The Speedify Starlink Index report found that Starlink connections are down for an average of ~33 min per day. Plus, all Starlink dishes experience small drops and packet loss every 15 seconds, when the moving Starlink satellites hand off the connection to the next satellite overhead.
The best way to fix Starlink's connection drops is to combine your Starlink connection with another internet connection, such as 4G/5G cellular, cable, fiber, DSL, or another Starlink connection. Speedify makes this possible with channel bonding.
Most Starlink users already run a second connection.
From a sample of 6,228 Starlink users on Speedify, 71% ran at least one other internet connection while using Starlink. Cellular is the most common choice of backup connection.
What they pair with
Why Combine Starlink with Cable or DSL on Ubuntu Linux
Starlink and cable or DSL broadband use entirely separate infrastructure. Starlink routes traffic through low-Earth-orbit satellites. Cable uses coaxial lines maintained by local providers. DSL runs over telephone networks. Neither one is affected by the other’s failure modes.
For Ubuntu users who already have a cable or DSL subscription and have added Starlink, running both through Speedify means you stop paying for a second connection that sits idle as a manual backup. Speedify puts both connections to work simultaneously, using the combined upload and download capacity of Starlink and cable or DSL for every session. If either connection drops, Speedify moves all traffic to the working one instantly, without interrupting active SSH connections, downloads, or voice calls.
How Speedify Manages Starlink and Cable or DSL on Ubuntu
Speedify runs on your Ubuntu machine and monitors both connections continuously, tracking latency, packet loss, and available bandwidth on each one. When both are performing well, Speedify uses both simultaneously and delivers up to 95% of their combined upload and download capacity. When one degrades or drops, Speedify reroutes all traffic to the healthy connection at the packet level. Sessions stay live throughout.
Speedify also encrypts all your internet traffic across both connections, protecting your data on every path.
How to Combine Starlink and Cable or DSL on Ubuntu Linux with Speedify
Step 1: Connect to Your Cable or DSL Router
Connect your Ubuntu machine to your cable or DSL router via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi. Confirm the connection is active using ip link or Network Manager. Make sure it shows an assigned IP address.
Step 2: Connect to Your Starlink Network
Connect your Ubuntu machine to your Starlink router via Wi-Fi using the built-in wireless interface, or via Ethernet if your cable or DSL connection already uses Wi-Fi. Confirm both the Starlink connection and the cable or DSL connection are active as separate interfaces.
Step 3: Download and Run Speedify
Download Speedify for Linux and install it on your Ubuntu machine. Speedify will detect both active connections and begin bonding them immediately. No manual routing configuration is required.
Speedify runs in the background from that point: combining Starlink and cable or DSL for faster upload and download speeds, monitoring both paths, failing over automatically, and encrypting all traffic.
Who Should Use Speedify to Combine Starlink and Cable or DSL on Ubuntu Linux
- Linux developers and engineers with both Starlink and a cable or DSL subscription who want to use both connections simultaneously instead of treating one as an idle backup
- System administrators managing Ubuntu workstations or servers who need automatic failover between Starlink and a wired broadband connection
- Home office workers on Ubuntu who need the combined upload and download bandwidth of two independent internet connections for large file transfers or video conferencing
- Businesses deploying Ubuntu machines at sites with both Starlink and an existing cable or DSL line who want software-based bonding without additional hardware
- Anyone running Ubuntu with both Starlink and a cable or DSL connection who wants both connections managed automatically at all times
Speedify Also Monitors Your Starlink Dish Status on Ubuntu Linux
Speedify displays real-time Starlink dish alerts in the app dashboard on your Ubuntu machine. If your Starlink dish detects a stuck actuator motor, a non-vertical mast, or a thermal throttle condition, Speedify shows the alert immediately. Alerts appear when the condition has been present for at least 15 seconds and clear once resolved.
Speedify lets you monitor your Starlink hardware and manage all your connections from the same application on Ubuntu.
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Combine Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink, and more into one faster, steadier connection. Free to try — no credit card required.
🚀 Speed
Faster uploads and downloads by bonding all your connections at once.
📶 Stability
Automatic failover in under a second when any connection drops.
🔒 Security
AES-256 encryption on every connection, on every network you join.
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