Speedify Uses Backup Wired Ethernet Alongside Starlink on Ubuntu Linux to Keep You Online
If Starlink is your primary internet on Ubuntu Linux, Speedify can hold a wired Ethernet line, from a cable, fiber, or DSL connection, as an independent ground-based backup that takes over the moment Starlink drops. Speedify uses Speedify’s channel bonding technology to run Starlink and the wired connection together, so weather, a dish obstruction, or satellite congestion no longer interrupts an active download, SSH session, or VoIP call. Your traffic shifts to Ethernet with no dropped sessions, and when both connections are healthy Speedify bonds them for faster upload and download speeds and encrypts your traffic on both paths.
This guide covers why a wired Ethernet line is a strong backup for Starlink on Ubuntu, how Speedify manages both internet connections, and how to set up Speedify in three steps.
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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. The data below shows why.
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.
Why Combine Starlink with Wired Ethernet on Ubuntu Linux
Starlink and wired Ethernet operate on completely separate infrastructure. Starlink delivers internet through low-Earth-orbit satellites and is affected by weather, dish obstructions, and satellite congestion. Wired Ethernet through a cable, fiber, or DSL connection runs on ground-based infrastructure maintained by a local ISP and is unaffected by those conditions.
For Ubuntu users who rely on Starlink as their primary internet source, adding a wired Ethernet connection through Speedify means you have an independent, ground-based backup active at all times. If Starlink degrades, Speedify moves your traffic to the wired connection instantly, without interrupting active SSH sessions, downloads, or VoIP calls. When Starlink recovers, Speedify rebalances across both connections automatically.
How Speedify Manages Starlink and Wired Ethernet on Ubuntu
Speedify runs on your Ubuntu machine and monitors both your Starlink Wi-Fi connection and your wired Ethernet connection simultaneously. Speedify measures latency, packet loss, and available bandwidth on each connection continuously.
When both connections are healthy, Speedify routes traffic across both and delivers up to 95% of their combined upload and download capacity. When one connection degrades or drops, Speedify shifts all traffic to the working connection at the packet level. No sessions are dropped. No manual reconnection is needed.
Speedify also encrypts all your internet traffic across both connections, keeping your data protected regardless of which path carries it.
How to Combine Starlink and Wired Ethernet on Ubuntu Linux with Speedify
Step 1: Connect to Your Wired Ethernet Network
Plug an Ethernet cable into your Ubuntu machine’s Ethernet port or USB-C to Ethernet adapter, and connect the other end to your router or wall port. Ubuntu should detect the wired connection automatically. Run ip link or check Network Manager to confirm the Ethernet interface is active and assigned an IP address.
Step 2: Connect to Your Starlink Wi-Fi Network
Using your built-in Wi-Fi interface, connect to your Starlink network via Network Manager. Confirm both the wired Ethernet and the Starlink Wi-Fi connections are active at the same time.
Step 3: Download and Run Speedify
Download Speedify for Linux and install it on your Ubuntu machine. Speedify will detect both connections and begin bonding them automatically. No manual routing configuration is needed.
Speedify handles everything in the background from that point: combining both connections for faster upload and download speeds, monitoring for drops, failing over instantly, and encrypting all traffic.
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Who Should Use Speedify to Combine Starlink and Ethernet on Ubuntu Linux
- Linux developers and engineers working remotely on Ubuntu who need Starlink plus a wired Ethernet backup for uninterrupted development sessions
- System administrators managing Ubuntu workstations or servers where a single Starlink connection is not reliable enough for production use
- Researchers and data scientists running long-duration jobs on Ubuntu who cannot afford a connection drop mid-transfer or mid-computation
- Businesses deploying Ubuntu machines at locations with both Starlink and a wired broadband connection available and needing both used simultaneously
- Anyone running Ubuntu on Starlink who has access to a wired Ethernet port and wants both connections active and managed automatically
Speedify Is Used on Millions of Devices Worldwide
Speedify has powered stronger Internet for millions of consumers since 2014
15M
Millions of Speedify downloads worldwide, and growing every day5⭐️
More than 75,000 5-star reviews for Speedify in the iOS and Android app stores82
Points of Speedify presence in datacenters around the globe500TB
Hundreds of terabytes of fast, secure data streamed every week via SpeedifySpeedify Partners
Speedify partners with these amazing organizations to deliver better internet and next-generation networking technology to their customers and employees.
Speedify Also Monitors Your Starlink Dish Status on Ubuntu Linux
Speedify displays real-time Starlink dish alerts in the app on your Ubuntu machine. If your dish detects a stuck actuator motor, a non-vertical mast, or a thermal throttle condition, Speedify shows the alert in the dashboard. Alerts appear when the condition has been active for at least 15 seconds and clear once the issue is resolved.
Speedify gives you a single application for connection bonding and Starlink hardware monitoring on Ubuntu.
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