Starlink Slow Speeds: How to Speed it Up [2023]

I have been a Starlink user for long enough to notice times when my connection becomes slow enough to hinder my user experience.

Despite not lowering its speeds to the paltry speeds its competitors offer, this is still in direct contrast to what Starlink claims for its services.

This article lists the various ways you can rectify this issue and make your Starlink faster.

If your Starlink is slow check if there are any obstructions in the line of sight of the Starlink dish or if there is network congestion due to multiple active users. Speeds can be improved by using an ethernet cable to connect to the Starlink router instead of WiFi.

Check the Dish Surroundings for Obstructions

Satellite internet works best only when there are no obstructions between your dish and the Starlink constellation it connects to.

If there are any physical objects between the line of sight of your Starlink dish with the Starlink constellation, you are bound to face connectivity issues.

Placing the Starlink dish correctly is key here.

If you have placed your dish under a covered area, then take it outside and place it in an open area for the best results.

Check your Starlink app to get an obstruction map.

The best way is to simply mount your Starlink dish to your roof.

There are a plethora of mounting options you can consider, like J mounts that can help.

If you live in an area with heavy vegetation, you might need to install your dish on a tower to make it free of all obstructions.

Clean your dish and make sure that the antenna is aligned properly. It should point towards the sky at all times.

If the skies aren't clear, then that is considered an 'obstacle' too, and your Starlink dish may not give you optimal performance.

In such cases, it is best to wait it out till the skies are clear again or realign the dish to an optimal location using the Starlink app.

Check the Starlink App for Optimal Placement

The Starlink app can be a huge lifesaver for you when it comes to aligning your dish properly.

It can show you the best possible location to face your antenna in order to get the best signal from a Starlink satellite in space.

Starlink dish is self-aligning, and usually, aligns itself to get the best possible signal from a Starlink constellation above.

But there will be times when the automated mechanism will cease to provide results, and you will be required to manually calibrate the dish.

In order to align your Starlink dish properly, follow these steps:

• Make sure to install the Starlink app from Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store depending on your operating system, and link it to your Starlink account.

• Tap on the Visibility option on the home screen.

• Tap on the Check for Obstructions option on the resultant page.

• Carefully read the instructions and rules on the screen and click the I'm Ready option to proceed.

• When the app instructs, point your phone camera to the sky and scan the whole sky with respect to the Starlink dish.

• When the results are displayed, the light area on the screen is the area with the strongest signal and the darker areas are where the weakest signals reside.

Now use this information to point your Starlink dish to the area signified by the lighter areas to get the best possible performance out of your Starlink connection.

Check for Network Congestion

Network congestion is probably the most common issue when it comes to slow speeds from Starlink.

Starlink, despite being the company responsible for launching and maintaining the most number of satellites orbiting the Earth, still has miles to go to support its users.

The issue mainly is the sheer number of users utilizing the service, causing a significant drop in speeds on average.

Starlink did address this concern by stating that it will combat this issue by simply launching more satellites and maintaining a higher concentration of constellations.

But that is not a fast solution for most users.

Starlink does not have a prioritization program, so there is no scope for improvement even if you are ready to shell out some extra cash.

The best way to combat this as of now is to limit your internet usage during these peak hours, which in most places is from 6 PM to 11 PM.

If possible, you can schedule your high data-consuming tasks outside of these peak hours.

Also, limiting network congestion from within your home can also help.

Devices such as TVs and other smart appliances are notorious for burning through bandwidth, and restricting them can give leeway to other connected devices.

Disconnect any devices that you are not using currently so that you have more bandwidth to provide for the devices you are currently using.

Use Ethernet instead of WiFi for Best Speeds

WiFi is not a reliable source of internet connection, especially considering its wireless standard.

Wireless communication always experiences some sort of link speed drop simply due to its nature.

Despite its conveniences, it definitely can't compete with the link speeds you can get from a wired standard like ethernet.

In order to get the best possible internet speeds from your Starlink dish, it is best to hardwire your device to the Starlink router using an ethernet cable.

It is not an eye-pleasing method and definitely requires some cable management.

But it is a surefire way to get the best possible experience out of your Starlink connection.

If you have a first-generation round Starlink dish, you can simply connect your ethernet cable directly to the ethernet port of your Starlink router

But the second-generation square/rectangle Starlink dish does not come with the ethernet port built into the router, and you will have to get Starlink's official ethernet adapter.

But once you have everything set up, you should be getting the best speeds that your Starlink dish can provide.

Use Mesh Nodes if WiFi is Weak

Sometimes the issue could be that your WiFi signal is weak in some areas of your house.

This is mostly an issue for larger homes.

A good way to confirm this is to check if you get good speeds on a wired connection and slow speeds on WiFi.

This can be easily resolved by using a mesh node network instead of a single router.

Such a mesh node network can fix the weak WiFi zones in your house ensuring it's uniform throughout your house.

Final Thoughts

If all the steps above failed to generate any solid result in your case, then it is best to contact Starlink support.

They will take you through the standard troubleshooting process and help you if you need a change in hardware.

I hope my article on how you can solve your Starlink connection becoming slow has been a helpful read and has aided you with the same.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many Starlink satellites are active?

There are over 3,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the earth, with plans to expand up to 42,000 satellites in the near future

How many users are active on Starlink?

Starlink has over 400,000 active subscribers across all continents globally, with the number steadily increasing by the day.

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